Cotonou

Cotonou is the largest city in Benin and the country's primary port of entry for visitors. The city is in the south of the country, on the coastline.

Understand
In the Fon language, the word 'cotonou' means "the mouth of the river of death". The area was settled as a fishing village during the time of the Dahomey Kingdom. The French were given permission to build a trading post, until they were given the region altogether in 1868. The city was used to defend against the British in their conquests.

Cotonou grew to become the largest city in the country, right up to independence. Although the capital is located at Porto-Novo, Cotonou is still the nation's economic and population centre. It also attracts many government institutions and embassies, regardless of Porto-Novo's status, leading to the city being referred as Benin's de-facto capital.

By plane


Taxis are available in the parking lot, but it's best to prearrange transport in advance. Most nicer hotels run airport shuttles for their guests. The parking lot is also somewhere you can buy a Beninese SIM card or change money, but be wary of getting ripped off.

Other options

If you're coming from the Americas, you may want to consider taking the direct Ethiopian Airlines flights from Newark or Sao Paulo to Lomé, a relatively painless 3½-hour drive away, including border formalities. Another option is flying into Lagos, which has a direct flight to Atlanta, though Lagos' airport is likely to be an even more maddening experience and Lagos to Cotonou is not an easy or particularly safe overland journey. Short-haul flights are a popular way of reaching Benin from Lagos, though most nationalities will still need an expensive Nigerian visa to tack on a separate flight to Cotonou.

Because Ghana is a much more conventional destination, taking a flight to Accra shouldn't involve more than one layover. From there you can take a bus. That does mean crossing two borders, though. It is safer than the Lagos option.

By car
From Porto-Novo, head south on RNIE1 and then west for 45 minutes to Cotonou.

By bus
Buses from nearby capitals Accra, Lagos and Lome are plentiful. Amongst others, ABC Transport offers daily services.

There are bus services from Cotonou to every good-sized town in the country. Some run buses in good condition on regular schedules; others manage neither. Book with a skeptical eye, though a bus is likely to be safer than a bush taxi, although it may or may not be any more comfortable.

By bush taxi
Virtually every Beninese town has bush taxi transport to Cotonou, although smaller towns in the north will probably only have one per day or fewer, or may only get you to the next-closest town with bush taxis running to Cotonou. Count on paying about 1000 CFA per hour of travel.

By train
There is no longer train service in Benin.

By zemidjan
Moto taxis - locally called zemidjans or kekenos, are the most common form of transportation for the average Beninese person. These are very popular, and while not unique to Benin, are probably more highly concentrated here than anywhere in the world. Fares are negotiable, and there are no meters. The minimum fare is 100 CFA. Expect to pay about 100 CFA per kilometer. As long as you're staying within central Cotonou, the fare should not exceed 400 CFA. Bring a helmet along or buy one once you get to Cotonou - it's absolutely essential for your safety, and even with a helmet riding a zemidjan (or "zem") is much more dangerous than driving a car. However, many visitors to Benin, especially budget travelers and thrill-seekers, will take a zem at some point - it's simply not practical to avoid using zems without your own car, and the short hail times and door-to-door service make zems a highly functional mode of transport for many.

By taxi
Conventional drop taxis taking you directly to your destination like you might find in New York or London are not the norm in Benin - most taxi drivers wait at fixed intersections for passengers willing to rent the entire vehicle. Dantokpa market, the Étoile Rouge roundabout, or Gare de Jonquet bus station are the most likely places you can find taxis, although other secondary junctions may also have taxi drivers available during the day. Many people know a taxi driver whom they contact by phone or WhatsApp when they need one, so you can get in touch with a driver by asking around. However, they will generally not be interested in short intercity trips - preferring passengers to hire a taxi for several hours at a time. Still, figure about 3000 CFA for a 30 minute voyage, or 10000-15000 CFA to rent a cab for a few hours. Keep in mind that most taxis are in a decrepit condition. The exceptions are taxis available at major hotels (such as the Novotel or Azalaï) or the airport; these are usually late-model compact cars, but figure to pay at least double and up to 4-5 times the above prices.

There are also taxis plying a fixed route - these taxis are often headed to other cities, but can be hailed for voyages within Cotonou. They follow the main national highway out of Cotonou, starting from the Dantokpa market and heading west beyond the Godomey interchange. Count on paying 200 FCFA from the market to Étoile Rouge, and another 200 FCFA to continue to the Stade de l'Amitié. They also head east, crossing the lagoon to Akpakpa. Bush taxis also follow this route. Keep in mind that taxis often cram two passengers in the front and four in the back, though you can double your fare if you want more comfort - so if you have a group of three or more, you may want to negotiate with the driver to take you to your exact destination. Some Cotonois will take the taxis (which are safer than zems, and marginally cheaper) for as much of their way as they can, then hail a zem to the destination.

In 2021, an Uber-like application called Gozem was introduced in Cotonou. With this app you can order a zemidjan or conventional taxi from your phone, and link your credit card to the app to avoid the hassle of negotiation and the potential for getting ripped off. For a 10-minute ride in a taxi with the app, plan to pay around 1700 CFA, or about 200 CFA for a zem. In addition to taxi services, Gozem also offers food and grocery delivery.

On foot
Cotonou is not a particularly attractive city to wander about on foot, but much of it is also based on easily navigable grid system - making foot travel a decent option for those looking to wander or squeamish about hopping on the back of a zemidjan. In particular the easiest area to navigate on foot for visitors stretches from Dantokpa market down to Ganhi, and west to Jonquet. These are the main commercial areas of Cotonou, so shoppers will want to park the car and walk about to check out the shopkeepers and vendors selling anything and everything. Pay attention to your belongings, however, and avoiding walking around after dark is probably your best bet.

The upmarket Haie Vive area is also a good place to explore on foot, as it's concentrated along a single strip - but don't be surprised expats take their SUVs with NGO plates to have another drink a few doors down.

By car
Driving in Cotonou can be harrowing. Most foreign drivers will have never shared the road with this many motorcycles in their life, and rush hour is especially harrowing as motorcycles scoot in and out of traffic. Many vons (narrow side streets) are bumpy at best and underwater at worst. Still, the grid layout makes Cotonou not terribly difficult to navigate, and having your own car is certainly the safest way to travel. Most establishments have parking of some sort, but nobody will bat an eyelash if you pull up onto the sidewalk to park.

See
Cotonou is far from an attractive city, even accounting for the expected sprawl and poor sanitation one expects in urban West Africa. Still, there are a few things to see. For those who prefer to stroll aimlessly, the most interesting scenes will likely come in the Zongo neighborhood, the city's busy Muslim quarter centered around the huge main mosque of Cotonou, a hub of street activity. Wandering on the beach - strictly during the daytime, as it's a spot for crime at night - can also provide great views of the ocean thrashing about. Areas near to central Cotonou are calm, with a few private beaches aimed at exclusive clienteles, but the beachside neighborhood of Fidjirossé has a slew of beachside maquis that attract locals to hang out during the weekend.



Do



 * You can do a boat tour of Ganvie, the stilt village that is known as the Venice of Africa on the other side of Lake Nokoue. It should be possible to take a boat from the Hotel du Lac in Cotonou, where the price may be around 5,000 CFA, then different tours and such are available at the village. Another option is to hire a boat operator at the point of embarkment in Abomey-Calavi for Ganvie. Just don't touch the water, as the lack of any sewer system translates into the lake being a septic tank. Even the Lagune de Cotonou has heaping piles of garbage along the banks, so I'm sure you won't want to.

Learn
It is possible to learn the native Fon language by contacting Vinawamon (2130 0856) or through the.

Eat
In addition to what's listed here, you're likely to find innumerable street stalls and local restaurants in Cotonou. These can range from a woman on the side of the road with a vat of oil to large open-air bars that double as restaurants during the day. Street snacks to look out for include atta (bean flour fritters), doko (small fried donuts, sometimes made with mashed bananas), and igname frite (fried yam slices). Most neighborhoods will also have a blue-awning cafe bar or "Cafette Diallo", serving Nescafé and local variants on spaghetti for less than a dollar, catering to a very working-class crowd. Local maquis are also numerous and serve a basic combination of rice or pâte and meat at dirt-cheap prices.

Drink
Cotonou does not have much nightlife, but all the establishments listed below are recommendable - if a bit expat-oriented. After all, the lion's share of drinking in Benin is done at local buvettes, outdoor bars where all you need for a good time are a few plastic tables and chairs, an oversized speaker, and a large beer: Beninoise, or for the hardy, a Guinness or Awooyo. Anyone seeking local colour should ask around and wander over to the nearest rickety watering hole for the experience. However, Cotonou is not one-dimensional, and those seeking diversity should check out the haunts listed below.

Embassies

 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Day-trips from Cotonou

 * Ouidah - the religious centre of Voudoun in the area and a historic city for the slave trade, at 45-60 minutes car ride from Cotonou.
 * Porto-Novo - official capital city of Benin with several museums, cultural centres, a royal palace and a historic mosque, at 60 minutes car ride from Cotonou.
 * Rivière Noire / Adjarra - calm river near Porto Novo surrounded by lush vegetation. The river can be explored on local boats without an engine, enjoying the calm and green scenery. Can be combined with a trip to Porto Novo to make it into a weekend get-away.
 * Ganvie - lake town with over 30,000 people living in houses on stilts, popular tourist destination.
 * Bab's Dock, lagoon-side restaurant a brief 15 minutes car ride from Cotonou plus a quick boat ride through the mangroves organised by the restaurant. During the weekend, it is possible to stay overnight in one of their rooms.
 * Route des peches - Explore the beach restaurants and bars on the road adjacent to the beach West of Cotonou, including Cali Cali, La Plage by Code Bar and Zone5 Playa.

Weekend trips from Cotonou

 * Check in with a nice resort, at a nice farm or guesthouse - Near Ouidah, the Nature Luxury Lodge offers villas at the lagoon with a shared pool and common area; and the Casa del Papa resort offers bungalows facing the sea or the lagoon, with a pool, restaurant and an activity centre. Near Allada, the Eva Lodge (former Royal Paradise Hotel) offers affordable rooms and bungalows in the countryside with a nice pool and a pool bar. On the way to Allada, the Kalaupapa - Cité Saint Damien offers visitors a quiet weekend with yoga retreats and Sunday brunches offered throughout the year. In Porto Novo, the Art Residence Hotel with its rooftop pool and Saturday night live music, offers a luxurious weekend get away, allowing you to combine a trip to Adjarra / Rivière Noire with a museum tour of Porto Novo.
 * Abomey - UNESCO world heritage site with a number of mud-brick palaces and museums
 * Bohicon - a city in the south of the country housing the underground village, a collection of underground caves used for the defence of Abomey
 * Dassa - a quiet town north-east of Bohicon with granite rock formations that can be hiked or climbed, making it a popular outdoor destination allowing for great views and different scenaries