The Cape Coast and Elmina Castles

The whitewashed castles of Cape Coast and nearby Elmina, on Ghana's coast, are among the UNESCO-listed forts and castles of Ghana's coast. From these and other coastal forts, over centuries, enslaved Africans were held in the dungeons before being taken through the Door of No Return onto ships bound for the Americas. Today they are museums and places of remembrance.

Highlights

• The dungeons - the dark holding cells where captives were kept.
• The Door of No Return - the gate to the ships and forced passage.
• Elmina Castle - the oldest European building south of the Sahara.
• The museums - the exhibits on the slave trade and its legacy.

When to go

November to March, the drier season, for the most comfortable weather; the castles are visited on guided tours. The annual Panafest and Emancipation Day gatherings bring members of the African diaspora to commemorate this history.

Good to know

These are memorial sites rather than ordinary sightseeing: the tours go into the dungeons where captives were held, and many visitors of African descent come to trace this history. Visits are guided.

Nearby

The Kakum canopy walkway and the beaches of the coast are nearby.