The peninsula is a string of beaches separated by forested headlands, with the Western Area Peninsula National Park running the length of the interior ridge. Most travellers come for the sand — beach-hopping by taxi or motorbike along the coastal road is the obvious itinerary — but the park itself is genuinely worth a half-day for the chimps, the waterfalls, and the views back over Freetown.
Roads from Freetown improve every year. A full circuit from the city down to River No. 2 and back is manageable in a long day, but staying overnight at one of the beach lodges is the better experience.