Things to Do in Equatorial Guinea in December

December's lighter humidity lures the drill monkeys of Pico Basile National Park down from the misty peaks to feed. The 1,500 m (4,921 ft) climb is brutal any month, but December's 23°C (73°F) mornings make the 4 AM start tolerable. The males' crow calls echo across the valleys, a sound swallowed by the wet season's constant downpour.

This black-sand beach 45 minutes south of Malabo changes in December when equatorial rains stop stirring sediment. Volcanic sand filters the water, visibility leaps from 3 m (10 ft) in October to 12 m (39 ft) in December. Parrotfish the size of house cats cruise past, and sea turtles graze the seagrass beds that hug the shore.

December's cooler mornings make walking the marble floors of Africa's second-largest cathedral bearable, the 55 m (180 ft) dome turns into a greenhouse once the sun climbs. The basilica's 8,000-seat space feels cavernous when you are one of perhaps 20 visitors. Local guides recount how the 25-ton bronze doors were cast in Spain and hauled through the jungle in sections.

December's dry spell keeps the covered market's maze of passages from becoming a sauna. Smoked antelope mingles with fermenting cassava at the spice stalls, your guide will flag the booths selling malamba honey wine, produced only in dry season. Taste stops include plantain fritters fried in red palm oil pressed in village mills.

At 3,011 m (9,879 ft), this extinct volcano delivers Equatorial Guinea's only true mountain trek. December's clearer skies can open a 150 km (93 mile) view to Mount Cameroon on good days. The trail begins in cloud forest where everything drips even when skies stay dry, boots are soaked within 20 minutes from condensation alone.