The hook
A relaxed, palm-lined seaside capital on the Gulf of Guinea, best known for the Akodessewa fetish market, a startling open-air emporium of the ingredients of West African voodoo.
01Why it's worth it
Lomé is a small, easygoing capital strung along a sandy Atlantic coast, with a faded colonial and modern mix, big markets, a cathedral, and beaches on its doorstep, a pleasant, low-key base for exploring one of Africa's least-visited countries. Its most striking sight is the Akodessewa fetish market, billed as the largest of its kind, a supply market for the traditional Vodun (voodoo) religion widely practised across Togo and neighbouring Benin. Here, laid out in the open, are the raw materials of the faith and its traditional medicine: dried animal heads and skins, bones, herbs, and carved fetishes, sold to practitioners and prescribed by resident priests, a confronting but fascinating window into a living belief system that is central to the region's culture. Beyond it, Lomé's grand market, its craft shops, and its beachfront round out a day. The city is friendly and manageable, and it makes the gateway to Togo's real highlight, the tower-house country of the north. It rewards travellers curious about a small, overlooked corner of West Africa.
02How to experience it
Visit the Akodessewa fetish market with a guide who can explain the Vodun context respectfully (photography usually carries a fee), and browse the Grand Marché for crafts and textiles. Enjoy the beaches and easy pace. Use Lomé as the launch point for the Koutammakou tower-houses in the north.