Excursion Porto-novo tour at Cotonou

Discover Porto Novo, an old Portuguese town where one can still admire colonial architecture and colorful markets including a large traditional herbal market. Take a city tour that sends you past the highlights of Porto Novo, including the ethnographic museum with its collection of tribal masks and statues, the Great Mosque famous for its baroque style, and the old palace of King Toffa.

There is time to visit the Musée Ethnographique de Porto Novo, an interesting museum that takes an intensive look into the past of Porto Novo's kings, with displays of old Yoruba king masks, costumes, and some musical instruments.

Also visit the Palais Royal du Roi Toffa, the former residence of King Toffa which is now officially called Musee Honmé. This well maintained, rather simple palace is a nice look into how African royalty really lived. 1883 was the year King Toffa signed the treaty with French, agreeing to hand over land. The kingdom of Porto Novo was one of the longest lasting in Africa, lasting up until 1976.

Also stroll the Colonial Demonstration Garden, a lush, 6.3-hectare expanse containing over 630 species of trees to discover at your own pace. Make the one-hour return drive to the ship.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen on this excursion include: Porto Novo, Honme Palace, Museum of Ethnography, Colonial Demonstration Garden

Note

Please note: This tour involves a moderate amount of walking (approximately 800 meters) with some steps to negotiate at the museums, making it less suitable for guests with walking difficulties.