Discover Ouidah
A town of memory, faith and ocean on the coast of Benin.
The places on the map
From the basilica to the seafront, most of it can be done on foot.
All places
Stop 1 on the Slave RoutePlace Chacha
The former auction square, where the captives’ walk to the sea began.
- Stop 2 on the Slave Route
Tree of Forgetfulness
According to tradition, captives were made to walk around it to forget their origins.
- Stop 3 on the Slave Route
Zomaï Huts
“Where fire does not enter”: remembering captives held in darkness.
Stop 4 on the Slave RouteZoungbodji Memorial
A place of remembrance on the site of a mass grave.
- Stop 5 on the Slave Route
Tree of Return
The hope that the captives’ souls would one day return to their ancestors’ land.
Stop 6 on the Slave RouteDoor of No Return
On the beach, facing the Atlantic, the monument marking the place of forced embarkation.
SpiritualityPython Temple
The Vodun sanctuary of Dangbé, opposite the basilica.
CultureBasilica of the Immaculate Conception
The church built from 1903 to 1909, opposite the Python Temple.
CultureOuidah History Museum
Housed in the Portuguese fort of 1721, the museum opened in 1967.
SpiritualityKpassè Sacred Forest
The forest where, according to tradition, King Kpassè became an iroko tree.