Top tourist attractions in Ghana
Here is a list of top tourist attractions in Ghana. Only the topmost tourist destinations are presented here. To see other destinations, please check the images from Ghana section.
Curious if any of these place from Ghana made it our best tourist attractions in the world list? Read the aformentioned article in order to find out.
You can also view all tourist attractions in Ghana and other countries on our tourist attractions map.
Lake Volta
Water reservoir Lake
Lake Volta is the largest reservoir by surface area in the world, and the fourth largest one by water volume. Contained behind the Akosombo Dam, it is located completely within the country of Ghana, and it has a surface area of about 8,502 km².
Elmina Castle
Tourist attraction
Elmina Castle was erected by Portugal in 1482 as São Jorge da Mina Castle, also known simply as Mina or Feitoria da Mina in present-day Elmina, Ghana. It was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, so is the oldest European building in existence below the Sahara. First established as a trade settlement, the castle later became one of the most important stops on the route of the Atlantic slave trade. The Dutch seized the fort from the Portuguese in 1637, and took over all the Portuguese Gold Coast in 1642. The slave trade continued under the Dutch until 1814; in 1872 the Dutch Gold Coast, including the fort, became a possession of the British Empire. Britain granted the Gold Coast its independence in 1957, and control of the castle was transferred to the nation formed out of the colony, present-day Ghana. Today Elmina Castle is a popular historical site, and was a major filming location for Werner Herzog's 1987 drama film Cobra Verde. The castle is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Kakum National Park
Protected Site
Kakum National Park, located in the coastal environs of the Central Region of Ghana, covers an area of 375 square kilometres. Established in 1931 as a reserve, it was gazetted as a national park only in 1992 after an initial survey of avifauna was conducted. The area is covered with tropical rainforest. The uniqueness of this park lies in the fact that it was established at the initiative of the local people and not by the State Department of wildlife who are responsible for wildlife preservation in Ghana. It is also the only park in Africa with a canopy walkway, which is 350 metres long and connects seven tree tops which provides access to the forest. The most notable endangered species of fauna in the park are Diana monkey, giant bongo antelope, yellow-backed duiker and African elephant. It is also an Important Bird Area recognized by the Bird Life International with the bird area fully overlapping the park area. The bird inventory confirmed 266 species in the park, including eight species of global conservation concern. One of these species of concern is the white-breasted guineafowl. Nine species of hornbill and the African grey parrot have been recorded. It is very rich in butterflies as well, and a new species was discovered in 1993. As of 2012, the densest population of forest elephants in Ghana is located in Kakum.
Cape Coast Castle
Tourist attraction
Cape Coast Castle is one of a number of "slave castles", fortifications in Ghana built by Swedish traders, originally for trade in timber and gold, later used in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Other Ghanaian slave castles include the Portuguese foundation of Elmina Castle and Fort Christiansborg. They were used to hold slaves before they were loaded onto ships and traded in the Americas and the Caribbean. This “gate of no return” was the last stop before crossing the great Atlantic Ocean.
Mole National Park
Protected Site
Mole National Park is Ghana's largest wildlife refuge. The park is located in northwest Ghana on grassland savanna and riparian ecosystems at an elevation of 150 m, with sharp escarpment forming the southern boundary of the park. The park's entrance is reached through the nearby town of Larabanga. The Lovi and Mole Rivers are ephemeral rivers flowing through the park, leaving behind only drinking holes during the long dry season. This area of Ghana receives over 1000 mm per year of rainfall. A long-term study has been done on Mole National Park to understand the impact of human hunters on the animals in the preserve.