Abomey
The city of Abomey is the historic capital of the kingdom of Dahomey, located on the central plateau 145 km from Cotonou. It was founded in the 17th century by King Houégbadja (1645-1685).

The city of Abomey contains great historical and artisanal riches. One finds there among other things, on nearly 45 hectares, the old Palaces of the kings of Abomey who reigned from 1620 to 1900. In Abomey, one can also appreciate the art of the fabric.

You have to go to the center of artisans and paintings of Abomey to appreciate the art of fabric, on which we invite you to discover the history of the twelve kings of Abomey.

The town joined the international association of French-speaking mayors in 2004.

Allada
Allada is a historic and religious town that has many Voodoo temples and shrines. Cradle of the Fon ethnic group from Adja , Allada continues the tradition shared by the kingdoms of Dabomey and Porto-Novo , originally from the same clan.

It is also the capital of voodoo. You can visit the colonial buildings, the Royal Palace and the Temple of Adjahouto (the founder) of Togoudo , sacred trees, voodoo temples, woodcarvers and the statue of Toussaint Louverture.

Bohicon
Bohicon is a recent town. Its development dates from the beginning of the twentieth century. The development of commercial activities around the train station and the central market of Bohicon favored the birth of the city.

First district of Allahé attached to the former sub-prefecture of Abomey , it was baptized sub-prefecture of Bohicon in 1973 , then urban district of Bohicon with the administrative reform of 1974 . It became a commune of Bohicon with the advent of decentralization in Benin in 2003.

The very first mayor elected at the head of this municipality, following the municipal elections of 2003, is the late Paulin Tomanaga . The municipality of Bohicon has been governed since 2008 by a municipal council of 25 members headed by the mayor Luc Sètondji Atropko . Initially the first deputy to the very first mayor, the latter came to head the municipality following the election of Paulin Tomanaga as deputy in the Beninese legislative elections of 2007.

Cotonou
Cotonou is the economic capital and the largest city of Benin . The city is home to a lot of government and diplomatic services.

Cotonou is known throughout the Africa of the West for its international market of 20 hectares ( Dantokpa ), it is the largest market in the Africa of the West , its Zémidjans (motorcycle taxis) and a market secondary MISSEBO located a few meters from the market ( Dantokpa ).

The name Kùtɔ́nû means “mouth of the river of death” in fon-gbe.

Dasa Zoume
Located 209 km from Cotonou , Dassa – Zoumè is well known for sheltering the ” cave of Our Lady of Arigbo ” where the Virgin is said to have made an apparition.

The city with its 41 hills has a rich history which one can discover by visiting the sacred places and palaces while visiting the king.

Each year in mid-August, the “ Notre-Dame d’Arigbo cave ” brings together tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over Benin and neighboring countries; the hills also offer endless possibilities for excursions, bike rides and even mountaineering.

Kandi
Kandi is a city located in the north of Benin , capital of the municipality of the same name and prefecture of the Alibori department.

If Kandi does not offer any particular tourist attractions, the city is a central point for discovering the north of the country and accessing the W national park.

With more than 10,000 km² of savannah shared between Benin , Burkina Faso and Niger , Parc W is home to four of the ” Big Five “, including the elephant , lion , leopard and buffalo .

The Park takes its name from the meanders of the majestic Niger River which borders it on the Nigerien side.

The Atlantic is a department located in the south of Benin . It is subdivided into 8 municipalities:
Abomey-Calavi
Allada
Kpomasse
Ouidah (prefecture)
So-Ava
Toffo
Tori
Zè

In 1999 , the urban district of Cotonou , until then the capital of the Atlantic province , became the Littoral department. As tourist assets, we have ” Ganvié “. By its charm and its particular attraction, Ganvié is regarded as “The African Venice”.

This lakeside town is located on the northwest shore of Lake Nokoué, at the western outlet of the Sô river, in Nokoué, 8 km from Abomey-Calavi and 25 km as the crow flies from Cotonou.

The tourist can therefore visit in the department of the Atlantic, this unprecedented wonder. Ganvié, the “Vénise d’Afrique”, is the metropolis of lake villages located on Lake Nokoué such as So-Ava, So-Tchanhoué, Houédo, Aguékon, So-Zounko …

These lakeside villages where the inhabitants live on stilts in middle of the lake and where all activities take place entirely on the water, are unique in Africa …

Further west is Ouidah, a former slave trading post, seat of Vodoun, a religious city where a major seminary trains priests for Benin and the sub-region; syncretic city par excellence where the cathedral and temple of the sacred pythons face each other.

There are still old houses, of the same style as those that exist in the Antilles, Saint-Louis in Senegal, etc.

Alibori
The Alibori is a department located in northern Benin.

The “W” National Park is one of the tourist areas par excellence.
There are many markets in the region including that of Malanville which is the star. The Alibori is also an area of high cotton production .

There are the following municipalities:
Banikoara
Gogounou
Kandi (prefecture)
Karimama
Malanville
Segbana

Borgou
The Borgou is a department located in the east of Benin , on the border with Nigeria . Its prefecture is Parakou.

Parakou is the capital of the department. The Borgou is mainly populated by Bariba , Peuhl , Dendi and Yoruba .

The department of Borgou is of tourist interest due to the predominance of the historical-cultural character of this region, of which the festival of Gani, organized annually in Nikki, the historic capital of the Batombu, constitutes a major event.

Parakou, a cosmopolitan city, houses a colorful market and has an open-air museum. From Parakou , the tourist can visit the villages of Tourou and Gnou famous for their pottery, Nikki , ancient and historical capital of the world Bariba , the sacred caimans of Dawari and Sinendé , the tomb of Bio Guerra , national hero in Baourou ( Bembèrèkè ) etc. …

There are also the following cities:
Bembereke
Kalale
N’Dali
Nikki
Father
Sinendé
Chaourou

Mono
The Mono is a department located in the southwest of Benin , created in 1999 . It has 370,000 inhabitants. Its prefecture is Lokossa.

Lokossa is the administrative capital of the department . The Mono is populated with Adja , his , Xwla , mina , sahouè , kotafon , Ayizo etc.

This department is characterized by a dense hydrographic network offering the possibilities of a new type of tourism:
A tourism of movement which uses the rivers as a means of natural penetration. One can contemplate in particular immense beaches of coconut palms, the semi-lacustrine village of Guézin.
The thermal springs of Possotomé and Bopa on the west shore of Lake Ahémé give rise to a spa stay .

The Belvédère de Bopa offers a beautiful view of Lake Ahémé ; la Bouche du Roy , a natural wonder combining a beautiful beach under coconut palms with this permanent struggle of the meeting of the Mono river with the Atlantic Ocean .

There are also the following municipalities:
Athieme
Bopa
Comè
Grand-Popo
Houéyogbé

Oueme
The Ouémé is a department located southeast of Benin , created in 1999 . It takes its name from the Ouémé river which crosses it to empty into the Gulf of Benin .

The Ouémé is predominantly populated by Goun , Tori , Yoruba .

It is full of tourist attractions, in particular: Porto-novo , historic city and administrative capital, houses an ethnographic museum, the former palace of the governors and an authentically royal palace, now a historical museum.

Its Brazilian architecture, its winding and cemented streets do not fail to arouse the attention of tourists in search of the unusual.
Les Aguégués, lakeside city, original by the coexistence of the lake, the mainland and the forest.
The Ajarra market made famous by its potters and basket makers with a thousand talents.

The thermal springs of Hêtin-Sota and Bonou. The sacred temples of fetishes dot this department, the splendor of which is enhanced by annual ceremonies. Cultural resources such as the Egungouns in Ouémé, etc.

In particular, we find the capital of the country, Porto-Novo , as well as the following municipalities:
Adjarra
Adjohoun
Aguégués
Akpro-Missérété
Avrankou
Good
Dangbo
Sèmè-Kpodji

The Hills
Les Collines is a department in central Benin. The department is populated Mahi , Idaatcha , Nagot , Shabe , Yoruba , Fulani , etc.

The tourist circuit of the hills leads to Dassa-Zoumé with its natural wonders, to Savalou where you can attend the magnificent traditional dance festivals that are performed on the occasion of the annual ceremonies (the feast of August 15 for example) , and in Savé, at the foot of three hillocks, a true natural limit between the south and the north of Benin.

As other tourist resources in the Collines department, there is also the sacred caiman river of Bantè , the Marian cave of Arigbo , etc.

This is subdivided into 6 municipalities:
Bantè
Dassa-Zoumè
Glazed
Ouèssè
Savalou (prefecture)
Savè

The crafts of Benin expressed through:
– the wood carving.
– the wickerwork.
– the pottery.
– the weaving.

The Kobourou Artistic and Cultural Festival ( FACK ) is a niche to promote the city of Parakou .

This Festival replaces the Open Days on the Parakou-Orléans Partnership. The name Kobourou is given to him to perpetuate the memory of the first King AKPAKI Kobourou of Parakou . This name also embodies the culture of Parakou.

Wood Carving
The sculpture on wood
Woodworking is the work of ” Atinkpato ” (wood cutters); it was not exclusively reserved for professional sculptors, but any man could practice it.

The sculpture on wood often had a religious purpose:. ” botchio ” or protective statuettes , divination pieces, statuettes of twins, Guèlèdè masks …; but it also produces decorative objects.

Thrones, carved doors are made from this art form.

The Benin is a country rich in ecotourism sites.

The themes offered are numerous:
– Immersion in the national parks (W and Pendjari),
– Forests (La Lama, Kikélé …),
– Observations of migratory birds,
– River expeditions,
– Discovery of hills and valleys,

The mouths of Roy
The mouth of the mono river and the Ahémé lagoon with the Atlantic: ” les bouches du Roy “. Wild nature offers you special moments in the middle of nowhere.

Many villages have settled along the river and have specialized either in the traditional exploitation of salt, or in fishing in the midst of various fetishes and protections.

The Benin has many parks and nature reserves .

We can cite among others:
– Pendjari National Park.
– The W National Park complex.

Pendjari National Park
The National Park of Pendjari was classified forest and partial wildlife area of the loop of the Pendjari December 13, 1954.

It acquired the status of Biosphere Reserve in June 1986. The Biosphere Reserve is located in the northwest of the Republic of Benin , on the border with Burkina-Faso. It is located in the Department of Atacora more precisely in the sub-prefectures of Tanguiéta , Materi and Kérou .

Abomey Historical Museum
The Historical Museum of Abomey was created in 1944 under the colonial administration. It is housed in the palace of King Ghézo (1818-1858). This Museum has a heritage made up of more than 1400 objects which testify to the richness of the civilization of the kingdom of Danxomè which evolved during three centuries.

The Museum’s collections:
Bas-reliefs incorporated into the buildings and some cut out, mounted on display in one of the rooms of the museum.
Royal objects: royal thrones, bowls, parasols, hammocks, ornaments.
Court crafts: hangings in polychrome applied motifs, loincloths, allegorical statues.
Ritual objects: portable altars dedicated to ancestors, ritual swords, calabashes of offerings.
Clothes: royal tunics, ceremonial loincloths.
Collections of bladed and firearms linked to the history of the kingdom.

In addition to the palaces and other royal buildings, Benin keeps the traces of its history, in particular of all the colonial period, through buildings built at this time.

The most interesting colonial-type buildings are:
– In Porto-Novo , the historic capital of Benin with its ” Portuguese and Brazilian ” houses , the ethnographic museum and the Honmè palace.
– In Cotonou where there are very beautiful buildings of colonial architecture, including the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Town Hall, the Post Office, the Hotel, the Cathedral.
– In Ouidah where the Maison du Brésil now houses a contemporary art museum, the Minor Basilica built in 1909, the Portuguese fort which has become a historical museum.
– In Grand Popo there are some old buildings restored as inns.

French Cultural Center of Cotonou
The CCF in Cotonou is located on Avenue Jean Paul II, next to the Embassy of France .

Various activities are organized there throughout the year (except July and August): exhibitions, workshops, concerts, theater, festivals.

A real crossroads for artists in Cotonou , it also has a library and an auditorium (for conferences and debates). The periodic calendar of scheduled events is available on the centre’s website.

Traditional Festivities Gaani
The magnificence of the Batombou riders is confirmed at each Gaani festival .

Each year in April , the Batombou nationals live in a great festive fraternity the origins as well as the adventures crossed by their ancestors.
In Nikki , a city in northern Benin , land of the Batombou , legend has it that taking part in the Gaani is a source of economic prosperity, peace, love and joy.

La Gaani is also an opportunity to observe the secular culture of this people in terms of horse training.
Gaani means joy.

The Gaani’s house, built with modern materials and inspired by traditional architecture, is a large building built in front of Nikki’s town hall .
Ella’s vocation is to host the festive events of Gaani .

Heritage-related activities
The slave route

The slave route , which was the subject of an important historical reconstruction for the Ouidah 92 festival , retraces the painful geographical and historical journey marking the different stages of exile:

Sales areas (Brazil district),
Marking areas and warehouses (Zoungbodji- Zomaï),
The crossing of the lagoon and the boarding beach.

This journey of memory is enhanced by places of commemoration (memorial, return tree, door of no return.

Dantokpa market
The Dantokpa market is one of the largest in West Africa.

You can find a bit of everything there: fabrics , shoes , jewelry , food products.
A permanent bustle, 20,000 stands, nearly 30,000 itinerants over 22 hectares.
A billion CFA francs in exchanges every day, in a noisy, colorful crowd.

This gigantic open – air sub – regional market is held every five days at the edge of the Cotonou Lagoon .
Placed under the protection of Dan , god of wealth, the Dantokpa market is the barometer of the Beninese economy.