The Royal Palaces of Abomey contain twelve structures built by successive kings of Dahomey from the mid-17th century until 1894 when French forces burned most of the complex. UNESCO designated the site a World Heritage property in 1985. King Houegbadja founded the kingdom in the early 1600s and his successors Agaja (reigned 1718-1740) and Ghezo (reigned 1818-1858) expanded the palaces. The last independent ruler Béhanzin saw French troops destroy ten palaces in 1892. Visitors see two reconstructed palaces containing thrones, weapons, and bas-reliefs depicting royal history. Each palace represents approximately 200 years of monarchy before French colonization ended the kingdom in 1904.
Ganvié sits on Lake Nokoué approximately 20 kilometers northwest of Cotonou. The Tofinu people built this stilt village in the 18th century to escape Dahomey slave raiders who were forbidden by religious law from attacking settlements on water. Current population estimates range from 20,000 to 30,000 residents living in structures elevated above the shallow lagoon. Residents reach the village by motorized pirogue from Abomey-Calavi. Houses, schools, churches, and a market operate entirely on stilts. The community practices fish farming using acadja method where submerged branches attract fish. The village economy depends on tourism and fishing without road access to the mainland.
Ouidah served as the primary slave export port for the Kingdom of Dahomey from the 17th through 19th centuries. The Route des Esclaves (Slave Route) runs four kilometers from the former slave auction site to the beach where captives boarded ships. The Door of No Return memorial stands at the beach endpoint where an estimated 1 million people departed for the Americas before the trade ended. The Ouidah Museum of History occupies the former Portuguese fort built in 1721. The Temple of Pythons houses approximately 50 royal pythons considered sacred in local vodun practice. Python handlers allow visitors to hold non-venomous snakes during temple visits. The Sacred Forest of Kpasse contains statues representing vodun deities in a grove covering several acres.
Pendjari National Park covers 2,755 square kilometers in northwest Benin bordering Burkina Faso. UNESCO designated the park and adjoining areas a Biosphere Reserve in 1986. The park forms part of the larger W-Arly-Pendjari complex shared across Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Wildlife includes approximately 800 elephants, West African lions, leopards, cheetahs, hippopotamus, and buffalo based on counts conducted between 2016 and 2019. The Pendjari River flows through the western section creating waterholes that concentrate animals during dry season from December through May. Visitors enter through Tanguiéta or Batia gates with mandatory guide accompaniment. Accommodations exist at Pendjari Lodge and several campgrounds. The rainy season from June through October closes most access roads.
The W National Park section in Benin covers approximately 563,280 hectares in the northeast forming part of a transboundary reserve with Niger and Burkina Faso. The park takes its name from the W-shaped double bend of the Niger River along its northern boundary. Vegetation consists of Sudan savanna with gallery forests along waterways. Large mammal populations include elephants, buffalo, various antelope species, warthogs, and baboons. Access points exist near Kandi and Banikoara with vehicle tracks passable only during dry months. The park received UNESCO World Heritage designation in 1996 as part of the tri-national complex.
Porto-Novo serves as the constitutional capital of Benin though most government functions operate from Cotonou. The city sits on an inlet of the Gulf of Guinea near the Nigerian border with a population estimated at 264,000 in 2013 census figures. The Porto-Novo Ethnographic Museum occupies a former colonial building displaying artifacts from Yoruba and Goun cultures. Brazilian-style architecture from 19th century Afro-Brazilian returnees characterizes the old quarter. The Grand Marché Ouando operates as the main market selling textiles, food, and household goods. Regular shared taxis connect Porto-Novo to Cotonou 30 kilometers west.
Cotonou functions as Benin's economic center and largest city with 2013 census population of 679,012 within city limits. The Port of Cotonou handles most of the country's international trade and serves as a transit point for goods to landlocked neighbors. Dantokpa Market claims status as West Africa's largest open-air market covering approximately 20 hectares near the lagoon. The market sells vegetables, fish, textiles, electronics, and traditional medicine with thousands of vendors. The Cathedral of Cotonou built in the 1960s features a distinctive red and white striped exterior. Lake Nokoué extends north from the city providing fishing areas and access to Ganvié. Beaches along the Bight of Benin coast attract weekend visitors though strong currents and undertow make swimming hazardous at most locations.