Pico Basilé : EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Pico Basilé is the highest mountain on the island of Bioko, which is part of Equatorial Guinea. With an altitude of 3,011 m, it is the summit of the largest and highest of three overlapping basaltic shield volcanoes which form the island. Pico Basilé lies close to the capital of Equatorial Guinea, Malabo. Pico Basilé (formerly Pico de Santa Isabel) is the highest mountain on the island of Bioko, which is part of Equatorial Guinea. With an altitude of 9,878 ft (3,011 m), it is the summit of the largest and highest of three overlapping basaltic shield volcanoes which form the island. From the summit, Mt. Cameroon can be seen to the northeast. Pico Basilé lies close to the city of Malabo. Bioko was formed along the Cameroon line, a major northeast-trending geologic fault that runs from the Atlantic Ocean into Cameroon. This line includes other volcanic islands in the Gulf of Guinea such as Annobón, Príncipe and São Tomé, along with the massive stratovolcano of Mount Cameroon.
Far larger than any mountain in the Eastern United States, the dormant volcano of Pico Basile towers over Malabo at 3011 m. Its virgin rainforest is home to hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles and plants. Rising directly from the ocean, it offers visitors the chance to explore four different ecosystems. Lowland rainforest runs from sea level to 800m, giving way to montane rainforest to 1400m, then Schefflera forest and finally heath and grassland from 2600m to the top. Temperatures at the top can fall as low as 4 degrees C (39 F). Bioko Island's endemic bird species, the Fernando Po Speirops (Speirops brunneus) can be seen here, as can the Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata). Also present are the rare Mountain Saw-wing (Psalidoprocne fuliginosa), Fernando Po Oliveback (Nesocharis shelleyi) and Ursula’s Sunbird (Cinnyris ursulae). Due to its proximity to the capital, monkeys have been largely hunted out of this area, although it is still possible to see an endangered Preuss's Guenon near the summit or the common Red-Eared Guenon on the way up. Thanks to a fairly well-paved road to the summit, Pico Basile can be explored as a day trip from the capital. From "El Pico," as it is known, you can often see its mainland sister Mt. Cameroon (4100m), an active volcano. These two mountains are part of volcanic chain that extends diagonally across the Atlantic from the British island of St. Helena (Napoleon's final exile) to Lake Chad in Cameroon. Pico Basile and Mt. Cameroon form the only habitat for many threatened species.
Far larger than any mountain in the Eastern United States, the dormant volcano of Pico Basile towers over Malabo at 3011 m. Its virgin rainforest is home to hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles and plants. Rising directly from the ocean, it offers visitors the chance to explore four different ecosystems. Lowland rainforest runs from sea level to 800m, giving way to montane rainforest to 1400m, then Schefflera forest and finally heath and grassland from 2600m to the top. Temperatures at the top can fall as low as 4 degrees C (39 F). Bioko Island's endemic bird species, the Fernando Po Speirops (Speirops brunneus) can be seen here, as can the Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata). Also present are the rare Mountain Saw-wing (Psalidoprocne fuliginosa), Fernando Po Oliveback (Nesocharis shelleyi) and Ursula’s Sunbird (Cinnyris ursulae). Due to its proximity to the capital, monkeys have been largely hunted out of this area, although it is still possible to see an endangered Preuss's Guenon near the summit or the common Red-Eared Guenon on the way up. Thanks to a fairly well-paved road to the summit, Pico Basile can be explored as a day trip from the capital. From "El Pico," as it is known, you can often see its mainland sister Mt. Cameroon (4100m), an active volcano. These two mountains are part of volcanic chain that extends diagonally across the Atlantic from the British island of St. Helena (Napoleon's final exile) to Lake Chad in Cameroon. Pico Basile and Mt. Cameroon form the only habitat for many threatened species.
