Porto-Novo is the capital of Benin

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Porto Novo is the capitol of Benin, but in name only. Benin’s second largest city of approximately 250,000 people is a nice change of pace from the bustling Cotonou and has many nice features. It is an easy one hour car ride from Cotonou; only 20 minutes from the beach. Porto Novo, named by the Portuguese in the 1500s, is still today showing significant Portuguese influence. For its size, Porto Novo has quite of bit of culture and tourist attractions. Ouando, a district 3km north of the city center, has a large market and pretty good nightlife.