Benin
Africa · Porto-Novo · BJ
Benin is the small, narrow country of the West African coast, the birthplace of the famous kingdom of the Dahomey and a centre of the vodun religion that the Atlantic trade carried across the oceans. The capital of the Porto-Novo, quieter than the commercial centre of the Cotonou, holds the colonial and the royal palaces of the region, while the interior of the north spreads the national parks with their elephants, their lions and the last of the West African giraffes. The historic towns of the south, from the lake village of the Ganvie to the royal palaces of the Abomey, anchor the deep history, and the vodun culture of the country, with its festivals, its temples and its famous fetish markets, colours the everyday life of the coast. Chaotic, spiritual and warmly welcoming, Benin is one of the most culturally alive countries of the subcontinent.
Overview
Benin is a country in Africa. Its capital is Porto-Novo and the international dialling code is +229. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include French. Local currency is the West African CFA franc (XOF). We also list 1 city in Benin: Porto-Novo.
The Lake Village of the Ganvie and the Houses of the Stilts
The lake village of the Ganvie, built on the shallow water of the lagoon north of the coast, is the largest of the stilt towns of Africa, a floating world of the houses, the schools, the churches and the markets raised on the pilings above the water. The village was founded centuries ago as a refuge from the slavers of the mainland, and its people still live by fishing, by the market boats and by the small shops of the wooden alleys. The visits to the Ganvie by motorised canoe, from the parking of the lagoon to the maze of the channels, show the extraordinary self-contained life of a complete town on the water, and the children and the traders of the community give the visit its vivid, friendly energy.
The Royal Palaces of the Abomey and the Kingdom of the Dahomey
The town of the Abomey, the capital of the ancient kingdom of the Dahomey, holds the royal palaces and the great gate of the old court, a world heritage of the mud architecture and the bas-reliefs that record the history and the power of the feared warrior kingdom. The palace complex, the surviving buildings of the royal enclosure with their thatched roofs and their painted panels, houses the museum of the kings with the thrones, the ceremonial objects and the war trophies of the dynasty, and the murals of the walls tell the story of the kingdom from its origins to its fall. The town around the palaces, with its markets and its artisans, keeps the memory of the Dahomey alive, and the guided tours of the site bring the extraordinary history to life.
The Markets of the Vodun and the Religion of the Spirits
The vodun religion of the country, the ancestral faith of the region that the slave trade carried to the Americas, remains the living spiritual core of the southern culture, with its pantheon of the deities, its priests and its practised ceremonies. The famous fetish market of the capital, the market of the Akodessewa where the healers and the priests sell the skulls, the herbs and the talismans of the trade, is the most celebrated sight of the religion for the visitors, and the temples of the fetch in the villages and the towns of the south protect the sacred snakes, the gates of the brothers and the altars of the families. The festivals of the vodun, the ceremonies and the dance of the devotees, punctuate the year of the coastal towns, and the famous annual festival of the Ouidah draws pilgrims and visitors from across the world.
The Parks of the North and the Elephants of the Pendjari
The national parks of the far north of the country, the great reserves that the dry savannah of the Atlantic share with the neighbouring countries, protect the largest populations of the large mammals of the whole West Africa. The park of the Pendjari, the best known and the most accessible, holds the elephants, the lions, the buffaloes, the antelopes and the rich birdlife of the floodplains and the river of its name, and the lodges of the park organise the classic game drives of the region. The north of the country, the savannah of the Atakora with its range of the hills and its villages of the Somba with their castles of the mud, is the dramatic, wild face of a country that most visitors only know for the coast.
The Coast of the Cotonou and the Canoes of the Lagoon
The coast of the country, the lagoon city of the Cotonou and the historic port of the Ouidah, holds the commercial and the spiritual heart of the southern life. The Cotonou, the economic capital, spreads its markets, its grand mosque of the exotic style and the busy traffic of the crossroads of the region, while the Ouidah on the coast carries the deep memory of the slave trade in the memorial, the museum and the tree of the forgetfulness of its heritage route. The lagoons of the coast, alive with the pirogues, the fishermen and the floating markets, run the everyday life of the region, and the beaches of the country, wide and wild, stretch between the villages of the palms.
Compare hotels, cover your trip and stay connected.
- Capital
- Porto-Novo
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (XOF)
- Languages
- French
- Calling code
- +229
- Internet TLD
- bj
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Benin.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Benin?
Porto-Novo is the capital of Benin, and the country sits in Africa.
What currency is used in Benin?
You pay with West African CFA franc (XOF) in Benin. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Benin?
The languages we list for Benin are French. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Benin?
The dialling code for Benin is +229 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Benin do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Benin: Porto-Novo (capital).