History of Malabo: From Port Clarence and Santa Isabel to the Present Day

The history of Malabo is the story of a city that has changed its name, its administration and its appearance many times. Located on the northern coast of Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea, its modern urban origins date back to 1827, when the British established Port Clarence. The Spanish colonial period brought the name Santa Isabel, and in 1973, five years after the country's independence, the city became known as Malabo.

But the history of this territory did not begin with the arrival of Europeans. Bioko was already inhabited by the Bubi people long before colonial powers took an interest in its strategic position in the Gulf of Guinea. Over time, the British settlement, maritime trade, plantations and Spanish administration shaped a city where African communities from different backgrounds lived and worked.

Much of that past remains visible in Malabo, although it is not always immediately apparent. Some buildings still bear the architectural legacy of Santa Isabel, while the names of squares and changes to the urban landscape recall later political developments. The most recent came in 2026, when Ciudad de la Paz was declared Equatorial Guinea's new capital, beginning the process of relocating government institutions.

History of Malabo: Key Dates and Events

Malabo was founded as a British settlement in 1827, became known as Santa Isabel during the Spanish colonial period and adopted its present name in 1973. Behind these changes were processes that did not always move at the same pace: transfers of sovereignty, new institutions, population movements and an economy increasingly connected to Atlantic trade.

The following timeline places the most significant events in their historical context.

Date	Historical event
1778	Spain obtains rights over Fernando Poo, now Bioko Island, from Portugal through colonial agreements between the two countries.
1827	British captain William Fitzwilliam Owen establishes Port Clarence on the northern coast of the island.
1843	Juan José de Lerena reasserts Spanish sovereignty. The name Santa Isabel begins to be associated with the city.
1858	Spanish colonial administration establishes a more direct and stable presence on Fernando Poo.
1968	Equatorial Guinea gains independence from Spain on 12 October.
1973	Santa Isabel is officially renamed Malabo.
1979	A coup ends the government of Francisco Macías Nguema and brings Teodoro Obiang Nguema to power.
2026	Ciudad de la Paz is declared Equatorial Guinea's new capital, with a process established for relocating government institutions.

The year 1843 deserves some explanation. Juan José de Lerena's expedition marked an important step in reasserting Spanish sovereignty, but that did not mean that the existing British influence disappeared overnight. Some historical sources date the adoption of the name Santa Isabel to that year, while others refer to 1847. The consolidation of Spanish administration came later.

Making this distinction avoids confusing events that occurred at different stages, something that is relatively common in historical accounts of Fernando Poo.

The Origins of Malabo and Bioko Island

The Bubi People Before the Founding of the City

The year 1827 marks the establishment of Port Clarence, the settlement from which modern Malabo developed. It should not be understood as the beginning of human settlement on Bioko.

The Bubi people had inhabited the island long before the British colonial presence. Their communities had developed their own forms of social organisation, traditional authorities, family relationships and agricultural practices adapted to the island's environment.

There was no single political structure that represented every inhabitant of Bioko in exactly the same way. Different communities maintained their own systems of authority and territorial relationships, which evolved over time.

This part of the island's history often receives less attention when Malabo's past is told primarily through European expeditions. Yet it is essential for understanding the conflicts that followed and the importance of Bubi identity on Bioko today.

Portugal was among the first European powers to claim rights over Fernando Poo, the island's colonial name. In the eighteenth century, those rights passed to Spain through the Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1777 and the Treaty of El Pardo in 1778.

The treaties, however, were agreements between European monarchies. They did not mean that either country exercised effective control over every community on the island, many of which continued to live under their own authorities.

Bioko's history therefore involves several processes unfolding alongside one another: the lives of its original inhabitants, Atlantic commercial contacts and European territorial claims.

Understanding these communities and their traditions adds valuable perspective to the wider culture of Equatorial Guinea, whose diversity extends well beyond Bioko Island.

The British Founding of Port Clarence in 1827

In 1827, British captain William Fitzwilliam Owen established Port Clarence on the northern coast of Fernando Poo. This settlement would become the predecessor of present-day Malabo.

The location was chosen for practical reasons. The bay offered favourable anchorage for ships and occupied a useful position for British maritime operations in the Gulf of Guinea.

Port Clarence was particularly associated with British naval campaigns against the transatlantic slave trade. Ships operating from the base were involved in pursuing vessels engaged in trafficking enslaved people.

The settlement was named after the Duke of Clarence, who would later become King William IV of the United Kingdom.

During those years, people arrived from different parts of West Africa. They included formerly enslaved Africans liberated from intercepted ships, as well as traders and migrants connected with Sierra Leone and other territories along the Atlantic coast.

These movements gradually contributed to the development of an urban Creole society that became an important part of life on Fernando Poo. Within this context, the community known as the Fernandinos emerged, becoming closely associated with trade and the city's growth.

The British presence served several purposes. The campaign against the slave trade formed part of official policy, but Port Clarence also reflected commercial, strategic and colonial interests.

Those different motivations explain how a naval settlement gradually developed into an urban centre with an increasingly diverse population.

From Port Clarence to Santa Isabel: The Spanish Colonial Period

The Change of Administration and the Name Santa Isabel

Although Spain had obtained rights over Fernando Poo in the eighteenth century, its presence on the island remained limited for decades. Meanwhile, Port Clarence had grown under British influence and maintained important commercial connections with other West African territories.

The situation began to change in 1843. That year, Juan José de Lerena led an expedition to reassert Spanish sovereignty over Fernando Poo. His intervention marked an important stage in the transition from Port Clarence to Santa Isabel, a name associated with Queen Isabella II of Spain.

The transition was more complicated than a simple change of name might suggest.

Historical sources do not entirely agree on when the name Santa Isabel was adopted. Some point to 1843, while others mention 1847. This difference makes it necessary to separate three developments: Spain's formal assertion of sovereignty, the use of the new place name and the establishment of a stable colonial administration.

During those years, British-connected merchants, residents and commercial activities continued to play a role in the settlement. Urban life did not change from one day to the next.

Spanish administration became more firmly established from 1858, when colonial control over Fernando Poo was strengthened.

Santa Isabel then began to consolidate its position as a political and commercial centre for Spain's territories in the Gulf of Guinea. The process involved overlapping Spanish, British and African influences, although within deeply unequal relationships of power.

How Santa Isabel Grew During the Colonial Period

The growth of Santa Isabel was closely connected to its port, maritime trade and, in particular, the expansion of cocoa plantations.

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, cocoa became an important part of Fernando Poo's economy. Agricultural production encouraged the movement of goods, commercial exchange and the activities of companies established in the city.

That economic growth came at a social cost that should not be overlooked when examining the surviving buildings or the history of trade. The colonial economy was built upon profound inequalities in land ownership, working conditions and political power.

Plantations relied on workers arriving from different African territories, including areas around the Gulf of Guinea. Living and working conditions varied over time, but they were shaped by the colonial system and frequently abusive labour relationships.

Santa Isabel brought together a diverse population. Alongside Bubi communities lived merchants, migrant workers, European officials, missionaries and Creole families with longstanding connections to the island.

Among these groups, the Fernandino communities played a significant role in commerce and urban development.

Some families associated with this commercial society, including the Dougans and the Joneses, participated in the construction of houses and other buildings that became part of Santa Isabel during the early decades of the twentieth century.

The city's architecture cannot, therefore, be attributed exclusively to the Spanish colonial administration. African communities with their own economic networks and cultural relationships also contributed to its development.

As the city expanded, churches, administrative buildings, commercial premises and houses were constructed. Many incorporated European architectural styles, adapted to varying degrees to the conditions of a tropical city.

Some of those buildings still survive. Certain structures reveal former religious and administrative functions, while others recall the traders and companies that operated through the port.

Looking at this architectural heritage purely for its appearance would leave out much of the history behind its construction and the people involved.

Equatorial Guinea's Independence and the Birth of Modern Malabo

What Changed After Independence in 1968?

On 12 October 1968, Equatorial Guinea gained independence from Spain and became a sovereign state. Francisco Macías Nguema assumed the presidency of the new country.

Santa Isabel retained its administrative importance, although the political context had changed completely. The end of Spanish colonial sovereignty opened a period of institutional reorganisation that soon became marked by increasing repression.

Macías's government developed into an authoritarian regime. Political persecution, the loss of civil liberties and the weakening of numerous institutions had severe consequences throughout Equatorial Guinea.

Many people were forced to leave the country. Economic activity was seriously disrupted, and public services experienced a period of deterioration.

In Santa Isabel, these circumstances directly affected administration, commercial relationships and everyday life. The city that had served for decades as the principal centre of Spanish Fernando Poo now had to adapt to a new political reality characterised by considerable instability.

Although 1968 was a decisive moment in the country's history, it would be inaccurate to describe the following years as a peaceful or stable transition.

Why Was Santa Isabel Renamed Malabo in 1973?

The city retained the name Santa Isabel during the first years after independence. Its official renaming came in 1973.

During the government of Francisco Macías Nguema, Santa Isabel officially became Malabo, as part of a policy intended to replace place names associated with European colonial rule.

The new name referred to Malabo Lopelo Melaka, a figure associated with the traditional Bubi monarchy and often identified as one of its last kings.

The choice carried political and symbolic meaning. Instead of retaining a name inherited from the Spanish monarchy, the city adopted one connected to Bioko's African history.

This was not an isolated change. Other geographical names associated with the colonial period were also replaced during those years.

Two dates are often confused: Equatorial Guinea became independent in 1968, but Santa Isabel was not renamed Malabo until 1973. Although both events belong to the same historical period, they did not happen simultaneously.

The city's present name preserves that connection to Bubi history within an urban society whose population and cultural life had been shaped by many different influences over the centuries.

Malabo in Recent History: From 1979 to 2026

In August 1979, a coup ended the government of Francisco Macías Nguema and brought Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo to power. A new political period began in Equatorial Guinea, although the change did not lead to the establishment of a pluralist democratic system.

Over the following decades, Malabo underwent considerable economic and urban development.

The growth of the hydrocarbon industry, particularly from the 1990s onwards, transformed the national economy and encouraged investment in infrastructure. New administrative buildings, residential areas, business facilities and roads began to appear across the city.

Urban expansion changed Malabo's appearance, but its benefits did not reach all residents equally. New developments existed alongside older neighbourhoods, while social inequalities remained part of the country's reality.

This helps explain some of the contrasts visible in the city today. The historic centre, associated with Port Clarence and Santa Isabel, stands alongside areas built during different phases of more recent development.

Malabo's architecture reflects these periods, many of which can still be recognised in its urban layout.

The Change of Capital in 2026

On 2 January 2026, the Government of Equatorial Guinea approved Decree-Law 1/2026, declaring Ciudad de la Paz, located in Djibloho, the country's new capital.

The decision was subsequently ratified through Law 4/2026 of 10 April.

The legislation established a process for relocating government institutions from Malabo. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between the legal change of capital and the actual completion of all administrative transfers.

Declaring Ciudad de la Paz the new capital did not mean that all institutional activity in Malabo disappeared immediately.

For decades, Malabo had housed many of Equatorial Guinea's main political and administrative institutions. The change of capital marked a new phase in the country's territorial organisation.

Malabo nevertheless retains its historical and economic significance, together with a heritage closely connected to the development of Bioko and Equatorial Guinea as a whole.

Historic Places That Preserve Malabo's Past

A city's history becomes easier to understand when it can be connected to actual places. Malabo still has buildings and urban spaces associated with different periods, particularly the development of Santa Isabel under Spanish colonial administration.

Not all of them retain their original appearance. Some have undergone renovations, changes of use or significant damage, while others may be closed to the public. It is therefore worth distinguishing a building's historical value from whether it can actually be visited.

Cathedral of Santa Isabel

The Cathedral of Santa Isabel is one of the most representative religious buildings in Malabo's historic centre.

Built in the neo-Gothic style, it is closely associated with the Catholic Church and missionary activity during the Spanish colonial administration.

Construction began in the late nineteenth century, and the cathedral was inaugurated in 1916. Its façade and towers are among the city's most recognisable architectural features.

In January 2020, a fire caused serious damage to the roof and other parts of the building while restoration work was under way.

The incident exposed the vulnerability of historic buildings and the challenges involved in their conservation.

Beyond its architecture, the cathedral recalls the institutional and social influence of the Catholic Church in Santa Isabel during the colonial period.

Independence Square

The present-day Independence Square (Plaza de la Independencia), formerly known as Plaza de España, is one of the most significant public spaces in the old city of Santa Isabel.

Its surroundings were associated with religious and administrative buildings that reflected the organisation of the city under Spanish rule.

After independence, the square's new name acquired political significance. A space once associated with colonial administration came to commemorate the sovereignty of the independent state.

It is a clear example of how the names of public places can change while parts of their urban structure remain.

Looking at the square together with the surrounding buildings offers a fuller understanding of its history than treating it merely as a place to take photographs.

Casa Verde and the Architecture of the Historic Centre

Casa Verde, or the Green House, is another building associated with Malabo's commercial past and the presence of foreign interests in the former Santa Isabel.

Its history offers an insight into an aspect of the city that often receives less attention than its churches and administrative buildings.

According to documentation published by the Spanish institutional magazine Carta de España, the building was initially associated with the Portuguese consulate. It was later used by the Pérez e Hijos company and subsequently housed a hardware business belonging to Muñoz y Gala.

These different uses reflect the importance of trade in a city that maintained close connections with ports throughout the Gulf of Guinea.

Casa Verde's significance lies in its architectural characteristics and in the activities it once accommodated. Its history is a reminder that Santa Isabel's development was connected to companies, traders and communities from different backgrounds.

The streets of the historic centre also retain elements of the urban layout from that period, although later renovations have transformed some buildings.

Before visiting these places, check their current condition and access arrangements. A building's historical importance does not necessarily mean that visitors are allowed inside.

For travellers wishing to combine Malabo's architectural heritage with other places of interest, our three-day itinerary around Malabo and Bioko Island offers a practical route through the city and other parts of the island.

Malabo's historic centre preserves evidence of a complex past. Behind the buildings inherited from Santa Isabel are the African communities that helped develop the city, the commercial relationships of the Gulf of Guinea and the political changes that followed independence.

The city looks very different from Port Clarence today, but it still contains places where successive periods of its history remain visible.

Historical Sources and References

The following publications and documents contain information on Malabo's historical development, the colonial history of Fernando Poo, the city's architectural heritage and political changes in Equatorial Guinea.

• Autonomous University of Barcelona (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona). Academic research on the history of Equatorial Guinea, including the historical context and development of Port Clarence.

• Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE). Crónica de la lengua española 2021. Historical and linguistic references relating to Fernando Poo and Santa Isabel.

• CIDOB. Historical and political chronology of Equatorial Guinea, covering colonisation, independence and subsequent political developments.

• Carta de España. La huella colonial de España en Guinea Ecuatorial. Information on Malabo's architectural heritage, Fernandino communities and the historical uses of Casa Verde.

• Government of Equatorial Guinea. Decree-Law 1/2026 of 2 January, declaring Ciudad de la Paz the country's new capital.

• Government of Equatorial Guinea. Law 4/2026 of 10 April, ratifying the decree on the change of capital.

Frequently Asked Questions About the History of Malabo

What Does the Name Malabo Mean, and Where Does It Come From?

The name Malabo refers to Malabo Lopelo Melaka, a historical figure associated with the traditional Bubi monarchy of Bioko Island. The city adopted this name in 1973 under the government of Francisco Macías Nguema, as part of a policy to replace colonial place names. Until then, it had been known as Santa Isabel.

Are Malabo and Fernando Poo the Same Place?

No. Malabo is a city on the northern coast of Bioko Island, while Fernando Poo was the island's colonial name. Under Spanish administration, present-day Malabo was called Santa Isabel and was located on Fernando Poo. This distinction is useful when consulting historical maps, photographs and documents.

What Role Did Port Clarence Play in the Fight Against the Slave Trade?

Port Clarence was established by the British in 1827 as a base associated with naval operations against the Atlantic slave trade. Africans liberated from intercepted ships arrived there, along with migrants from other parts of West Africa. Its anti-slavery activities existed alongside British strategic and commercial interests in the Gulf of Guinea.

Which Historic Buildings Can Still Be Seen in Malabo?

Some of Malabo's most representative historic places include the Cathedral of Santa Isabel, Independence Square, Casa Verde and other buildings in the old city centre. Each reflects a different part of the city's development. Before visiting, check their current condition, access arrangements and any photography restrictions.

Is Malabo Still the Capital of Equatorial Guinea?

Ciudad de la Paz, located in Djibloho, was declared Equatorial Guinea's new capital under Decree-Law 1/2026 of 2 January, subsequently ratified by Law 4/2026 of 10 April. The legal change established a process for relocating government institutions, which should be distinguished from the actual completion of all administrative transfers.