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A village on a lake with 20.000 inhabitants, where the streets are made of water, the houses float on stilts and people use canoes in their daily lives. Discover Ganvié, the “Venice of Africa”, a fascinating destination in Benin that holds centuries of history and tradition!
Check this out: have you ever imagined a place where the streets are made of water, the houses seem to float and, instead of cars, people travel by canoe? Well, that place exists! Ganvié, in Benin, is a village on a lake that looks like something out of a movie. It’s no wonder it’s known as the “Venice of Africa”.
Where is this surreal village?
Ganvié is located in southern Benin, West Africa. And look, the view from here is something from another world: wooden houses on stilts, canals full of canoes coming and going, and a climate that mixes tranquility and movement all the time. Visitors have the feeling of being in a parallel universe, where water is the beating heart of the village.
The impressive story behind Ganvié
Now, hold on tight: Ganvié didn’t come about by chance. In the 16th century, the Tofinu people were fleeing slave hunters from the Fon and Dahomey kingdoms. The solution? To create a village inside Lake Nokoué, since the soldiers were afraid to go into the water because they believed a demon lived there. And so Ganvié was born, a refuge that became a symbol of resistance.
In fact, the name of the village says it all: “Ganvié” means “we survived” or “I was rescued here”. Creepy, right?
What is everyday life like in this village on a lake?
It may seem like a scene from another planet, but life here goes on a rhythm of its own. The village has everything: schools, hospitals, churches and even floating markets. The detail? Everyone gets around by canoe!
Children row to school, vendors carry their produce in boats, and even doctors make visits on the water. For the locals, dry land is just a detail – many people only set foot on the mainland to sell fish or buy supplies.
Tourism and the livelihood of the village
In recent years, Ganvié has become a popular destination for curious travelers. Around 10.000 tourists pass through here every year, fascinated by the culture and surreal scenery of the lakeside village. Most come on day trips from Cotonou or Abomey.
But tourism is not the only source of income. Fishing is still what moves the local economy, and the locals have a very clever way of catching fish: they drive bamboo stakes into the bottom of the lake and intertwine palm leaves, creating natural enclosures that function as “fish cages”. Clever, right?
