Cotonou and the Lagoons Travel Guide

Explore Cotonou Cotonou moves fast: Dantokpa market sells everything from fabrics to fish, the seaside promenade hosts grilled‑sardine vendors, and nearby Ganvié’s stilt village on Lake Nokoué is a short boat ride away. Explore Ganvie Built entirely on Lake Nokoué, Ganvie is a stilt village where pirogues replace streets. Explore Abomey-Calavi On the coast west of Cotonou, Abomey-Calavi mixes university life with lagoons and beaches; visitors find local markets, beachfront restaurants and launch points for mangrove and lake excursions toward Ganvié. Explore Godomey Godomey lies west of Cotonou, where traders haul goods to market and people organize lacustrine day trips to Ganvié. Explore Zè Market town linking Cotonou to smaller coastal villages - people stop for weekly markets, palm-oil stalls, and trips to nearby lagoons where pirogues and reed mats line the shore. Explore Lake Nokoué A coastal lagoon bordering Cotonou in southern Benin, home to the stilt village of Ganvié; visited for boat trips, fishing communities and observing stilt‑house life.