A country · 24 places · 6 regions
Benin, all of it.
24 curated places across 6 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.
The 4 biggest regions — Littoral, Atlantique Department, Atakora Department and Mono Department — read below as chapters, with 2 more waiting past them.
Chapter I · Littoral · 7 places
Littoral
A coastal lagoon near Cotonou, Lake Nokoue is home to Ganvie, a large stilt village built entirely over the water. Fishers navigate the reed channels in narrow canoes.
via Wikimedia CommonsChapter II · Atlantique Department · 4 places
Atlantique Department
Often called the largest lake village in Africa, Ganvie houses tens of thousands of Tofinu people in stilt homes across Lake Nokoué. Founded centuries ago as a refuge from slave raiders, its floating market and canoe traffic are best seen in the early morning.
✦ November to March, during the dry season · $
Chapter III · Atakora Department · 2 places
Atakora Department
A hillside town in northwestern Benin serving as a gateway to the Atakora mountains and Pendjari park. Its regional museum showcases Somba and Betammaribe culture.
via Wikimedia CommonsChapter IV · Mono Department · 2 places
Mono Department
A laid-back coastal town in southwestern Benin known for long palm-fringed beaches and colonial-era buildings. The Mono river estuary nearby offers boat trips through mangroves and lagoons.
✦ November to February · $$
Regions of Benin
Every place in Benin
