Cape Mesurado

Cape Mesurado is the rocky headland at the tip of Monrovia's peninsula, where the Mesurado River meets the Atlantic. It is one of the highest points in the city and offers views in three directions: back over the city, out to sea, and down the river mouth to the lagoon system behind the peninsula.

The cape is historically significant as the landing point of Liberia's first settlers and the site of the original settlement. Today it is less visited than it deserves — the road up can be rough and the area around it is unmanicured — but the views and the sense of historical resonance make it worth the effort. A short drive or a long walk from the city centre.

things to do viewpoint landmark
A story
Cape Mesurado was the first landmark noted by Portuguese sailors who explored this coast in the 15th century. They named it after the calm, measured (mesurado) quality of the sea there, sheltered slightly from the open Atlantic. Four centuries later, it became the site of the freed slave settlement that grew into Liberia's capital.