Ouidah

Welcome to Ouidah, tourist town and voodoo capital of Africa.

Ouidah remains very attached to its ancestral traditional values The Piton temple is one of the places dedicated to the "Dan" divinity (piton in Fon). The piton temple is one of the places dedicated to the "Dan" divinity (piton in Fon). According to some linguists specializing in the history of Benin, Danhomey (Ndrl: ancient name given to the Republic of Benin means - the house of the piton in Fon - ) has esoteric origins.

Ouidah was once one of the most important ports in the Atlantic slave trade, where thousands of Africans were captured, detained and forcibly shipped to the Americas. A visit to the "Gate of No Return", a poignant symbol of history, reveals the immensity of the human tragedy that unfolded here. The moving stories of slaves and slave traders are told through dedicated exhibitions and monuments.

Every year, Ouidah hosts the Festival de la Porte du Non-Retour, a landmark event that commemorates the memory of ancestors and celebrates Beninese culture. Dances, voodoo rituals, colorful parades and religious ceremonies are all opportunities to understand the spirituality and resistance of African peoples in the face of oppression.

Ouidah is not just about its painful past. The town also boasts a rich cultural heritage, with museums, voodoo temples and festivals illustrating the vivacity of Beninese culture. Artistic, musical and craft traditions reflect the creativity and diversity of the Beninese people.

Although steeped in the history of the slave trade, Ouidah is also a place of reconciliation and hope. The town bears witness to the unity rediscovered between the descendants of African slaves and those of the diaspora, who return here to reconnect with their roots and honor their ancestors.