Lighthouses of Benin

The Republic of Benin (République du Bénin in French) is a West African nation wedged between Togo on the west and Nigeria to the east. Under French colonial rule and until 1975 it was called Dahomey, the name of a historic African kingdom; it changed its name to Benin because that name was more acceptable to all the country's ethnic groups. The country has been independent since 1960. Most of the country is in the interior; the sandy coastline is only about 120 km (75 mi) in length. Benin has no natural harbors and the artificially protected harbor of Cotonou is its only port.

French is the official language of Benin. The French word for a lighthouse is phare, although a smaller light or harbor light is called a feu (literally "fire," but here meaning "light") or a balise (beacon). In French île is an island, cap is a cape, pointe is a promontory or point of land, roche is a rock, récife is a reef, baie is a bay, estuaire is an estuary or inlet, détroit is a strait, rivière is a river, and havre is a harbor.

Aids to navigation in Benin are maintained by the Port Autonome de Cotonou.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

General Sources
World of Lighthouses - Benin
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Online List of Lights - Togo and Benin
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Afrikanische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Postcards from the collection of Klaus Huelse.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for Benin.


Cotonou Light, Cotonou, November 2020
Google Maps photo by Déric Roberto

Lighthouse
* Cotonou (3)
1968 (station established 1910). Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white flash every 5 s. 26 m (85 ft) square skeletal tower supporting a lantern centered on a square water tank. Entire structure painted a dark gray. Déric Roberto's photo of the lighthouse is above right, a 2023 photo is available, Gideon Apponsah has a 2018 distant photo, a distant view is available (the lighthouse is in the distance on the right), and Google has a satellite view. The first lighthouse, a shorter tower of focal plane 16 m (52 ft), had an unusual Art Nouveau design and was located at the foot of the main pier of the harbor. It is shown in a postcard view posted by Klaus Huelse and another postcard view on Lightphotos.net. The second lighthouse was a hexagonal skeletal tower built in 1928; it is shown in a postcard view contributed by Michel Forand to Lighthouse Digest and in a closeup postcard view posted by Lightphotos.net. The lantern of the 1928 tower was moved atop the water tower in 1968. The Fresnel lens of the lighthouse, which originally rotated on a mercury bath, has been replaced by a modern Tideland TRB 400 rotating lens. Located about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) northeast of the harbor breakwaters. Site status unknown, probably open but local guidance is recommended; tower closed. ARLHS BEN-001; Admiralty D3178; NGA 113-24952.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Nigeria | West: Togo

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Posted September 30, 2005. Checked and revised April 6, 2024. Lighthouses: 1. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.