Cape Coast

A powerful witness to the transatlantic slave trade, with the World Heritage–listed Cape Coast and Elmina castles and the Kakum canopy walkway.

Cape Coast is the capital of Ghana's Central Region, set on the Atlantic coast about 145 km west of Accra, and was once the capital of the British Gold Coast. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, European powers built dozens of trading forts along this stretch of coast, and vast numbers of Africans were shipped from here to the Americas. Cape Coast Castle, Elmina Castle and others are inscribed as the “Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions” World Heritage Site, making this the most important place to understand the history of the transatlantic slave trade; many African American visitors come here to trace their roots. The area divides into three parts: Cape Coast town (the castle, Fort Victoria, Fort William Lighthouse and Kotokuraba Market); Elmina, about 13 km west (Elmina Castle, Fort St. Jago, the fishing harbour and the Java Museum); and, about 30 km north, the canopy walkway of Kakum National Park and the crocodile pond at Hans Cottage, with the Assin Manso Slave River site further north. Anomabo to the east and Brenu to the west have quiet beach resorts. The climate is hot and humid: the dry season from Nov–Mar is the most pleasant, with a short dry spell in Jul–Aug, while Apr–Jun is the main rainy season. STC or VIP coaches from Accra take about 3–4 hours. Plan to stay 2–3 days. Tour the castles with an official guide; the content is harrowing, so please be respectful. Crowds swell in August during PANAFEST (the Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival) and Emancipation Day. Getting around town is by taxi or trotro minibus.

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