Besides being in Ghana for the wedding, we wanted to do some local exploration. Ghana does not have much of a developed tourism industry. There are several worthy sites, one of them was rather close to where we were staying, so we hired a tro tro (minibus that functions similar to a taxi for more people) to take us there. I’ll talk more about transport options in my next post.
Just down the coast road from the hotel back towards Accra is Cape Coast. Here we visited the Castle which has served many purposes through the years, but its best known as the last stop for thousands of slaves before being loaded on boats bound for the new world. It was originally build by Sweden in the 1650s as a trading post and changed hands various times through the centuries. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Knowing the history and the horrors of what went on here makes it a somewhat emotional place to visit. The tour guide mentioned that there are a lot of American guests who visit to follow the footsteps of their ancestors. I can certainly relate since I’ve done the same in some of my past travels in Munich and other places to walk where my ancestors did.
Here are some photos:
Views from the Castle
From the top of the castle there are some great views of the surrounding beaches and city.
This was an interesting stop on our trip in Ghana. Maybe I like visiting darker places on occasion in my travels, but I guess I feel history shouldn’t be sanitized. This is an easy spot to reach, its right in Cape Coast which has bus service from Accra, or taxis would work too. I like historic places, and this particular location has a long and interesting story to tell.
Next post on my Ghana trip will discuss some of the transportation I experienced and a visit to another site nearby, Kakum National Park for a tour above the trees.
Other posts about my Africa trip:
- A Trip of Firsts
- Initial thoughts on my trip to Ghana
- United 787 Dreamliner BusinessFirst from Houston to Lagos
- An extended layover in Lagos Nigeria and a flight on Africa World Airways
- Cash only in Accra, Ghana, and Africa in general
- The drive from Accra to Cape Coast with a van full of wedding guests
- A stay at the Ko-Sa Beach Resort, Cape Coast, Ghana
- Exploring history of the slave trade in Cape Coast (this post)
- Travel to Kakum National Park and being the only obruni on the bus to Accra
- A flight on Arik Air and a longer layover at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos
- United 787 Dreamliner Business First from Lagos to Houston
