Porto-Novo is the capital of the African country of Benin, geographically positioned in the southeastern part of the nation at 6°29′50″ N 2°36′18″ E. It is the second largest city of Benin, after the commercial capital, Cotonou (around 35 kilometers southeast of Porto-Novo) where the most major administrative offices of Benin are located while Porto-Novo is only home to the national legislature and Porto-Novo covers a total area of 110 square kilometers.

Having been serving as the capital of Benin since the French Dahomey, Porto-Novo holds many historical tourist attractions including the King Toffa’s Palace.

History of Porto-Novo:

The name Porto-Novo derived from the Portuguese language, meaning ‘New Port’. Porto-Novo became a part of the French Dahomey in 1883 and after 7 years of this incident, Porto-Novo was promoted as the capital of the French Dahomey.

How to reach Porto-Novo?

Porto-Novo doesn’t have any airport, so international tourists are needed to reach Cotonou Airport in Cotonou first and then take taxi from there to Porto-Novo which takes around 45 minutes and costs 600cfa to reach the distance of 35 kilometers from the airport to Porto-Novo.

Zémidjan are common options to get around Porto-Novo which is a type of taxi carrying one to two passengers and its minimum rent is 100FCFA and maximum is 5,000cfa.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Porto-Novo:

Porto-Novo is famous for an Adjogan music style which is played everywhere in the city, mainly in churches.

Other than four supermarkets including Champignon, Paniere, Universe 7, Porto-Novo houses a traditional market Adjarra Market, which is around 10 kilometers away from the center of Porto-Novo where one can purchase astonishing potters, typical musical instruments and different voodoo ornaments.

Some tourist favor restaurants in Porto-Novo include:

• Maquis Katchi Ambiance
• Restaurant Mahi
• Comme Chez Soi

Things to do in Porto-Novo:

• City tours
• Shopping
• Walking

Places of interest in and around Porto-Novo:

The Porto Novo Museum of Ethnography:

The Porto Novo Museum of Ethnography describes the features of the native people of Yoruba with a large collection of objects related to them including masks. One can also find valuable information on the history of Porto-Novo and Benin here.

King Toffa’s Palace:

The King Toffa’s Palace is a historic landmark mansion describing the characteristics of the African royalty. The palace gained locus on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 31, 1996. Now it is home to a museum.

The da Silva Museum:

The da Silva Museum is concentrated on showcasing the cultural life of Afro-Brazilians who settled in Porto-Novo after returning back from Brazil after getting liberation in there.

Jardin Place Jean Bayol:

The Jardin Place Jean Bayol is a big, complex holding many modern and historical attractions including the of Porto-Novo’s first King’s statue.

The palais de Gouverneur:

The palais de Gouverneur or the Governor’s Palace is the Parliament building of Benin, featuring a white exterior. The construction is distinct and its surrounding environment is also pleasant.

List of other places of interest in and around Porto-Novo include:

• Mosque in Porto-Novo
• Institute of Higher Studies of Benin
• Stade Charles de Gaulle
• Stade Municipale
• Jardin des Plantes et de la Nature
• Lake Nokoué
• Ancien Pont Bridge
• Cotonou Cathedral
• Cotonou Central Mosque
• National University of Benin

Best time to visit Porto-Novo:

Porto-Novo generally experiences a dry weather throughout the year and the ideal time to visit Porto-Novo is from November to February.

Accommodation options in and around Porto-Novo:

Although the capital of Benin, Porto-Novo houses limited number of hotels, which get crowded during peak season, so it is suggested for visitors to book hotel rooms through online prior to reaching the city. In meanwhile, visitors can also refer hotels of nearby Cotonou (around 35 km) for more comfort. Here are some top end hotels in Porto-Novo:

• Bimyns Hotels & Resorts
• Hotel Dona
• Hotel Ayelawadje-2
• Hotel Beaurivage
• Hotel Les Ambassadeurs
• Auberge chez Theo
• Complexe Touristique Hotelier Le Palais
• Hotel Village Aheme
• Hotel Le Capitole
• Apartamentos Punta Seame

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Cotonou is the commercial capital and the largest city of Benin located in the extreme southern part of the country on the Atlantic Ocean coast at 6°22′ N 2°26′ E, around 33 kilometers southwest of Porto Novo, the capital of Benin. Cotonou houses many important government and diplomatic offices of Benin and also hosts the National University of Benin.

Some important tourist favor features of Cotonou include the Cotonou Central Mosque, Cotonou Cathedral and Ancien Pont Bridge. The Dantokpa Market with around one billion CFA Francs business per day and the Port of Cotonou are the other highlights of Cotonou. Cotonou spans over an area of 79 square kilometers and at an elevation of 51 meters above the sea level.

History of Cotonou:

Earlier called Kotonou, Cotonou originated as a small fishing village in the beginning of the 19^th century and becoming a part of the French in 1851 with a treaty with the Dahomean King Ghezo, Cotonou began to develop since then.

How to reach Cotonou?

Cotonou hosts the most important airport of Benin, Cadjehoun Airport, is located around 7 km away from the heart of the city. Along with connection to most African capitals, Cadjehoun Airport also handles flights from Brussels and Paris.

Cotonou is linked to all the important Beninese cities by bus services, but its railway connection is limited to Bohicon and Parakou cities.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Cotonou:

Cotonou is culturally rich city home to many renowned cultural centers, including the French Institute’s Cultural Centre.

The Dantokpa Market is the center of the Cotonou and shopping of Cotonou is the largest local market in West Africa. Other than traditional handicraft products and clothes, visitors can also buy nice goodies imported from France here.

Some nice food corners in Cotonou are as follows:

• Mamma Mia
• Le Sorrento
• La cabane du pecheur
• Maquis du Port

Things to do in Cotonou:

• Beach exploration
• Learning local Fon language
• Walking

Tourist places in Cotonou:

Lake Nokoué:

Situated north of Cotonou, Lake Nokoué is a beautiful lake, measuring a length of 11 kilometers and a width of 20 kilometers. The water town of Ganvié is situated on the northern edge of the lake known for fishing, fish farming and boating and is the part of the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

Ancien Pont Bridge:

The Ancien Pont Bridge is one of the landmarks as well as tourist attractions of Cotonou known for its historic significance and grand constriction with a modern touch.

Cotonou Cathedral:

The Cotonou Cathedral is a symbolic structure featuring a blend burgundy and white striped architecture, situated in the proximity of the Ancient Pont Bridge, the Cotonou Cathedral serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cotonou.

Cotonou Central Mosque:

The Cotonou Central Mosque is the center of the Muslim devotees in Benin and can reach it by foot or vehicles from the city center.

National University of Benin:

The National University of Benin is the most important university of Benin holding 6 campuses and 19 institutions and its main campus at Abomey-Calavi and was established in the year 1970.

List of the other attractive places in Cotonou include:

• Dantokpa Market
• Cotonou Friendship Stadium
• Fondation Zinsou
• Bab’s Dock
• Coco Cocktail
• Fidjrosse Beach
• Marche Dantokpa
• Artisanal Center

Ideal time to visit Cotonou:

Cotonou experiences a tropical wet and dry climate and the ideal months to visit Cotonou are January, February, August and December.

Where to stay in Cotonou?

Being a commercial city and top tourist destination of Benin, Cotonou holds an upgraded hospitality industry with around 50 modernized accommodation centers, including resorts and spa, hotels, BB and inns of which most offer advance booking facility through online for visitor conveniences. The major hotels in Cotonou in Benin include:

• Ibis Cotonou
• Novotel Orisha Cotonou
• Myosotis Residence Hotel & Spa
• Hotel du Port
• Sun Beach Hotel
• Benin Atlantic Beach Hotel
• Azalai Hotel De La Plage
• Ancrage de l’Ocean
• Hotel Acropole
• Residence Ilefie
• Sea View Hotel
• Hotel Le Zenith
• Hotel de l’Entente
• Rivoli Hotel Benin
• Hotel Residence les Cocotiers

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Benin is an African country located in the western part of the continent, having borders with Nigeria towards the east, Burkina Faso and Niger towards the north and Togo towards the west and the Gulf of Guinea towards the south. Porto-Novo is the capital city while Cotonou is the largest city of Benin. Benin spans a total area of 115,000 square kilometers.

Agriculture is the backbone of the Benin economy and is one of the member countries of the United Nations, the African Union, La Francophonie and many other international organizations. The geographical coordinates of Benin are 8.8333° N, 2.1833° E.

History of Benin:

Benin received its present name on November 30, 1975 replacing its earlier name Dahomey and the today’s name derived from the Bight of Benin on which the nation is positioned. The Kingdom of Dahomey is the most important name in the Benin’s history, which ruled the Benin from the 17^th to the 19^th century and during that period, slavery was largely practiced in Dahomey. Following the end of slavery, the French occupied Dahomey in 1892 and ruled until 1960 when Benin became independent from France.

Connectivity to Benin:

Cadjehoun Airport is the most important airport of Benin, situated around 7 kilometers from Cotonou. This airport operates flights to and from many global destinations including Paris, Brussels, Douala, Nairobi, Istanbul, Amsterdam, and Moscow.

The intercity transportation of Benin is catered by both buses and trains. Confort Lines are the prominent bus company serving the Beninese cities and along the buses services, taxis and rental cars are commonly used.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Benin:

Fon and Yoruba are the widely communicated languages while French is the official language of Benin. Roman Catholics constitute the greater percentage of the Benin’s population, followed by Islam, Vodun and other religions.

The West African CFA franc is the currency used in Benin and for the shopping of traditional Beninese specialties, it is recommended for visitors to step towards Dantokpa Market in Cotonou.

Some kinds of practice cuisines in Benin are Wagasi cheese, Acarajé, Akpan, Aloko, Fufu and Garri.

Must see in Benin:

Cotonou Cathedral:

The Cotonou Cathedral is situated in the city of Cotonou in Benin, famous among visitors for its white and burgundy striped exterior architecture. This Roman Catholic cathedral gained the status of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cotonou in 1955.

Pendjari National Park:

A nature and adventure lovers’ area, the Pendjari National Park are spread over an area of 2755 square kilometers, housing a wide range of animal and bird species including West African lions, Western hartebeest, Violet Turaco and hippopotamuses. Tanguieta is the nearest city to the park.

W National Park:

Covering around total 10,000 square kilometers area of the three West African countries like Niger, Benin and Burkina Fas, the W National Park was established in August 4, 1954 and it gained space in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1996. Mammals are the highlights of the park, of which the most identified ones are cheetahs, elephants, baboons and hippopotamuses. In Benin, Kandi is the closest city to the W National Park.

Abomey:

Abomey is a city and the former capital of Benin, renowned for its historical palaces, of which most come under the UNESCO World Heritage Site List like Akaba Royal Palace, Palace of King Glele, Gbehanzin Royal Palace and Palace of King Tegbessu.

Cotonou Central Mosque:

The Cotonou Central Mosque is the focal point of the Muslim groups in Algeria, situated in the city of Cotonou. One can find a wide range of traditional hotels around the mosque.

List of the other attractive places in Benin include:

• Musée en Plein Air de Parakou
• Ancien Pont Bridge
• Royal Palace in Porto-Novo
• Basilique de l’Immaculée Conception
• Alexandre Sènou Adandé Ethnographic Museum

Ideal time to visit Benin:

The best and most popular time to visit Benin is from November to February when the weather remains dry and supportive for outdoor activities.

Where to stay in Benin?

The hospitality industry of Benin is concentrated in the city of Cotonou with around 50 modernized accommodation centers, including hotels, holiday rentals, resorts and BB and inns. Hotels price are not very much, affordable. Here are some top end hotels in Cotonou in Benin:

• Myosotis Residence Hotel & Spa
• Ibis Cotonou
• Maison Rouge Cotonou
• Benin Marina Hotel
• Novotel Orisha Cotonou
• Hotel du Lac
• Hotel du Port
• Sun Beach Hotel
• Benin Atlantic Beach Hotel
• Residences Celine Hotel
• Ancrage de l’Ocean
• Azalai Hotel De La Plage
• Sea View Hotel
• Hotel Le Zenith
• Rivoli Hotel Benin

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