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St George’s Castle, a Unesco heritage site, was built as a trading post by the Portuguese in 1482, and captured by the Dutch in 1637. It was expanded when slaves replaced gold as the major object of commerce, with storerooms converted into dungeons. The informative tour (included in the entry fee) takes you to the grim dungeons, punishment cells, Door of No Return and the turret room where the British imprisoned the Ashanti king, Prempeh I, for four years.

Elmina Castle was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, so is the oldest European building in existence in suib-Saharan Africa. Elmina is also a picturesque fishing town along Ghana’s coast, not far from Cape Coast. It is home to one of Ghana’s biggest attractions, St George’s Castle. Built by the Portuguese in 1482, it was captured by the Dutch 150 years later and became the headquarters of their West Indies Company for the following 250 years.

Gold exports were soon replaced by slaves and the tours through the dungeons will give you a good idea of how gruesome a trade it was. The Castle houses a small museum and guided tours are available. The stark beauty of the white-washed Castle walls contrast deeply with the dark history of this place.

Fort St Jago lies across the lagoon from the castle, and is worth visiting for the views it offers of the town and Castle.

History

Renowned as the first major European construction in tropical Africa, St. George’s Castle, in the town of Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana, was founded by the Portuguese in 1482. The site of the Castle was selected by Portuguese navigators, as it was advantageously located at the end of a narrow promontory, a stone’s throw away from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Benya River. The lee of the low headland provided an excellent natural harbour.

St George’s Castle or ‘Sao Jorge da Mina’, after the patron-saint of Portugal, as the castle was known to the Portuguese, afforded the Portuguese a trade monopoly in the area, with unrivalled access to the region’s gold.

The sheer magnitude of trade volumes resulted in labour challenges, as navies were unable to convey the large quantities of European goods to all markets. The importation of slaves from Benin in exchange for gold and ivory in the early 16th century was the identified solution. However, not long after, the influx of superior gold from Mexico into Europe caused gold prices to plummet rapidly. The economically distraught Portuguese were easily ousted from Elmina in 1637 by the Dutch.

The main Dutch trades were gold and slaves; they reconstructed the castle between 1770 and 1775. Until 1872, the castle served as the focal coordinating point for Dutch Gold Coast activities. In 1682, the author Jean Barbot described St. George’s Castle as having ‘no equal on all the coast of Guinea, with respect to beauty and strength.

On 6th April, 1872, the castle was ceded to the British. In recent years, it has served as Police Recruit Training Centre, a secondary school, and it is presently a historical museum.  St. George’s Castle is featured on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Next to the castle is a picturesque fishing harbour, and within walking distance are sites such as Fort Coenraadsburg (St. Jago), the Dutch cemetery, and the ‘Posuban’ buildings of Elmina.

Destination of enslaved Africans(1519–1867)
(Destination and Percentage)

• Portuguese America 38.5%
• British America (minus North America) 18.4%
• Spanish Empire 17.5%
• French Americas 13.6%
• British North America 6.5%
• English Americas 3.3%
• Dutch West Indies 2.0%
• Danish West Indies 0.3%

Enslaved people imported to those regions that are part of present-day USA
(Date and “official” Numbers). Not counted the many, many people, who died before!

• 1620–1650  * 824
• 1651–1675  * 0
• 1676–1700  * 3,327
• 1701–1725  * 3,277
• 1726–1750  * 34,004
• 1751–1775  * 84,580
• 1776–1800  * 67,443
• 1801–1825  * 109,545
• 1826–1850  * 1,850
• 1851–1866  * 476

Total 305,326

What to do

Visit the St. George’s Castle Museum is located within St. George’s Castle (often called ‘Elmina Castle’), a fortress in the Central Region. This museum was established in 1996 through the joint efforts of GMMB, the United States Agency for International Development and the Mid-West Universities Consortium for International Activities.  The purpose of the museum is to educate the public on the history of St. George’s Castle, as well as to preserve the cultural heritage of the Central Region. Exhibits include: photographs representing the images of St. George’s Castle across the centuries; displays on the Asantes of Elmina, and on local trading activities with the Europeans; gold weights; shackles; murals; local textiles, stools, stone implements, ceramics, bottles, clay, glass and beads. The museum provides tours of St. George’s Castle.

Visitors may absorb the sights of the former storehouses and slave dungeons, chapels and governor’s chamber. Another scene of interest is the cell where a King of Asante was once held prisoner.

Visitors will also be afforded the opportunity to capture some bird’s eye photographs of the surrounding harbours, fishing boats, and the nearby Fort St Jago, all from the battlements of the four-storey St. George’s Castle.

After a tour of the castle, a chance to rejuvenate is on hand at the museum’s restaurant and bar. A bookstore and a gift shop are also available, and the museum provides visitors with access to a car park.  There is an open courtyard for outdoor activities.

Opening Hours

The castle’s opening hours are 9:00am to 4:30pm daily.

Near By Accommodation

Coconut Grove Bridge House

Elmina Beach Resort

Elmina Bay Resort

Coconut Grove Beach Resort

Cape Coast Castle is the largest of the buildings which contains the legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like most ancient fortifications in Ghana, Cape Coast Castle played a significant role in the gold and slave trades. But also, two significant contributions were made here: the arrival of Christianity, and the establishment of the first formal education system through Castle Schools.

A guided tour of the Cape Coast Castle will acquaint you with its many interesting features including Dalzel Tower, the slave dungeons, and the cannons and mortars used in the Castle’s defense. The West African Historical Museum is located inside Cape Coast Castle and contains a growing collection of art and cultural objects, including ceremonial drums, old muskets, shackles from the slave trade and ancient pottery.

History

The best history tells us that the Dutch lost control of a fortification to Swedish adventurers in 1652, who name it Fort Carolusburg. Ownership changed numerous times, both among local peoples and various European powers, until finally, in 1664, after a four-day battle, the fort was captured by the British and re-named Cape Coast Castle. The Castle served as the seat of the British administration in the then Gold Coast (Ghana) until the administration was moved to Christianborg Castle in Accra on March 19,1877.

‘Cabo Corso,’ meaning ‘short cape’, is the name the Portuguese settled on for the local settlement within which its trade lodge was built in 1555. Its corruption to ‘Cape Coast’ is now the accepted name of the capital of the Central Region of Ghana. The Swedes, led by Krusenstjerna, however, were the initiators of the permanent structure presently known as Cape Coast Castle. They built a fort in 1653 and named it Carlousburg, after King Charles X of Sweden.

Its proximity to St. George’s Castle (Elmina Castle) and its sheltered beach were all forceful ‘pull factors’ for European nations to the Cape Coast. In addition, the immense viability of the area’s trade implied that the ensuing quest for control led to the Swedes having trouble holding on to their fort. It was captured in turn by the Danes and the local Fetu chief.

Dutch occupation commenced in 1660. Finally, the British fleet, led by Captain Holmes, conquered the fort in 1665 and by 1700, had upgraded it into a castle.

Colonial rivalry between England and France peaked in 1757 during the Seven Years’ War. A French naval squadron bombarded Cape Coast Castle, leaving it badly damaged, and after 1760, the English reconstructed the castle entirely – with more durable materials and an improved sea defence system.

The English retained control of the Castle into the late 19th century. The slave trade was principal until its ban in 1807 by the British, and it ‘is estimated that around 1700, the Royal African Company was exporting some 70,000 slaves per annum to the New World’ . After 1807, trade centred on precious metals, ivory, corn and pepper. In the eighteenth century, the castle’s role altered, as it became the centre of European education in Ghana.

The Cape Coast Castle has served as the West African headquarters of the president of the Committee of Merchants; the seat of the British governor; and a school.

Open to the public, it is currently a historical museum with a Ghanaian arts and crafts gift shop, and it is the regional headquarters of Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.

Opening Hours

The castle’s opening hours are 9:00am to 4:30pm daily.

Mole National Park is the largest and most prestigious protected area in Ghana, in the north-west of the country, is Ghana’s largest wildlife refuge, measuring 4,849 sq km. The park has very rich flora and fauna. It is best known for its elephants (a population of about 600) as well as many other primates.

Wildlife

Some 94 mammal species, over 300 bird species, 9 amphibian species and 33 reptile species have been recorded in Mole. The large and commonly seen mammals include elephant, kob, roan antelope, hartebeest, waterbuck, bushbuck, warthog, buffalo, several duikers, baboon, roan, kob, hartebeest, waterbuck. Predators include lion, leopard, spotted hyena, caracal, aardvark, genet, civet and mongoose. Occasionally, buffalo overrun the park headquarters and the lodge area.

Birds

The large bird life includes kites and Bateleur eagles, rollers, kingfishers, Egyptian geese, egrets, pelicans and storks.  Ground hornbills, flycatchers, malachite kingfishers, guinea fowls and rock partridges occur in large numbers at Mole. There are also more than 300 bird species and 33 identified reptile species within the national park. The park is located on grassland savannah and its entrance is near the town of Larabanga. The ephemeral rivers Lovi and Mole flow through the park, leaving behind drinking holes in the long dry season.

History

The Mole national park was established in 1958 and re-designated a National Park in 1971. It covers an area of 4,840sq km of undulating terrain with steep scarps. The vegetation is pristine Guinea savanna with gallery forests along the rivers and streams.

Mole National Park was the first Wildlife Protected Area to be established in Ghana. The Park lies within two physiographic regions – 65% lies within the Voltaian sandstones basin and 35% within the savannah high plains. The topography is generally undulating with flat topped hills which is dominated by the Konkori scarp that runs north-south through the park and reaches up to 250m. The Park forms part of the Volta River catchment and numerous rivers cross or originate in it to drain into the White Volta River. Mole National Park represents a fairly undisturbed guinea Savannah ecosystem dominated by open savannah woodland.

Accommodation

The park is also Ghana’s most developed tourism site in terms of tourist amenities. The reserve has West Africa’s first luxury safari lodge nestled in the heart of the Mole forest. Zaina the country’s premier ecolodge provides world class hospitality service with a unique touch.

With 25 rooms are individual luxury tented chalets, complete with private balconies and indoor and outdoor showers for those who like to bathe under the stars. Zaina is experience you have been waiting for. Maraba!!! an eco-lodge with 25 chalets, a 33-room motel with a restaurant and swimming pool and a small museum.

Getting there

It is 24 km from Damongo, the district capital, 146km south east of Tamale, the Regional capital. The park is 700km from Accra and 430km from Kumasi.

One could get to Mole from Accra by air to Tamale and then by road between Tamale and Mole National Park is now paved, greatly reducing journey times.

If coming by public transport from Tamale, you could get a tro-tro (minibus) headed for Wa, and ask to be dropped at Damongo or Larabanga, from where you can get a taxi or motorbike to the park. From Larabanga you could even hike or bike, if there’s enough daylight (one to two hours walking, depending on your level of fitness).

Fringe Communities and Nearby Attractions

There are 33 communities on the immediate fringes of Mole with a total population of about 40,000 people. One of these communities is Mognori, where visitors to Mole are conducted to have a feel of the African Village life of farming and animal husbandry. Visitors may go out on the Mole River in native canoes and stay with local families to participate in everyday activities like going to the farm with your host and helping with household chores. Another interesting community visited from the Mole National Park is Larabanga, reached on foot or by bicycle where visitors may stay at a traditional lodge run by the Salia Brothers.  The Larabanga village is famous for its 500 year-old mosque, reported to be the oldest in West Africa with a very interesting history on its origins.  One kilometre from Larabanga is the revered sacred stone of the community. It is worth hearing the story behind this stone.

Other attractions:

1. Waterfall: The spectacular Konkori waterfalls is located about 100km north-east of the park headquarters. However, access to it is challenging and currently reserved for those out for adventure.
2. Slave Caves: A number of caves located in the park are said to have served as hiding places for indigenes who fled the raid of the two notorious slave raiders; Samori and Babatu who used the current park headquarters location as their base during the of slave trade.
3. Mole Airstrip

Contact

Tel: 0244316777

About

Welcome to one of Ghana’s most visited attractions, the Kakum National Park. Tucked away in the Assin Attandanso Reserve is the Kakum National Park and Canopy Walkway that offers visitors spectacular scenery and a fascinating wildlife experience along with modern camping facilities. The park’s best-known feature is undoubtedly its 7 suspension bridges which form a 333-meter long canopy walkway, suspended up to 27 meters above the forest floor from trees that are over 300 years old.

The canopy walk is only one of Kakum’s many delights. There are a variety of trails and guided walks that allow visitors to experience the solitude of the rainforest. It’s also a premier site for bird watchers, with over 300 species including eight species of global conservation concern. Mammals include forest elephant, leopard, bongo, bushbuck and many primates, but game viewing is difficult. Also, more than 600 butterfly species have been recorded.

The forest has wild life which can be seen in the night and professional guides are always available to take you on a guided night tour.

The park is child-friendly so don’t forget to take the kids along to the newly added children’s park with a super mini and safe canopy walkway swings and play area.

Things to do/Tips

• Explore all walkway levels to enjoy spectacular view
• Go on a guided forest walk and learn about the medicinal uses of forest plants
• Go on a night hike with a park guide to experience the sights and sounds of the forest during the transition from day to night
• Experience evening drumming and dancing by a local cultural group
• Listen to an evening concert by the local Nyamebekyere Kukyekukyeku or Orchestra, which performs with bamboo wind instruments
• Remember, this is a rain forest and it can rain at any time, go with your rain coat and your trainer.
• It is best not to carry any heavy thing in your hands since you will be needing your hands to hold the ropes on both sides as you walk along.
• Carry a small backpack or a waist bag where you may keep your camera or phone on top of the walkway.
• There is a brief hike before reaching the Bridges. Make sure you wear good shoes.
• If you make it across the first walkway and change your mind, there is a short cut to exit so give it a try…

Getting There

Kakum is about 4hours drive from Accra. Its advisable you go by your own pre-arranged transport means. You may also go by public transport and connect from Cape Coast.

Accommodation

There is a treehouse for you if wish to stay the night for bird and wildlife watching. The treehouse is fitted with mattresses, bedding, and mosquito nets and comfortable for anyone who is accustomed to camping. There is also an outhouse. tree top accommodation for anyone who wish to stay the night for the love of animals.

Feeding

There are two cafes at the visitor centre serving basic food, snacks and fresh juices. You can also get from around the car park fresh coconuts, “sobolo” –bisap (purple drink made from water and hibiscus leaves) and bottled water. Ask from the forest restaurant for the local meal, ‘fufu’ and goat light soup to be prepared as you go for the walk so that by time you return, your meal will be ready and waiting for you. You may enjoy other such as Jollof rice.

The visitor center has all kinds of exhibits, plus an open-air restaurant and a gift shop operated by Aid to Artisans Ghana.