Cotonou Benin, Porto-Novo
Benin

11 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Seabourn Cruise Line (10 Cruises)

Silversea Cruises (1 Cruises)


Frequently Asked Questions

In the commercial port on the Gulf of Guinea. It is an active industrial port: downtown and the Dantokpa market are a few kilometres away by taxi or excursion shuttle.
No. The port is a commercial terminal and the city is too spread out to walk. You need a taxi or the excursion shuttle, and a guide makes things far easier.
Ganvié, the lake village, is the standout excursion: allow 30 to 40 minutes by road, then the pirogue. If time is short, the Dantokpa market and the Zinsou Foundation fit into half a day.
A stilt village where thousands of people have lived above Lake Nokoé since the 17th century. Houses, school, floating market: everything moves by boat, and fishermen still practise acadja, a brushwood enclosure technique.
The village was founded by the Tofinu people, who took refuge on the lake to escape slave raids: water was then considered protected ground. Guides tell this story during the pirogue crossing.
One of the largest open-air markets in West Africa, spread over some 20 hectares near the lagoon. Printed fabrics, spices, yams, enamel basins: every aisle has its specialty, including a whole section devoted to vodun ritual objects.
Yes, the official capital is about 38 kilometres northeast, a good hour each way. Afro-Brazilian colonial buildings, museums and a large market. The round trip combines well with a morning at Ganvié.
Yes, at the Zinsou Foundation, which shows photography, painting and sculpture by contemporary African artists in a light-filled space with a shop and café. Few cruise passengers expect to find such a lively art scene here.
The West African CFA franc, and French, the official language. Bring cash; cards are poorly accepted outside major hotels.
Only moderately. The Ganvié pirogue ride fascinates children, but the heat, the dense zémidjan motorbike traffic and the Dantokpa crowds demand vigilance. A guided excursion is clearly preferable to exploring on your own.