The large artificial lake surrounding the Presidential Palace complex is one of the stranger sights in a city full of them. Created as part of the palace's landscaping, the lake is home to the sacred crocodiles that have become one of Yamoussoukro's most-visited attractions. The animals are descended from a group that the late President Houphouët-Boigny kept here as a personal totem — said to represent his ancestral bond with the land.
The lake's edges and small islands are visible from the road, and you can observe crocodiles basking in the shallows or half-submerged in the water. The late-afternoon feeding near the palace bridge is the most dramatic time to visit. Birdlife on the lake is also good — herons, egrets, and kingfishers are common. The overall impression — manicured grounds, silent wide roads, a lake full of crocodiles — captures Yamoussoukro's peculiar atmosphere very well.