Best Tourist Places to Visit in Porto-Novo, Benin, South Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Porto-Novo, Benin, South Africa, Africa

Porto-Novo is the capital of the African country of Benin, geographically positioned in the southeastern part of the nation at 6°29′50″ N 2°36′18″ E. It is the second largest city of Benin, after the commercial capital, Cotonou (around 35 kilometers southeast of Porto-Novo) where the most major administrative offices of Benin are located while Porto-Novo is only home to the national legislature and Porto-Novo covers a total area of 110 square kilometers.

Having been serving as the capital of Benin since the French Dahomey, Porto-Novo holds many historical tourist attractions including the King Toffa’s Palace.

History of Porto-Novo:

The name Porto-Novo derived from the Portuguese language, meaning ‘New Port’. Porto-Novo became a part of the French Dahomey in 1883 and after 7 years of this incident, Porto-Novo was promoted as the capital of the French Dahomey.

How to reach Porto-Novo?

Porto-Novo doesn’t have any airport, so international tourists are needed to reach Cotonou Airport in Cotonou first and then take taxi from there to Porto-Novo which takes around 45 minutes and costs 600cfa to reach the distance of 35 kilometers from the airport to Porto-Novo.

Zémidjan are common options to get around Porto-Novo which is a type of taxi carrying one to two passengers and its minimum rent is 100FCFA and maximum is 5,000cfa.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Porto-Novo:

Porto-Novo is famous for an Adjogan music style which is played everywhere in the city, mainly in churches.

Other than four supermarkets including Champignon, Paniere, Universe 7, Porto-Novo houses a traditional market Adjarra Market, which is around 10 kilometers away from the center of Porto-Novo where one can purchase astonishing potters, typical musical instruments and different voodoo ornaments.

Some tourist favor restaurants in Porto-Novo include:

Maquis Katchi Ambiance
Restaurant Mahi
Comme Chez Soi

Things to do in Porto-Novo:

City tours
Shopping
Walking

Places of interest in and around Porto-Novo:

The Porto Novo Museum of Ethnography:

The Porto Novo Museum of Ethnography describes the features of the native people of Yoruba with a large collection of objects related to them including masks. One can also find valuable information on the history of Porto-Novo and Benin here.

King Toffa’s Palace:

The King Toffa’s Palace is a historic landmark mansion describing the characteristics of the African royalty. The palace gained locus on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 31, 1996. Now it is home to a museum.

The da Silva Museum:

The da Silva Museum is concentrated on showcasing the cultural life of Afro-Brazilians who settled in Porto-Novo after returning back from Brazil after getting liberation in there.

Jardin Place Jean Bayol:

The Jardin Place Jean Bayol is a big, complex holding many modern and historical attractions including the of Porto-Novo’s first King’s statue.

The palais de Gouverneur:

The palais de Gouverneur or the Governor’s Palace is the Parliament building of Benin, featuring a white exterior. The construction is distinct and its surrounding environment is also pleasant.

List of other places of interest in and around Porto-Novo include:

Mosque in Porto-Novo
Institute of Higher Studies of Benin
Stade Charles de Gaulle
Stade Municipale
Jardin des Plantes et de la Nature
Lake Nokoué
Ancien Pont Bridge
Cotonou Cathedral
Cotonou Central Mosque
National University of Benin

Best time to visit Porto-Novo:

Porto-Novo generally experiences a dry weather throughout the year and the ideal time to visit Porto-Novo is from November to February.

Accommodation options in and around Porto-Novo:

Although the capital of Benin, Porto-Novo houses limited number of hotels, which get crowded during peak season, so it is suggested for visitors to book hotel rooms through online prior to reaching the city. In meanwhile, visitors can also refer hotels of nearby Cotonou (around 35 km) for more comfort. Here are some top end hotels in Porto-Novo: