The capital, east of Cotonou
Porto-Novo, from Cotonou.
Benin's official capital, and the country's finest Afro-Brazilian architecture. A town to visit slowly.
The distance
35 km from Cotonou, 35 minutes to 1 hour of driving.
When to go
All year. The dry season, November to March, makes walking easier.
Where it is
The capital, east of Cotonou
What you see at Porto-Novo
Porto-Novo keeps what Cotonou lost: low streets, verandah houses built by the Agudas who returned from Brazil, and the Grand Mosque, a former baroque church repainted as a mosque, unique in West Africa. The Honmè museum occupies the former palace of King Toffa. The botanical garden and the Songhaï Centre, north of town, round out a day without ever rushing.
- The Afro-Brazilian Grand Mosque
- The Honmè museum, former royal palace
- The Aguda quarter and its verandah houses
- The botanical and nature garden
In practice
The eastern road is quick outside rush hour: leave before eight or after ten. Museums close early, and sometimes on Mondays — aim for the morning. Good shoes are enough, the centre is walkable.
Where to sleep between trips
Keep your home in Cotonou and travel out from it: cheaper than a hotel at every stop, and you come back to your own place each night.
Common questions
- Is Porto-Novo the capital of Benin?
- Yes, it is the official capital and the seat of the National Assembly. Cotonou remains the economic capital and the seat of government, which is why travellers sleep there and visit Porto-Novo for the day.
We arrange the trip
Driver, timings, a guide on site: tell us the date and we handle the rest.
+229 01 67 60 80 60
Photograph : Joseph Hervé Ahissou · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0