Ganvié

Ganvié, on the tranquil waters of Lake Nokoué near Cotonou, is one of the most extraordinary sights in West Africa, a large village built entirely on stilts above the lake, often called the Venice of Africa. Home to tens of thousands of people of the Tofinu, it was founded centuries ago when the community, fleeing slave-raiders who by custom would not attack on water, took refuge on the lake and never left. Today an entire floating world of thatched and tin-roofed houses, a market, school, church and mosque stands above the water, and life, from fishing to trading, is conducted from dugout canoes gliding between the stilts.

History

The village was founded in the 16th or 17th century by the Tofinu, who took to the shallow waters and islands of Lake Nokoué to escape Fon warriors seizing people to sell to European slave traders, and its name is said to mean I was rescued here. Once a farming village, it now lives mainly by fishing, fish farming and tourism, with wooden boats the only way to reach it, and like many places in Benin it keeps a traditional monarchy (Wikipedia, Ganvie).

What to look for

• The stilt village - the thatched houses rising from the lake.
• The floating market - the trading conducted from canoes.
• The dugout canoes - the boats that are the village's streets.
• The lake life - the fishing and daily life on the water.

When to go

November to February, the drier, cooler season, for the most comfortable visit, though the village can be visited year-round; it is reached by a boat trip across the lake from the mainland town of Abomey-Calavi, gliding among the stilt houses. Going with a local guide adds context and helps ensure the community benefits from the visit.

Good to know

Ganvié is a living community rather than a museum, so visits should be respectful and, ideally, arranged so the village benefits, and the water can be polluted and the tourist boat trips somewhat commercialised; photographing residents requires sensitivity and permission. As a genuinely remarkable and unique place, though, an entire town living on stilts above a lake, born of a poignant history of escape from slavery, Ganvié is a fascinating and unforgettable sight.

Nearby

The city of Cotonou and the historic town of Ouidah are within reach.

Key facts