Lake Togo and Togoville

Lake Togo, a large, calm and shallow coastal lagoon a short drive east of Lomé, is a tranquil retreat popular for water sports, its still waters ideal for sailing, windsurfing and kayaking, with lakeside resorts along the shore near Agbodrafo. Across the lake, reached by traditional pirogue, lies the historic village of Togoville, a place of deep significance: an important spiritual centre of Vodun, dotted with shrines and fetishes, and the village where a treaty once gave the German colony, and later the country, its name. The combination of gentle water sports and profound cultural and spiritual heritage makes the lake a rewarding coastal excursion.

What's there

• The lake water sports - the sailing, windsurfing and kayaking.
• Togoville - the historic voodoo village across the lake.
• The Vodun shrines - the fetishes and spiritual sites of Togoville.
• The pirogue crossing - the traditional boat trip on the lake.

When to go

November to February, the drier, cooler season, for the most pleasant weather for water sports and exploring; the lake is calm and shallow, making it popular year-round for sailing and windsurfing. The crossing to Togoville by pirogue is a highlight, best arranged with a local guide who can explain its Vodun heritage.

What to expect

Lake Togo is a gentle, relaxed destination rather than a dramatic natural sight, so its appeal is easy water sports, a lakeside break and the cultural depth of Togoville rather than spectacular scenery; Togoville is a living spiritual community, so its shrines should be visited respectfully with a guide, and the lake is bilharzia-prone, so it is for boats rather than swimming. As a tranquil combination of water sports and profound Vodun heritage close to the capital, though, and the village that gave Togo its name, the lake makes a pleasant and meaningful excursion.

Nearby

The capital Lomé, the coastal resorts and the beaches are close by.