Aného sits on a thin finger of land - at its narrowest point you can stand in the middle of town and see water on both sides. In the morning, fishing boats set out through the surf into the open Atlantic. In the evening, the same boats come back loaded with tuna, barracuda, and sea bass, and the fish market fills with colour, noise, and the smell of the sea.
The town has an interesting mix of architectural styles because traders from different parts of the world passed through here for centuries. You can see old buildings with arched verandas and faded pastel walls standing next to newer concrete houses. Some buildings are decorated with colourful tiles, giving the streets a patchwork, storybook feel.
Behind the town, the Lac de Togo lagoon provides another playground for fishers in canoes, and children often swim in the calmer lagoon water rather than the rougher ocean. The bridge linking Aného to the main coastal road is a favourite spot for watching the sunset turn the water gold and pink each evening.