In the footsteps of the Amazons and the kings of Dahomey

In Benin, history is not something you read about: you visit it, you hear it told, you live it. Day 1 · Abomey, city of kings Capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey, Abomey has kept its royal palaces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bas-reliefs, thrones, appliqué hangings: every room tells of a king, a battle, an alliance. This is where the legend of the Agojie was born, the regiments of women warriors whom Europeans called the "Amazons". Before you leave, step into an appliqué workshop: Abomey's artisans have passed this craft down for generations. Day 2 · Porto-Novo, the many-coloured capital Afro-Brazilian façades, a great mosque that looks like a church from Bahia, King Toffa's palace turned into the Honmè museum: the country's capital is an open-air history lesson, at an unhurried pace. Day 3 · Ouidah, memory facing the ocean The Slave Route leads to the Door of No Return: a place of remembrance, best understood with a guide. The old Portuguese fort, now a history museum, and the Afro-Brazilian houses round off the day, before the calm of the beaches along the Route des Pêches. And in Cotonou, look up: the giant Amazon statue, some thirty metres tall, pays tribute to the women warriors of Dahomey. On GANAALE, book a licensed guide, a driver and your stay: all that is left is to live the history.