After the Cotonou Marathon: Porto-Novo and a Canoe at Adjarra

The Route: Cotonou hotel → Porto-Novo (1 night) → Adjarra canoe trip → Cotonou hotel Logistics: The Benin tourism portal gives about 45 km and an hour from Cotonou and about 10 km, 20 to 25 minutes, from Porto-Novo to Adjarra. Marathon Month: February Duration: 1 night

Cotonou hotel ──(about 45 km, 1 hour)──> Porto-Novo (1 night)
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                    (10 km, 20-25 min) Adjarra canoe
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Cotonou hotel <──(car)────────────────────────┘

The Rivière Noire canoe trip at Adjarra is a seated activity, which makes it a good fit for the days after a marathon. Spread the travel and the canoe across two days so that neither is hurried.

February in Porto-Novo: it is warm and humid, with roughly 30 mm of rain in a typical February. Take a hat, sun cream and water.

Getting There

Travel on the Monday with a booked driver. The portal's figures are ordinary road estimates, not guaranteed transfer times, so ask your driver for their own. Leave your luggage in the car and keep water to hand.

Night One: Porto-Novo

Choose a hotel through your driver or hotel and ask about the room's distance from the dining area and an early breakfast. Take a short city walk in the afternoon, and keep it short.

The Canoe

Arrange the Adjarra canoe trip with a local operator. Ask about boarding, how much you have to balance, lifejackets and how long you will be seated. Boarding is not guaranteed to be step-free, so ask in advance. Book a morning trip if you can, before the day is at its hottest.

Getting Home

Return to Cotonou after the canoe trip and leave slack for the road. Cotonou airport (COO) is the arrival point for most visitors, and a booked transfer is the simplest way to reach it.