The best way to see the historic quarter of Grand-Bassam is simply to walk its streets without a fixed plan. Boulevard Treich-Laplène is the main artery, but the side streets are where you find the most atmospheric buildings: the old post office with its iron balconies, the former tribunal still displaying its official facade, and a succession of merchant houses in varying states of occupied decay.
Several of the old houses have been taken over by artisans and traders, particularly those selling Côte d'Ivoire's well-regarded artisan work — wooden masks, bronze casting, and hand-dyed fabric. The quarter has developed a small but established craft market identity over the past two decades, attracting artisans from across the region who set up in the empty colonial buildings.
The walk from the lagoon shore to the ocean side takes about fifteen minutes at a relaxed pace. The best light for photography is in the morning, before the sun gets high enough to bleach the colours from the buildings and the street.