Stand at the edge of Osele Market on a trading morning and the whole city passes in front of you: kolanut and cocoa changing hands, the smell of fried food, and the sound of a town that has been a commercial centre for the surrounding Akoko farmland for a long time. Ikare is the headquarters of Akoko North-East Local Government in the northern senatorial part of Ondo State, and it sits in the Yoruba cultural region, with Christian, Jehovah Witness and Muslim communities living alongside one another.
This guide suits the traveller who wants a working Nigerian city rather than a resort: markets, festivals, and a landscape of hills and quarters. It covers the markets and sights named in the sources, the annual festivals, and how to string the best of them into a single day.
Top things to do in Ikare
1. Osele Market
Osele Market is Ikare's biggest communal market, and it is where the city's ancient traditions are displayed. Come for the scale of the trading and for the chance to see how the town's commercial life actually works.
Pair it with a walk through the surrounding quarter, and go in the morning when the market is at its busiest.
2. Oja Oba
Oja Oba is situated opposite the old First Bank, garage Ikare Akoko. It is easy to find and makes a straightforward first stop if you are arriving by road.
Use it as a landmark when asking directions, and combine it with Osele Market in the same outing.
3. New yam festival
The New yam festival is the chief festival in Ikare and is celebrated annually on June 20th. Ikare sons and daughters at home and abroad come together to mark what is usually termed the starting point of a new year for Ikare land.
The festival features a masquerade parade, including Oke, Seeru and GanGan. Plan your trip around the date if the festival is the reason you are coming.
4. Aringiya traditional festival
The Aringiya traditional festival is one of the foremost traditional festivals celebrated in Ikare-Akoko, held annually in May. Indigenes within and outside the country converge to appease the gods and to pray for the progress and development of the town and its people.
It is a maiden celebration that depicts the customs of the people and dignity for womanhood, and every girl who is eighteen years is dressed up in beads during the celebration. The practice is valued as a moral tool against sexual abuse and the spread of sexual epidemics.
5. Ijeroba festival
The Ijeroba festival is widely celebrated by the Ikare Akoko people and is presided over by the traditionally recognised Oba of Ikare, the Owa Ale of Ikare. It is the period when the Owa Ale and his people remember their arrival from Ile Ife and their subsequent settlement at Ikare.
The festival is performed by the Owa Ale, Olona, Olotun, Ologbosere, High Chief Olona and Yeye Awo, and the ascension of Owa Ale to the Owa Ale hill marks its beginning. It is celebrated at a specific period of the year usually communicated to the people, so ask locally before you travel for it.
6. Aringiya Festival
The Aringiya Festival is the maiden festival where all virgins paint themselves with Osun (camwood) and go around the town nude before converging at a designated point.
Treat this as a cultural event to observe respectfully and at a distance, and check with local contacts before attending.
7. Okore Market
Okore Market is one of the markets that make Ikare a chief commercial city in Ondo State. It is a useful second market stop if you want to see more than one trading area in the city.
Combine it with Osele Market and Oja Oba on the same day rather than making separate trips.
8. Oja Owa
Oja Owa is another of Ikare's named markets, part of the group that includes Osele Market, Okore Market, Oja Oba, Jubilee Market, Oja Kajola and Oja Kowode.
Markets are the easiest way to structure a day in Ikare, so pick two or three and walk between them.
9. Jubilee Market
Jubilee Market is listed among Ikare's markets and is worth a look if you are working your way through the city's trading areas.
Go earlier in the day, and keep an eye on the weather: the rainy season runs from February 14 to November 18, with September the wettest month.
10. Oja Kajola
Oja Kajola is one of the markets in Ikare and its adjoining villages. It gives a sense of how trade spreads beyond the centre of the city.
Ask locally about transport before setting out, as it sits among the markets serving the surrounding area.
11. Oja Kowode
Oja Kowode is another of the named markets in Ikare. Like the others, it is a place to see the city's commercial life rather than a formal attraction.
Pair it with a visit to Oja Kajola if you are spending the day on the markets.
12. Kamp Ikare
Kamp Ikare is a beach resort on a stretch of Lagos coast near Ikare village, and it is only accessible by boat. The resort is a main communal beach house with six duplex cabins positioned around a swimming pool and just metres from the sea.
It offers home-away-from-home facilities and services that combine the rustic environment around it with a Miami-style lounge area, creating a simple, no-fuss environment for relaxation. Note that this is near Ikare village on the Lagos coast, not in the city of Ikare itself, so plan the boat access in advance.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Oja Oba, opposite the old First Bank, garage Ikare Akoko, then walk or take transport to Osele Market, the city's biggest communal market, while trading is at its liveliest.
Afternoon: Move on to Okore Market, then Oja Owa, and if time allows continue to Jubilee Market. Keep the pace slow and treat the markets as the day's main activity.
Evening: Finish with Oja Kajola or Oja Kowode if they are still active, or return to Osele Market for the end of the trading day. If your visit falls on June 20th, the New yam festival and its masquerade parade take precedence over everything else.
Frequently asked questions
When is the New yam festival held?
The New yam festival is celebrated annually on June 20th, and it features a masquerade parade including Oke, Seeru and GanGan.
When is the Aringiya traditional festival held?
The Aringiya traditional festival is celebrated annually in May, when indigenes within and outside the country converge to appease the gods and pray for the town's progress.
When is the best time of year to visit Ikare?
The dry spell runs from November 18 to February 14, with December the month of least rain. The rainy season runs from February 14 to November 18, and September is the wettest month.
How do I reach Kamp Ikare?
Kamp Ikare is only accessible by boat, and it sits on a stretch of Lagos coast near Ikare village rather than in the city itself.
Check the festival dates with local contacts, pick your season around the rainfall, and start planning your trip to Ikare.