Abeokuta: The One-Day Trip That Made Me a Reluctant Rock Climber (and a Better Paddle)

Rocking! I visited the historical city of Abeokuta on a 1-day trip, and this is how it played out. Spoiler: My itinerary got a six-pack.

🚌 The Great 7:30 AM Cash Grab
A road trip from Lagos could last anywhere from 45 minutes to one hour. Being the highly committed tourist I am, I set out early. By 7:30 am, I was seated in a mini-bus, having expertly snagged the coveted window seat—the only thing standing between me and motion sickness.

Then came the ritual: the driver played a fast-paced game of "Collect NGN3000 Cash," and in no time, we were out of the park. My destination was Kuto Central Park, a landmark I was told would make connecting to the city easy.

Arriving in Abeokuta at 10 am felt like stepping onto a movie set where the director had called for a very relaxed pace. There was none of the rush and chaos typical of Lagos. The air was peaceful, the roads were clear, and the signature green-colored cabs were everywhere. I’m still pondering the ancient engineering secret that allows five fully-grown humans to compress themselves comfortably into a tiny Micra taxi. It remains one of the world's great wonders.

🤯 The "Library" That Swallowed My Day (and My Budget)
Before I hit the road, the original plan was as simple as a 2-step instructional manual: 1) See Olumo Rock, 2) Go home.

Look who ended up adding four more destinations and burning daylight like a celebrity at a boutique.

My first mission: Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL). After getting hilariously misdirected by a bike man who clearly thought "OOPL" was some kind of street slang, I finally made it.

The question that hit me upon arrival was: Why is this complex named after the library?! I thought I was coming to see a single, quiet, dusty building filled with books authored by the ex-President.

I was wrong.

OOPL is not a library; it’s a complex—a massive, 32-hectare theme park for history buffs, nature lovers, and people who accidentally wander in looking for a quiet place to read. It has a wildlife park, a cinema, a museum, a resort, an amusement park, and a dam. The name "Library" is rather conservative and misleading. It's like naming a buffet "The Salad Bar."

🚣 My Career as a Professional Dam Paddler
At the tour office, I got the price list for all the new activities my simple rock-climbing day had to accommodate. I paid for the boat ride experience—my first-ever!

I watched as Abel, the lifeguard and my personal hype man, expertly maneuvered a red boat close enough for me to climb in. I looked like a newborn fawn trying to stand on ice, grabbing onto anything as the boat rocked.

Then came the surprise. "Paddling a boat with your legs is more work than I thought," is an understatement. I thought this was a cruise, not a cardio session! Thanks to Abel, who basically did 90% of the work while regaling me with fascinating stories about the dam and OOPL's many phases.

Right there in the middle of the water, absorbing the views, my legs were screaming for a lawyer, but my mind was saying, "Just sit here and do nothing forever." The long, hot walk to the tour office? Vanished. My planned budget? Also vanished.

🧗 Olumo Rock: The Elevator That Took a Permanent Holiday
What’s an Abeokuta trip without a visit to Olumo Rock? Getting there was easy, and soon I was at the gate, paying my NGN1,000 access fee. The tour started with a guide leading us up a flight of stairs that felt like a challenge from a '90s video game—121 steps to the first resting point.

It was here we learned a key piece of information: The elevator does not work.

...It had been out of use for a "considerable period," judging by the heroic amount of cobwebs and dust hugging the machine. The hike is part of the fun, they said. I choose to believe them, mostly because I had no choice.

The real fun began as the guide, who could probably deliver this entire speech in his sleep, started the history tour. ****

Guide: "...and that's how we got the name 'Abeokuta'!"

Me (internally, gasping for air): I can’t believe I’m learning complex tribal history while simultaneously being outpaced by a child and questioning all my life choices.

The hike guarantees a great view of the city, which is excellent motivation. Each resting point also had vendors selling palm wine and peppered ponmo—nature's way of rewarding you for not collapsing.

We saw it all: the hideouts, the caves, the holes used as three-year-long grinding stones (the true Abe Okuta), and finally, the apex. The guide wrapped up the epic journey with a rendition of what I can only assume is the state’s National Anthem. When the tour came to an end, the guides were professional in their historical delivery and subtle in their demand for appreciation, accepting all foreign currency and even Opay transfers. They’ve clearly adapted to the modern tourist.

🏃‍♂️ The Dash to the Finish Line
Kobiti Central Mosque: A quick run-in, followed by an immediate run-out because I didn't have a head covering. Fair enough! The manager gave me the "I'm not mad, just disappointed" look.

Alake Palace: A quick dash because an annual festival was in full swing. I felt like a paparazzi trying to capture a quick, unauthorized photo.

Centenary Hall: Located across the palace. I met an elderly gentleman and, in an act of spontaneous trust, traveled to the rooftop with him for a bonus scenic view of Abeokuta—the perfect, exhausting end to an un-chill trip.

It should take days to soak in all the sights I crammed into six hours. But hey, I went for a library and ended up with a mountain, a dam, and a week's worth of cardio. My legs may not forgive me, but my camera roll is happy!