Contonou, Benin

Cotonou is on the coastal strip between Lake Nokoue and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is cut in two by a canal, the lagoon of Cotonou, dug by the French in 1855. Three bridges are in this area. The Oueme River flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Cotonou.

The city is a large port city on the south coast of Benin, in West Africa. At the eastern end of central Boulevard St. Michel is the huge Dantokpa Market, which features religious items and spices alongside everyday objects. To the southwest, the 19th-century Cotonou Cathedral has a striking red-and-white striped facade. Nearby, in the Haie Vive district, the Fondation Zinsou museum shows contemporary African art.

Things to do:
• Cotonou Cathedral (Notre Dame des Apotres)
• French colonial architecture
• Ganvie a town on stilts
• Grand Mosquee de Zongo
• Dantokpa Market
• Zinsou Foundation and the Artisanal Centre
• Temple of Pythons
• Palace de la Bulgarie
• Place des Martyrs

Transport:
The Port is one of the largest in West Africa. The city is connected to Parakou in the north by the Benin-Niger railway. Cotonou International Airport provides service to the capitals of the region and to France, as well as the major cities of Benin: Parakou, Kandi, Natitingou, Djougou and Save. There are road connections to neighbouring countries: Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo. A prevalent mode of transport in the city is the motorcycle-taxi, known locally as zemidjan
A suburban passenger railway line was being developed between Cotonou and Pahou.

There are bus services from Cotonou to every good-sized town in the country. Some run buses in good condition on regular schedules; others manage neither. Book with a skeptical eye, though a bus is likely to be safer than a bush taxi, although it may or may not be any more comfortable.

Cruise Season - Oct - May
Currency - CFA Franc
Language - French, Fon, Aja, and Yoruba
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code - +229

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