Find places in Benin

Must-Haves

• Dantokpa Market (Dantokpa)
  West Africa's biggest open-air market, a maze of fabrics, spices and Vodun fetish stalls beside the lagoon.
• Centre de Promotion de l'Artisanat (Boulevard Saint-Michel)
  The city's main craft centre for carvings, appliqué cloth, bronzes and batik in one walkable spot.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Marché Ganhi (Ganhi)
  A smaller, calmer market good for fruit, everyday goods and easy browsing.
• Marché Saint-Michel (Saint-Michel)
  A busy local market known for food stalls, produce and fabrics.

Fun for Everyone

• Erevan Supermarket (Haie Vive)
  A large supermarket that is handy for snacks, toiletries and picnic supplies.

Must-Haves

• Fondation Zinsou (Ganhi)
  A leading contemporary African art space with changing exhibitions and a calm courtyard.
• Place de l'Étoile Rouge (Étoile Rouge)
  The landmark revolutionary monument at the heart of the city's road network.
• Institut Français du Bénin (Ganhi)
  A lively cultural hub with concerts, films, exhibitions and a library.

Fun for Everyone

• Amazon Statue (Place de l'Amazone)
  A giant bronze honouring the women warriors of the Dahomey kingdom, best seen at sunset.

Off the Beaten Path

• Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Apôtres (Ganhi)
  A striking red and white striped cathedral near the old port quarter.

Fun for Everyone

• Fidjrossè Beach (Fidjrossè)
  The city's weekend beach, lined with simple bars and grilled fish spots.

Must-Haves

• Ganvié Stilt Village (Abomey-Calavi jetty)
  A whole Tofinu town built on stilts in Lake Nokoué, reached by pirogue from Calavi.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lac Nokoué fishing acadjas (Lake Nokoué)
  See the brush-park fish traps that make the lake one of the most productive in Africa.

Fun for Everyone

• Pirogue trip from Abomey-Calavi (Abomey-Calavi)
  The classic boat ride across Lake Nokoué to Ganvié and its floating markets.
• Songhaï Centre visit (Porto-Novo road)
  A famous sustainable farm and training centre with tours, a shop and a restaurant.

Off the Beaten Path

• Cotonou lagoon walk at Ancien Pont (Ancien Pont)
  Watch fishermen cast nets from the old bridge over the lagoon.

Must-Haves

• Guided Cotonou city tour by zem (Citywide)
  Seeing the city from the back of a motorbike taxi with a helmet is a local rite of passage.

Must-Haves

• Benin Independence Day celebrations (Citywide)
  Parades and festivities on 1 August celebrate independence from France.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Maquis along Haie Vive (Haie Vive)
  Simple street-side spots serving pâte, amiwo and grilled chicken in the expat favourite quarter.
• Street amiwo stalls at Jonquet (Jonquet)
  Evening stalls selling amiwo, grilled fish and akassa to a lively late crowd.

Great for Date Night

• Bab's Dock (Akpakpa)
  A hidden lagoon-side lounge reached through the mangroves, perfect for a weekend lunch.

Must-Haves

• Jonquet nightlife strip (Jonquet)
  The city's famous late-night quarter of bars, music and street food.

Great for Date Night

• Sofitel Cotonou Marina bar (Marina)
  An elegant oceanfront bar for a sundowner by the pool.

Fun for Everyone

• Beach bars at Fidjrossè (Fidjrossè)
  Plastic chairs in the sand, cold drinks and music as the sun goes down.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Street coffee and bouillie sellers (Ganhi)
  Morning sellers of sweet coffee and warm millet porridge.

Must-Haves

• Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel and Spa (Marina)
  The capital's flagship beach resort with gardens, spa and ocean views.
• Novotel Cotonou Orisha (Marina)
  A reliable business hotel close to the seafront and the centre.

Great for Date Night

• Azalaï Hotel de la Plage (Marina)
  A seafront hotel with a big pool, near the old port.

Fun for Everyone

• Golden Tulip Le Diplomate (Cadjehoun)
  A long-established hotel near the airport and the embassies.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hôtel du Lac (Akpakpa)
  A lagoon-side hotel by the old bridge, good for views over the water.

Must-Haves

• Door of No Return (Plage de Ouidah)
  The memorial arch on the beach where enslaved Africans were forced onto ships.
• Route des Esclaves (Ouidah)
  The four kilometre walk from the old slave auction square to the sea, with memorial stops.
• Temple of the Pythons (Town centre)
  A Vodun temple where sacred royal pythons live, facing the town's basilica.
• Sacred Forest of Kpassè (Town centre)
  A quiet forest of Vodun sculptures honouring the town's founding king.
• Ouidah Museum of History (Fort Portugais)
  The restored Portuguese fort tells the story of the slave trade and the diaspora.

Must-Haves

• Vodun Days (Plage de Ouidah)
  The January festival of Vodun culture, with ceremonies, music and dancers on the beach.

Fun for Everyone

• Fête du Vodoun (Ouidah)
  The 10 January national Vodun holiday, celebrated most famously in Ouidah.

Fun for Everyone

• Ouidah beach (Plage de Ouidah)
  A long, wild Atlantic beach for walking, though the currents make swimming risky.

Off the Beaten Path

• Djègbadji salt village (Djègbadji)
  Women harvest salt from the lagoon using traditional methods.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ouidah central market (Town centre)
  A small local market for fabrics, fruit and Vodun objects.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Maquis around the market (Town centre)
  Simple local cooking with fish, pâte and sauce feuille.

Great for Date Night

• Casa del Papa restaurant (Plage de Ouidah)
  A beach resort restaurant with seafood and ocean views.

Must-Haves

• Casa del Papa (Plage de Ouidah)
  A beach resort between lagoon and ocean, a short ride from the Door of No Return.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Sodabi tasting in local buvettes (Town centre)
  Try sodabi, the local palm spirit, in a neighbourhood bar.

Must-Haves

• Musée Honmè (Town centre)
  The former royal palace of the kings of Porto-Novo, with courtyards and shrines.
• Musée Ethnographique Alexandre Sènou Adandé (Town centre)
  Masks, instruments and Yoruba objects in a colonial building.
• Grande Mosquée de Porto-Novo (Town centre)
  A colourful Afro-Brazilian style mosque modelled on a church in Salvador.

Fun for Everyone

• Musée Da Silva (Town centre)
  A family museum on Afro-Brazilian history with cars, photos and furniture.

Off the Beaten Path

• Place Jean Bayol (Town centre)
  A colonial square at the heart of the old administrative quarter.

Fun for Everyone

• Jardin des Plantes et de la Nature (Town centre)
  A shady sacred forest garden in the capital with monkeys and old trees.

Off the Beaten Path

• Porto-Novo lagoon (Waterfront)
  Fishing pirogues and wide views over the lagoon toward Nigeria.

Must-Haves

• Songhaï Centre (Ouando)
  The original Songhaï farm, with tours, organic produce and a restaurant.

Off the Beaten Path

• Adjarra market and drum makers (Adjarra)
  A nearby market town famous for its handmade drums.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Marché Ouando (Ouando)
  The city's lively main market, strong on Yoruba cloth and produce.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Songhaï restaurant (Ouando)
  Simple meals made with produce from the farm.
• Street food around Marché Ouando (Ouando)
  Akara, grilled corn and yam fries straight from the stalls.

Fun for Everyone

• Egungun masquerades (Town centre)
  Yoruba Egungun masquerade performances that take place around ceremonies and festivals.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Songhaï Centre guest rooms (Ouando)
  Simple rooms on the farm, good for an eco-minded stay.

Off the Beaten Path

• Songhaï Centre shop (Ouando)
  Juices, yoghurts and snacks made on site.

Must-Haves

• Royal Palaces of Abomey (Town centre)
  The UNESCO-listed palaces of the Dahomey kings, with famous bas-relief walls.
• Musée Historique d'Abomey (Royal Palaces)
  Thrones, weapons and royal objects of the Dahomey kingdom.

Fun for Everyone

• Appliqué cloth workshops (Town centre)
  Artisans sewing the bright appliqué banners that once told royal stories.

Off the Beaten Path

• Palace of King Ghézo (Royal Palaces)
  One of the best preserved palace buildings in the royal enclosure.
• Agongointo underground village (Bohicon road)
  Underground refuges dug by Dahomey soldiers, now open to visitors.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Abomey central market (Town centre)
  A local market for cloth, food and ironwork.
• Bohicon market (Bohicon)
  A huge regional market in Abomey's twin town.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Maquis near the palaces (Town centre)
  Local dishes like pâte and sauce arachide after a palace visit.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Chez Monique (Town centre)
  A famous guesthouse filled with sculptures in a leafy garden.

Fun for Everyone

• Guided walk of the royal quarter (Town centre)
  Hiring an official guide brings the history of the twelve kings to life.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dassa-Zoumè hills (Dassa-Zoumè)
  Granite hills and pilgrimage grotto a short drive north.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Street bouillie stands (Town centre)
  Morning porridge and fritters to start a day of sightseeing.

Must-Haves

• Grand-Popo beach (Grand-Popo)
  A wide, palm-lined beach near the Togo border, perfect for slow days.
• Bouche du Roy (Grand-Popo)
  Where the Mono river meets the ocean, reached by pirogue through mangroves.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lake Ahémé (Possotomè)
  A calm lake with fishing villages and hot springs at Possotomè.

Fun for Everyone

• Mono river pirogue trip (Grand-Popo)
  Glide past fishing villages and mangroves with a local boatman.
• Swimming pools of the beach hotels (Grand-Popo)
  Safer than the strong ocean currents for a family swim.

Off the Beaten Path

• Possotomè hot springs (Possotomè)
  Thermal springs and the source of Benin's famous mineral water.

Must-Haves

• Awalé Plage (Grand-Popo)
  A relaxed beach hotel with gardens and a pool by the sea.

Great for Date Night

• Auberge de Grand-Popo (Grand-Popo)
  A historic beachfront inn with a restaurant on the sand.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hôtel Village Ahémé (Possotomè)
  A lakeside eco hotel for walks and canoe trips.

Great for Date Night

• Auberge de Grand-Popo restaurant (Grand-Popo)
  Grilled fish and lobster by the waves.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Beach fish grills (Grand-Popo)
  Fresh fish grilled over coals by the fishing families.

Off the Beaten Path

• Villa Karo (Grand-Popo)
  A Finnish-African cultural centre with a small museum and events.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Grand-Popo fish market (Grand-Popo)
  Watch the fishing canoes come in and the catch sold on the beach.

Off the Beaten Path

• Awalé Plage terrace (Grand-Popo)
  Coffee and fresh juice under the palms.