This busy cultural centre has a gallery, an outdoor theatre, a library and a cinema.
Centre Culturel Français
Cotonou
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Centre Songhai
16.8 MILES
The Centre Songhai is a major research, teaching and production centre in sustainable farming. There are one-hour guided tours to visit the plantations…
Zinzou Foundation Museum
22.46 MILES
This museum of contemporary African art, housed in a stunning 1920s Afro-Brazilian villa, displays paintings and sculptures as well as light, video and…
Route des Esclaves
22.3 MILES
The Route of the Slaves includes the slave auction plaza, the Tree of Forgetfulness (where slaves were branded with their owners' symbols and, to make…
Grand Marché de Dantokpa
2.05 MILES
The seemingly endless Grand Marché du Dantokpa is Cotonou's throbbing heart, bordered by the lagoon and Blvd St Michel. Everything under the sun can be…
Fondation Zinsou
0.65 MILES
Named after the family that started it, this fantastic exhibition space seeks to promote contemporary African art among Beninese people through…
Cathedral de Notre Dame
1.93 MILES
With its vibrant red and white stripes, this Catholic cathedral is not just a place of worship but also home to a small bookshop selling titles by…
Musée d'Histoire de Ouidah
22.13 MILES
Ouidah's main site is its Musée d'Histoire de Ouidah, housed in the beautiful Fortaleza São João Batista, a Portuguese fort built in 1721. It retraces the…
Ganvie Stilt Village
7.72 MILES
This stilt village, located in the lagoon of Lake Nokoue, was created for the Tofinu people to stay safe from slave hunters. It has become part of their…
Nearby Cotonou attractions
1. Fondation Zinsou
0.65 MILES
Named after the family that started it, this fantastic exhibition space seeks to promote contemporary African art among Beninese people through…
2. Mosque
1.07 MILES
This mosque's two white towers stand out in this city of low-lying structures. It's an interesting place to pause for a few moments for a spot of people…
3. Fidjirossé Beach
1.19 MILES
This pretty stretch of sand is a lovely place to embrace local culture and cool off. It's a favorite spot for Beninese to retreat to with families and is…
4. Eglise St Michel
1.44 MILES
This pastel pink and green Catholic church is a simple affair, but notable for its exterior (it looks a bit like a pink gingerbread house). The interior…
5. Cathedral de Notre Dame
1.93 MILES
With its vibrant red and white stripes, this Catholic cathedral is not just a place of worship but also home to a small bookshop selling titles by…
6. Fetish Market
2.01 MILES
This market sells anything associated with voodoo, including varieties of tree barks and dried plants (both used in traditional medicine) and stalwarts…
7. Grand Marché de Dantokpa
2.05 MILES
The seemingly endless Grand Marché du Dantokpa is Cotonou's throbbing heart, bordered by the lagoon and Blvd St Michel. Everything under the sun can be…
8. Ganvie Stilt Village
7.72 MILES
This stilt village, located in the lagoon of Lake Nokoue, was created for the Tofinu people to stay safe from slave hunters. It has become part of their…