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A bright interior in a Léna Escapes home in Cotonou

The Beninese year

When to come to Benin.

Two dry seasons, two rainy ones, and a peak in visitors that has nothing to do with the weather. Here is the year as it is lived here — and, for each season, how far ahead to book.

November to March

Busy

The long dry season

The best period to travel in Benin. It barely rains, the northern tracks are passable, the sea settles and the sky is clear. From December to February the harmattan comes down from the Sahara: dry air, a veil of dust over the sun, distinctly cooler nights.

  • Roads and tracks passable as far as the north
  • Calmer sea along the whole coast
  • Dry, dusty air in December and January
  • Bright days, cool nights

BookingHigh season. Allow three to four weeks ahead, more if you are aiming at December or January.

Mid-December to mid-January

Very busy

The end-of-year peak

It is not the weather that fills Cotonou in December, it is the diaspora. Families come home, weddings follow one another, large houses are taken by whole families, and January carries on with the vodun celebrations in Ouidah. The city is at its liveliest — and at its hardest to find a bed in.

  • Flights and hotels full weeks ahead
  • Heavy traffic in Cotonou, especially in the evening
  • Three-bedroom homes and larger go first
  • Ouidah celebrating in early January, forty minutes away

BookingSix to eight weeks ahead; the deposit is enough to hold the home. After mid-November there is almost nothing large left.

Mid-April to mid-July

Open

The long rains

It rains hard and it rains briefly, often late in the day or at night. Between two downpours the light is superb and the city is green. Sites are visited without crowds, flights cost less, and some northern tracks become difficult.

  • Short, intense downpours, rarely all day
  • More frequent power cuts after a storm
  • Sites and museums almost empty
  • Northern tracks difficult, the coast fine

BookingThe most available period of the year, and the best for a long stay. Two weeks ahead is enough. Every one of our homes has a generator and a water reserve.

Late July to early September

Busy

The short dry season

A dry parenthesis in the middle of summer, milder than the hot season. It is also humpback whale season offshore, and the week of 1 August, the national day, fills Cotonou while the diaspora uses the school holidays.

  • Dry, bearable weather, often overcast
  • Whale-watching trips leaving from Cotonou
  • The week of 1 August very busy in Cotonou
  • The sea still heavy: swim where the beach is watched

BookingThree weeks ahead normally, four to five around 1 August.

Mid-September to late October

Open

The short rains

A second rainy spell, shorter and gentler than the spring one. The country greens up again before the dry season, and the coast stays largely workable. A very good window to come and work quietly for a few weeks.

  • Spaced-out rains, often late in the day
  • Few travellers, low air fares
  • A good period for month-long stays
  • Easy getaways from Cotonou at the weekend

BookingTwo weeks ahead is enough, and it is the best window to agree a monthly rate.

The dates that fill the city

Each of the big fixtures has its own page, with the official dates when they are published.

And during the stay

Common questions

Quelle est la meilleure période pour visiter le Bénin ?
De novembre à mars : c'est la grande saison sèche. Peu de pluie, pistes du nord praticables, mer plus calme, ciel clair. De décembre à février, l'harmattan rend l'air sec et les nuits plus fraîches.
Quand est la saison des pluies au Bénin ?
Le sud du pays a deux saisons des pluies : une longue, de mi-avril à mi-juillet, et une courte, de mi-septembre à fin octobre. Les averses sont fortes mais brèves, souvent en fin de journée, et la côte reste praticable.
Quel est le mois le plus chargé à Cotonou ?
Décembre, puis la première quinzaine de janvier. La diaspora rentre, les mariages s'enchaînent et les fêtes vodun de Ouidah suivent début janvier. C'est la période où il faut réserver le plus tôt.
Combien de temps à l'avance faut-il réserver un logement à Cotonou ?
Six à huit semaines pour décembre et janvier, surtout à partir de trois chambres. Trois à quatre semaines en saison sèche, deux semaines le reste de l'année.
Les tarifs changent-ils selon la saison ?
Non. Chez Léna Escapes, les prix à la nuit, à la quinzaine et au mois sont les mêmes toute l'année : il n'y a pas de majoration de haute saison.

Tell us your dates

We tell you plainly what is left, and the home is held as soon as the deposit lands.

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+229 01 67 60 80 60