Cotonou

Cotonou is where Benin does its business: the country's main port, its airport and its largest population, built on the strip between the Atlantic and Lake Nokoué and crossed by lagoon channels. It is not the capital, which remains Porto-Novo, but it holds the government in practice. Motorcycle taxis called zemidjans move most people, and the Dantokpa market on the lagoon is the commercial heart of the whole region.

Background

Early in the 19th century the site was a small fishing village, then spelled Kutonou, and King Ghezo of Dahomey is thought to have formally founded the town in 1830. A canal dug in 1855, the lagoon of Cotonou, divides the city in two, and three bridges cross it. Growth picked up quickly once the harbour was built in 1908, yet the population was only 70,000 in 1960. By 2012 the city proper held 679,012 people, and over two million live in the wider urban area. A UNEP pilot project found that the coast east of the city had retreated by 400 meters in 40 years.

Source: Wikipedia, "Cotonou"

What you'll find

• The lagoon setting - a city built on the strip between the Atlantic and Lake Nokoué.
• The zemidjans - the motorcycle taxis that carry most of the city's traffic.
• Dantokpa market - the vast trading ground on the lagoon shore.
• The port - the harbour that handles traffic for Benin and its landlocked neighbours.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season and the most comfortable. The heavy rains fall from April to July. Humidity is high year round.

Things to know

Traffic and air quality in the centre are poor. The beaches within the city have dangerous currents and are not for swimming. Petty theft in crowded areas is common.

Nearby

Dantokpa Market is in the city, and the Route des Pêches runs west.

Key facts