Togo's capital is a mixture of the traditional and the modern. Its old heart is centred on the Grand Marché, a vibrant mishmash of stalls and people selling everything under the sun. A few streets away, the Akodessewa voodoo market is possibly the largest in Africa and welcoming of tourists.
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Togo things to see and do
Tourist offices
Togo National Tourist Office
Address: Route d'Aného, Lomé, BP 1289, Togo
Tel: 221 4313.
www.togo-tourisme.com
Be at the centre of it all in Lomé
Discover where modern Togo was born in Togoville
In this picturesque location on Lake Togo in 1884 Germany signed a colonial treaty with the Ewe king Mlapa III, making his land a German protectorate. The modern-day chief still shows copies of the treaty to visitors. In the village itself there are numerous voodoo shrines as well as a colonial-era Roman Catholic cathedral.
Explore Aného’s colonial past
Formerly known as Little Popo, this town developed from a slave port and is a place where fisherman in colourful canoes ply the Atlantic waves. Aného became Togo’s capital for a brief period in the 19th century and the town preserves a distinctively colonial air reflected in its churches and German cemetery.
Get wet whale watching
Go whale watching in the Gulf of Benin, where humpback whales can be seen breaching the Atlantic surf and thrashing their huge tails every October. Though best observed on an organised boat tour, they can sometimes be witnessed from dry land.
Head north to Koutammakou’s traditional dwellings
See the traditional mud tower-houses of Koutammakou, home to the Batammariba and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Though basic, the predominately two-storey structures are unique, built to designs handed down unchanged for generations to include space for animals on the ground floor and near-spherical granaries.
Relax in sleepy fishing villages
Explore the country’s short coastline, home to several small fishing villages, many of which are home to examples of colonial-era architecture. Head out into the Atlantic on a traditional canoe to catch some fish before having them grilled back on land, or soak up the atmosphere of these welcoming tightknit communities.
Spot wildlife in national parks
Fazao Mafakassa National Park in the semi-mountainous wetland outside Sokodé is Togo’s largest and home to 300 species including primates and elephant. Kéran National Park near Kara and the Fosse aux Lions (Lions' Den) southwest of Dapaong are also major drawers for wildlife enthusiasts, while exotic butterflies abound in the lush forests around Kapilmé.
Stretch your legs hiking in Kapilmé
Not only does the hill country surrounding Kapilmé offer a range of hiking opportunities, it also offers rewarding views of the lush countryside while you climb. The walk to Togo’s highest peak, Mount Agou, which kisses the sky at 1,000m (3,280ft), takes you through mountain villages and promises views of Ghana on clear days.
Take to the water
Enjoy watersports at Lake Togo’s premier resort, the palm-lined Hotel le Lac at Agbodrafo (also called Porto Seguro), which has water-skiing and sailing facilities. For a swim, you can do worse than West Africa’s largest pool, the Olympic-sized pool at the Hotel Sarkawa in Lomé.
Unwind on the beach
Togo has many miles of secluded clean sandy beaches lined with coconut palms on its Atlantic coast. Many of the most popular, including Le Ramatou and Robinson Plage, are easily reached from Lomé. The resorts at these beaches also offer the chance to head into the waves, with diving and snorkelling equipment for hire.
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