Calabar: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Calabar is a city of 540,000 people in Nigeria (Cross River State), 37 m (121 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Margaret Ekpo International Airport (CBQ), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre. It is a port city: Calabar River Port, Cross River State. Our booking partner lists 61 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Calabar runs from about 11 h 52 min a day in late December to 12 h 27 min in late June (computed for 4.96° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Calabar is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Margaret Ekpo International Airport (CBQ), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,040 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Akwa Ibom International Airport (QUO, 28 km).
Flights to Calabar: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Calabar · Driving and car hire · Ferries
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 61 places to stay in Calabar. Of the 59 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (48). Guests have left 82 reviews in total.
Hotels in Calabar: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Port Harcourt, 147 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Benin City, 336 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Onitsha, 216 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Douala, 183 km (Cameroon) — flights
- Yaoundé, 374 km (Cameroon) — flights
- Aba, 108 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Enugu, 189 km — trains · tours
- Warri, 292 km — trains · ferries · tours
- Owerri, 155 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Okene, 369 km
Common questions
Which airport serves Calabar?
Margaret Ekpo International Airport (CBQ), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Calabar?
About 540,000 people live in Calabar, across 604 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Calabar in?
Africa/Lagos, currently UTC+1.
What currency is used in Calabar?
The Naira (NGN). Traffic drives on the right.
How many hotels are there in Calabar?
Our booking partner lists 61 places to stay in Calabar, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Calabar?
Port Harcourt (147 km), Benin City (336 km), Onitsha (216 km), Douala (183 km), Yaoundé (374 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.