Elmina is 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.
Another attraction which should not be missed when travelling on the Central- Western road is Cape three point. It is a small peninsula in the Western Region of Akanland, West Africa.
Forming the southernmost tip of Akanland, it is located between the coastal towns of Dixcove and Princess Town. Cape Three Points is known as the “land nearest nowhere” because it is the land nearest a location in the sea which is at 0 latitude, 0 longitude and 0 altitude (the distance is about 570 km).
It is best known for its lighthouses, the first of which was constructed in 1875 by the British as a navigational aid for trading vessels sailing through the Gulf of Guinea.
The original structure has since become a ruin, however, a larger and more improved lighthouse was completed in 1921, and is still functioning today.
