Luba (formerly San Carlos) (pop. 7,000) is the second-largest town on Bioko in
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. It has an area of . Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name refers to its location both near the Equ ...
, a
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
for the
logging
Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucksvolcanic peaks. Attractions in Luba include several
beach
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...
es and a colonial
hospital
A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
.
The city may be reached either by sea or by a main road linking Luba to the country's capital, Malabo. The road is now accessible; it takes about an hour to drive from Malabo to Luba. In 1999, a free port opened near the town, creating deepwater access for larger and oil industry vessels, an alternative to the congested port of Malabo for re-supplying on fuel, water and other materials.
As of 2010 a new highway was under construction from Luba via Belebú Balachá through the Luba Crater Scientific Reserve to Ureca near the south coast.