Cotonou Adventures
Whether your idea for outdoor activity involves browsing around a flea market or doing something sporty like sailing or riding, Cotonou has various options that will get you out of the hotel and into the African sun! Explore the 20-hectare Dantokpa Market that will tempt the most reluctant shopper to purchase African products. This massive market generates a commercial turnover of over a billion CFA Francs a day.
It borders the Cotonou Lagoon and Blvd St Michel and is stocked with traditional medicines, artefacts and local goods. Traditional fare, such as batiks and Fon jewellery ritual masks, tapestries, elongated statues and pottery, can be found in the market building. There is also a fetish market that lures shoppers along with the 'Mama Benz' who are the haughty matriarchs of the market who are named after their favourite make of car.
If the shopping is either too exhausting or to sedentary for the adventure junkie, there are opportunities to sail at the Yacht Club in Cotonou, or hire a dug-out canoe or motorboat on Nakoue Lagoon. These activities can be arranged through the hotel or the tourism services and lead to a great day in the sun. Spend the day floating on a yacht or pirogue or feel the need for speed when hiring a motorised boat to navigate the lagoons. Time and speed will depend on the mood of the traveller.
