Stand on the Ancien Pont Bridge at first light and you can watch the Lagune de Cotonou carry the day's first pirogues past the burgundy and white stripes of Cotonou Cathedral. The city is loud, flat and sprawling, and it does not present its pleasures easily.
Cotonou suits travellers who are comfortable with a big, working West African city and who are willing to seek out its monuments, markets and beaches on their own terms. It rewards curiosity about contemporary art, street life and modern West African history more than it rewards sightseeing by checklist.
1. Fondation Zinsou
On Avenue Germain Olory Togbe in Quartier Zongo, just north of Carrefour St. Michel, the Fondation Zinsou is devoted to showing contemporary art in Benin and to arts education for children. Its main Cotonou gallery hosts rotating exhibitions and is the best place in the city to see contemporary Beninese art, and the foundation also brings internationally renowned artists to Cotonou so the Beninese public can see the work in person.
It is open Monday to Saturday and admission is free. Combine it with a walk through the surrounding Zongo neighbourhood, since you are already in the middle of it.
2. Grande Mosquée de Zongo
The largest mosque in the city, and possibly in Benin, this is the centre of gravity for Cotonou's Muslim communities. Zongo is a Hausa word meaning "foreigner", which gives a sense of the pan-African character of the neighbourhood around it.
Visit as part of a wander through Zongo, the city's busy Muslim quarter, which is where the most interesting street scenes in Cotonou tend to happen.
3. Cotonou Cathedral (Notre Dame des Apotres)
Near the Ancien Pont Bridge, the cathedral is noted for its distinct burgundy and white striped tile architecture. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cotonou.
Pair it with a crossing of the Ancien Pont and a look at the lagoon, which the city is cut in two by.
4. Place des Martyrs
Martyrs' square holds a large North Korean-built monument to those who died fighting against colonialism. It hosts artists, a food truck, and occasional public concerts, and entry is free.
Come in the late afternoon or evening when the square is most likely to be active.
5. Place de l'Amazone
This statue honours the Agodjié (Amazone) women warriors of Abomey, Kingdom of Dahomey, as popularised in the film The Woman King. It is free to visit.
It pairs naturally with the other commemorative monuments around the city if you are tracing Benin's modern history on foot.
6. Monument Bio Guera
A statue in tribute to resistance fighter Bio Guera, shown on horseback in a charge against the French colonialists. There is no charge to see it.
Treat it as one stop among the city's monuments rather than a destination in itself.
7. Institut Français
On Avenue Jean Paul II, across from the CNHU hospital complex, the Institut Français is a fixture of the Cotonou cultural scene, holding concerts, film screenings, theatre, stand-up comedy and more. Hours vary by event and tickets run from 0 to 3000 CFA.
Check what is on before you go, since the programme rather than the building is the reason to visit.
8. Stade de l'Amitié
The national stadium of Benin anchors a sports complex on Rue 2651, hosting football matches as well as concerts and markets on the adjacent esplanade and parking lots. A large number of restaurants and bars are on site, which makes it a popular place for Beninese to start a weekend evening.
Go on a weekend evening if you want the atmosphere rather than just the fixture.
9. Air de Jeux Plage Erevan (Yerevan Beach Playground)
On Rue 230 at Boulevard de la Marina, just across the beach road from the airport runway, this stretch of sand has an Airbus A300 parked in it. It can be a little dirty. Just west of here is an extensive beach called Fidjrosse Beach (Plage De Fidjrosse).
Watch out for powerful surf at both, and do not go after dark.
10. Obama Beach
Behind Congress Palace and not far from Novotel Cotonou Orisha, this beach carries the well-known namesake and even a sign of him if you want a photo. It is a little dirtier than the other beaches, and it too is subject to strong surf and security considerations. Entry is 300 CFA.
Keep the visit to daylight hours.
11. Airplane on the beach (Avion sur la plage)
You can enter an old Lockheed L-1011 Tristar that the owner has parked on the beach, for 1000 CFA.
It is a short, unusual stop best folded into a beach day rather than a trip of its own.
12. Etoile Rouge (Red Star)
At the intersection of Rue 400, Rue 560 and Ave de la Victoire, this roundabout is another tribute to Benin's communist past in the form of a large red star. It is accessible at any hour, but you may get a better view of it from a plane on departure or arrival.
Do not build an outing around it; note it as you pass through the intersection.
13. Place de la Bulgarie
This traffic circle is a Cold War anachronism, featuring a larger-than-life statue of Bulgaria's first Communist leader, Georgi Dimitrov, seemingly rising out of nowhere. A statue of Lenin once stood in the city too, but it was torn down when Benin ceased its efforts to become a communist nation.
Like the other monument stops, it works best as part of a wider route through the city.
14. Boat tour to Ganvie
You can take a boat tour of Ganvie, the stilt village known as the Venice of Africa, on the other side of Lake Nokoue. It should be possible to take a boat from the Hotel du Lac in Cotonou, where the price may be around 5,000 CFA, with different tours available at the village itself. Another option is to hire a boat operator at the point of embarkation in Abomey-Calavi.
Do not touch the water: the lack of any sewer system means the lake functions as a septic tank, and the banks of the Lagune de Cotonou itself are lined with heaping piles of garbage.
15. The beach and the Zongo neighbourhood on foot
For those who prefer to stroll aimlessly, the most interesting scenes will likely come in the Zongo neighbourhood, the city's busy Muslim quarter centred on the huge main mosque. Wandering on the beach can also give you great views of the ocean, but strictly during the daytime, as it is a spot for crime at night.
Areas near central Cotonou are calm, with a few private beaches aimed at exclusive clienteles, while the beachside neighbourhood of Fidjirossé has a slew of beachside maquis that attract locals at the weekend.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Cotonou Cathedral (Notre Dame des Apotres) near the Ancien Pont Bridge, then walk into Quartier Zongo to see the Grande Mosquée de Zongo and the surrounding street life. Finish the morning at Fondation Zinsou on Avenue Germain Olory Togbe, which is open Monday to Saturday and free.
Afternoon: Take a boat tour to Ganvie from the Hotel du Lac, remembering not to touch the water. If you would rather stay in the city, spend the afternoon at Air de Jeux Plage Erevan (Yerevan Beach Playground) and continue west to Fidjrosse Beach, keeping an eye on the powerful surf.
Evening: Head to Stade de l'Amitié, where the restaurants and bars make it a popular place to start a weekend evening. If a performance is on, the Institut Français on Avenue Jean Paul II is the alternative, with tickets from 0 to 3000 CFA.
When should I avoid the beach in Cotonou?
Not after dark. The beach is a spot for crime at night, and the surf at Yerevan Beach, Fidjrosse Beach and Obama Beach is powerful, so keep beach visits to the daytime.
How do I get around Cotonou?
A prevalent mode of transport in the city is the motorcycle-taxi, known locally as zémidjan. The city also has air, sea, river and land connections, including a river route to Porto Novo.
Is the water in the lagoon or the lake safe to touch?
No. The lack of any sewer system means Lake Nokoue functions as a septic tank, and the banks of the Lagune de Cotonou are lined with heaping piles of garbage.
What does a visit to Fondation Zinsou cost, and when is it open?
Admission is free, and it is open Monday to Saturday.
Pick your dates around the two rainy seasons and the harmattan, and start mapping these stops into a route through the city.