The seven districts
- Agoué
- Gbéhoué
- Djanglanmey
- Avlo
- Adjaha
- Grand-Popo
- Sazué
These seven districts bring together 44 villages.
NV.00COMMUNE CHIEF TOWN, MONO DEPARTMENT
Grand-Popo, the Cityof Fraternity
Located in the south-west of the Mono department, 85 km from Cotonou, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mono river, Grand-Popo is the town where the Nonvitcha Association was founded in 1921 and where its festival is celebrated every year at Pentecost.
NV.01THE COMMUNE OF GRAND-POPO
Between the Ocean and the River
The commune is bordered to the north by Athiémè, Comè and Houéyogbé, to the south by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south-west by Ouidah and Kpomassè, and to the west by the Republic of Togo. It is here that the Nonvitcha Association came into being in 1921.
- Area
- 289 km²
- Share of Mono
- 7,2 %
- Density
- ≈ 140 hab./km²
- Districts
- 7
- Villages
- 44
- From Cotonou
- 85 km
Getting there
- The commune is crossed by Inter-State road no. 1 Cotonou–Lomé, paved and in good condition.
- About 35 km of regional roads serve its territory.
- 85 km from Cotonou, 57 km from Lokossa, the department’s chief town.
The commune also has two reading centres — the library of the Grand-Popo CEG and the Centre for Reading and Cultural Activities — as well as four sports grounds, including a multi-purpose field, and a sports complex meeting international standards.
NV.02NATURAL, RELIGIOUS AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE
Eight Remarkable Sites
“Grand-Popo boasts significant natural, cultural and historical tourist attractions. Each district offers its own particular curiosities.” Select a site: each entry carries the article from the Association’s archives that attests to it.
Site 1 of 8
Nonvitcha Square
THE ASSOCIATION'S HEADQUARTERS IN GRAND-POPO
Nonvitcha Square is the site of the annual celebration and the Association's headquarters in Grand-Popo. There the Association had the Festival Hall built; the René Mégniho DOSSA multipurpose hall, named after one of its prominent men, is dedicated there to preserving the cultural identity of the Xwla and Xwéla peoples.
- Festival Hall built by the Association
- René Mégniho DOSSA multipurpose hall
- Memorial of brotherhood
- Project to build the Nonvitcha museum
Source: “Development actions of the Municipality of Grand-Popo”; “Nonvitcha museum exhibition” (2025); “Project to build the Nonvitcha museum at Place Nonvitcha”
NV.03THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS CITY
Beyond fraternity, development
“The Nonvitcha Association did not limit itself to promoting the virtues of fraternity or to contributing to the emergence of our cultural values. It also concerned itself with the development of the city.”
- The development of the new town of Grand-Popo.
- Financial and material support for the municipal services responsible for social affairs, public safety and education, for schools and for health facilities.
- The construction of the Festival Hall located on Place Nonvitcha, the Association’s headquarters in Grand-Popo.
- Support with the administrative procedures of non-profit associations setting up in Grand-Popo, including Villa Karo, from Finland.
- Support for the establishment of economic ventures: inns, hotels, local eateries, bars and restaurants.
- Direct involvement in the twinning process between the Town Hall of Montgéron, in France, and the Commune of Grand-Popo.
- The pursuit of grants and aid from decentralised cooperation, with the University of Nursing Sciences of Montréal, in Canada, and with organisations in Germany and Finland.
Sources for this page
Nonvitcha Association archives: « Grand-Popo : une ville touristique par excellence » ; « Actions de développement de la Commune de Grand-Popo » ; « Exposition muséale Nonvitcha dans le cadre de la 104e édition » ; « NONVITCHA 2025 : La Caravane Fluviale illumine les eaux de Grand-Popo ! » ; « Nonvitcha, rite et festivités, Aire culturelle Adja-Tado ». The Association’s founding date and its founders are detailed on the Our History page.
NV.04THE ANNUAL PENTECOST GATHERING
Join us in Grand-Popo
The Nonvitcha festival is celebrated every year at Pentecost, on Place Nonvitcha. Discover the programme for the edition and the wax print that accompanies it.
Grand-Popo, Mono departmentFestival held at PentecostAssociation founded in 1921