The golden sand
Shades and palms.
Ji-Elle — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ji-Elle — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kulttuurinavigaattori — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ji-Elle — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kulttuurinavigaattori — CC BY-SA 4.0
Grand-Popo Beach is a long Atlantic beach in the town of Grand-Popo in south-west Benin, close to the Togo border. The town sits on a peninsula between the sea and an arm of the Mono River, so the place combines beach and lagoon. It is a quiet weekend escape, with small lodges and restaurants on the sand. The area traded with Europe from the 17th century, before Porto-Novo rose, and offered a fairly safe anchorage. Near the market stood two-storey houses of fired brick with wooden floors. Coastal erosion began in the late 1950s, and the sea swallowed parts of the old town, leaving some buildings abandoned. You see wide golden sand, strong waves, and thatched shades and palm trees along the shore. Inland lie orchards and green fields and the remains of old brick buildings worn by time. On the lagoon side the water is calm, with small fishing boats. It is about 39 km from Ouidah in a straight line. The ocean waves here are very dangerous, so do not swim far out or alone. You can take a boat on the lagoon to the mouth of the Mono River with a local guide.
Shades and palms.
Brick remains.
Fishing boats.
Grand-Popo, south-west Benin
No, waves and currents are very strong here.
A boat trip on the lagoon to the Mono River mouth.