A Benin Surf Guide:
Great place for surf explorers. Benin is squeezed in between Nigeria and Togo, Benin has about 100 kilometer coastline on the southern coast of West Africa.

Here you’ll find a tropic climate which is wettest in June, July and August, but the rain often falls within an hour or so leaving the rest of the day to nicer weather.

The Waves in Benin

The best surf you will find in Benin in June, July and August, but you can get good days all throughout the year except in December, January and February where you’ll have to be lucky to find good surf.

The water will be between 23 and 28 Celsius so you can surf in your board shorts year round.

Local surf advice

This is a place for you if you are an explorer in the heart because there has only been a few reports about surf spots here in Benin. There should be surf east of Cotonou, where you’ll find a restaurant called “Wadu”. Here you’ll find the owner, Marc, who is a surfer and can give you some hints about the surf in the area.

Look out for…

There are no reports about unrest i Benin at the moment, but take care as poverty can push some to crime – especially in Cotonou. Travel light and don’t flash you expensive brands. Read more under Travel Tips and find an updated report on the political situation in Benin in CIAs World Fact Book through the link at the bottom of this page.

Also beware of the risk of getting Malaria here in Benin. Talk to your own doctor and read more in the Travel Tips section on this website under Malaria in Africa.

Visa to Benin

If you fly to Benin you will need a Visa in advance. Purchase it at your nearest Embassy. There is Benin Embassies in The US and the UK.

Benin Surf Spots:

Cotonou: East of the port along the Jetty in Cotonou. This is not a world class spot but it should work pretty often as the wave breaks along the jetty. Remember to ask Marc at the “Wadu” restaurant about other surfing opportunities in the area.

Les Routes Peches: Follow the road called Les Routes Peches and you will be at beach break just east of Cotonou. If you are to run in to a line-up in Benin this might be the place.

Poo Beach/Cotonou Rivermouth: Yes, named after human droppings. Just by the river mouth in Cotonou there is a working beach break and you can use the river for a easy paddle out after each wave. As the name indicates the beach is pretty nasty but the water is fine, as the locals are, well, shit scared of the water and don’t come close to dump their garbage. Beware as Lonely Planet reports on crocs and sharks in the area – so ask the locals about the current situation before you go out.

Krake: A consistent beach break almost at the border to Nigeria you’ll find Krake which often gets more swell if it is too little in other parts of Benin.

Ouidah: 50 kilometers east of Cotonou you will find the charming city of Ouidah and by the beach you find a beach break that often work at low tide.

Novotel: Just south of Cotonou in front of the Sheraton and Novotel hotels you might find an occasional working wave. But pollution and beach crime makes this a less thought of option.

Benin Links:

www.globalsurfers.com
www.surfline.com

After your visit to Benin please report back to GoSurfAfrica.com and let your experiences and photos benefit later surf explorers. Also contact us if you need more information about surfing in Benin and we will try to help you and answer all your questions: contact@gosurfafrica.com.