About 42 km west of Cotonou is Ouidah. It was the place where slaves were shipped out in the 19th century. One of the popular things to do here is walk the 4km Route des Esclaves (the route the slaves took to the beach where they boarded the ships). Along the walk are monumental statues of old African symbols. This memorial was constructed at the last point of the walk. You walk through the grand arch and just imagine what this was like.