The town is the seat of a Roman Catholicdiocese and hosts a military academy. Tourists in Obala may visit the somewhat derelict Luna Park whose main attraction is a swimming pool. Not far from Obala are the Nachtigal Falls, actually a series of rapids in the Sanaga River. It has one fairly nice hotel and a large open-air market. The town's football club is called 'Tarzan'. The language spoken is Eton, a Beti language.
