Ganvié
A village of stilt houses built on Lake Nokoué, where some 20,000 to 30,000 people travel by dugout canoe. It is known as the 'Venice of Africa.'
Ganvié lies on Lake Nokoué, north of Cotonou. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Tofinu people moved onto the lake to escape slave raids by the Kingdom of Dahomey, since according to the taboos of the time, Dahomey warriors could not fight in water. Today the village has a school, a church, a floating market and guesthouses. All the houses are built on wooden stilts, and residents make their living from fishing and from fish farming in enclosures on the lake. Visitors buy tickets at the official landing in Abomey-Calavi and travel by motorboat or dugout canoe. The round trip takes about 2 to 3 hours. Fares depend on boat type and number of passengers, and the prices posted at the landing are reliable. Ask before photographing residents, as some will ask for a tip.
Opening hours
Daytime (pier approx. 07:00–18:00)
Nearby sights
- Place de l'Étoile Rouge
- Dantokpa Market
- Fondation Zinsou
- Centre de Promotion de l'Artisanat
- Amazon Statue (Monument de l'Amazone)
- Fidjrossè Beach
- Cotonou Cathedral (Notre-Dame-de-Miséricorde)
- Bouche du Roy