Sports and leisure activities - Benin in 2024

Practical information : Move & Laze around Benin

Budget & Tips

For a good workout in Cotonou, head for the beach in the Fidjrossè district at the start of the Route des Pêches. Since the road has been paved, the beach is only a few minutes from downtown. This major transformation means that you can now go for a swim on one of the many beaches designed for restaurants and bars that have sprung up like mushrooms in recent years. Beach volleyball, beach soccer, jogging, swimming (without losing your footing, as it's dangerous)... You can work up a sweat without spending much. The same goes for Grand-Popo, where you'll find the country's largest and most beautiful beach. At Lake Ahémé, there are also a number of ways to work up a sweat: kayaking or canoeing on the lake, or mountain biking or running around in running shoes. Last but not least, the hotel swimming pools (often open to outsiders for a fee) allow you to take a dip.

What's very local

Awale is the most popular game in Benin! A kind of local backgammon, it pits two players against each other and is played in twelve or twenty-four holes in which seeds are placed. The holes are either dug in the ground or carved out of a piece of wood. The game consists in taking the seeds from one of the holes and then placing a seed in each of the following holes. If the last seed falls into a hole where there are one or two seeds, you take them. If, on the other hand, the square is empty or contains more than three seeds, the hand passes and the game continues. Wood-carved awalés are often beautifully decorated and make very fine handicrafts.

To be booked

Whether you're planning a pirogue trip, mountain bike ride or hiking tour, it's advisable to book in advance with your tour operator.

Sports and leisure activities Benin

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Practical information : Move & Laze around Benin

Budget & Tips

What's very local

To be booked