Atlantique
The southern coastal department behind Cotonou — the slave-trade town of Ouidah and the lake village of Ganvié on Lake Nokoué.
CapitalPorto-Novo (official); Cotonou (seat of government)
LanguagesFrench (official); Fon, Yoruba and others widely spoken
CurrencyWest African CFA franc (XOF)
Best time to visitNovember to February, the dry season
Regions
Benin region by region
Each region groups the destinations near it.
Littoral
Benin’s smallest department, coextensive with the port city of Cotonou, the country’s economic capital.
Ouémé
The southeastern department along the Ouémé River, centred on the official capital Porto-Novo.
Zou
The central department around Abomey, historic seat of the Kingdom of Dahomey and its UNESCO-listed royal palaces.
Mono
A southwestern coastal department on the Togo border, with the beach town of Grand-Popo at the mouth of the Mono River.
Atacora
Benin’s mountainous northwest — the Pendjari wildlife park, the Tanougou Falls and the Somba tata-house country.
Alibori
Benin’s far north on the Niger River border, taking in part of the W transboundary park and Sahelian farming country.
Borgou
A large north-central department around the trading city of Parakou, a hub of Bariba and Fulani culture.
Collines
A central department of wooded hills and inselbergs around Dassa-Zoumè and Savè.
Couffo
A southwestern inland farming department on the Togo border, centred on Aplahoué.
Donga
A northwestern department around the market town of Djougou, on the old route between coast and Sahel.
Plateau
A southeastern department on the Nigerian border, Yoruba country centred on Pobè and Kétou.
Destinations
Where to go
9 flagship destinations across 12 regions.
Photograph of Royal Palaces of Abomey to be supplied by the clientHeritage
07°11′N 001°59′E · Zou
Royal Palaces of Abomey
The earthen palace complex of the former Kingdom of Dahomey in the city of Abomey.
Photograph of Ouidah and the Slave Route to be supplied by the clientHeritage
06°22′N 002°05′E · Atlantique
Ouidah and the Slave Route
A historic coastal town that was one of West Africa's largest Atlantic slave-trade ports and a centre of the Vodun religion.
Photograph of Ganvié Lake Village to be supplied by the clientCulture
06°28′N 002°25′E · Atlantique
Ganvié Lake Village
A large stilt village built over Lake Nokoué whose houses stand on wooden piles above the water.
Photograph of Porto-Novo to be supplied by the clientCulture
06°29′N 002°36′E · Ouémé
Porto-Novo
Benin's official capital, a Yoruba-founded city known for its royal palace museum, Afro-Brazilian mosque and ethnographic collections.
Photograph of Cotonou to be supplied by the clientLifestyle
06°22′N 002°26′E · Littoral
Cotonou
Benin's largest city and economic capital, home to the vast Dantokpa market and the Fondation Zinsou art institution.
Photograph of Grand-Popo to be supplied by the clientLifestyle
06°17′N 001°50′E · Mono
Grand-Popo
A quiet beach town on Benin's southwest coast where a branch of the Mono River meets the Gulf of Guinea.
Photograph of Pendjari National Park to be supplied by the clientNature
11°03′N 001°31′E · Atacora
Pendjari National Park
A large savanna wildlife park in northwestern Benin holding some of West Africa's last major populations of big game.
Photograph of Tanougou Falls to be supplied by the clientNature
10°48′N 001°26′E · Atacora
Tanougou Falls
A multi-tiered waterfall in the Atacora mountains near the edge of Pendjari National Park.
Photograph of Somba Country (Tata-Somba Houses) to be supplied by the clientCulture
10°10′N 001°12′E · Atacora
Somba Country (Tata-Somba Houses)
The Atacora homeland of the Batammariba (Somba) people, known for their fortified two-storey earthen tata houses.
Plan your trip
Ready to travel Benin?
November to February, the dry season. Explore the destinations above, then reach out to plan the route.