Slideshow: Gabon’s Eco-Tourism Efforts Stumble

A decade ago Gabon established more than a dozen new national parks. But the story of one big tourism investor shows the difficulty of actually getting the tourism dollars flowing.

River Surfing in Munich

German surfers have found a novel way to realize their passion.

An Island with Tidal Bores

Looking for the world’s third largest island that is shared by three countries.

Surf’s Up in South America

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Surf’s up for our Geo Quiz: we are looking for one of the few capital cities in the world with good waves. Foreign surfers who land at this South American city’s airport can be riding the waves within an hour. Ocean currents rolling in from both hemispheres and collide all along the 1,500 miles of coastline – all year round. Download MP3

Slideshow: John Otis’s Surfing Pictures

Havana neighborhood

The Geo Quiz is upscale this time: We’re looking for a glamorous neighborhood. At least it had that reputation before the revolution. We’re talking about the Cuban revolution. And the neighborhood in question is in Havana. Today, there are several posh hotels, overlooking some beautiful beaches. And there’s a surfer’s club, too. (Photo courtesy Havana Surf Club)

Surfing in Liberia

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

For many years Liberia was mostly infamous for its brutal civil war but now surfing fans are discovering the beaches of the West African nation. In the Geo Quiz we’re looking for Liberia’s surfing capital, New York Times’ Diplomatic Correspondent Helene Cooper grew up in Liberia and knows where to find it. Download MP3

• BBC picture gallery
• Global Surf News

Searching for big surf

Surf’s up for our Geo Quiz today, as we’re headed to an island in French Polynesia. It’s a island where some world class surfers have come to shoot a a new surfing flick about the world’s wildest, most perfect wave.

Surf’s up for prize-winning Australian novel

Host Marco Werman reports on this year’s winner of Australia’s top literary prize. It’s called “Breath” by Tim Winton, and it’s a rarity, a world class novel about surfing. Listen