Cape Palmas

Cape Palmas marks the southeastern end of Liberia's coast, where a rocky peninsula is tied to the mainland by a sandy isthmus. The Hoffman River estuary opens west of the point, and the Cavalla River reaches the sea farther east near the Ivory Coast border. After running southward for so long, West Africa's shoreline turns east here and enters the Gulf of Guinea.

Kru and Grebo communities used the estuary for fishing and coastal trade. Canoes followed surf lines, lagoons and river mouths, carrying fish, salt, rice and craft goods between settlements. Shoals around the cape made navigation difficult, while the protected water behind the point offered a landing place for small vessels.

Portuguese navigator Diogo Gomes named the feature Cabo das Palmas in 1458 during a voyage of trade and exploration. The name entered maps in several European languages. Local sailors continued to use their own knowledge of currents and landfalls, and the cape remained a conspicuous turning point where Atlantic voyages met the beginning of the Gulf of Guinea coast.