Bénin holds the memory of one of West Africa’s strongest precolonial kingdoms. Dahomey ruled for nearly 300 years, and its royal palaces still stand in Abomey, UNESCO-listed and mostly intact, their walls covered in reliefs that record every king in the line.

Ouidah has the Door of No Return, the point on the Atlantic shore where millions of enslaved people were forced onto ships bound for the Americas. The Slave Route walk runs 4 km from the town centre to the beach. It’s sobering and worth doing.

Vodoun is a working religion here, with its own priesthood, calendar, and ceremonies. The Python Temple in Ouidah has kept sacred pythons for centuries. Ganvié sits entirely on stilts in Lake Nokoué and has housed the Tofinu people for 400 years. The Dantokpa market in Cotonou covers several hectares and is the largest open-air market in West Africa.