Elmina Castle

Built by the Portuguese in 1482 and later held by the Dutch and British, Elmina is the oldest surviving European structure in sub-Saharan Africa, and for centuries it was a hinge of the transatlantic slave trade. Guided visits move through the courtyards to the dungeons where captives were held before being forced through the Door of No Return to waiting ships, and the guides do not soften what happened here. Above the dungeons sit the governor's rooms and a church, an arrangement that visitors find as disturbing as anything else on the tour. Outside, the fishing harbour below the walls is loud with boats and daily life, and the contrast is part of the experience.

History

The Portuguese first reached the Gold Coast in 1471, after fifty years of exploring down the African coast, and found at Elmina a thriving gold trade already run by local people and Arab and Berber traders, which gave the place its name A Mina, the mine; the trader Fernão Gomes set up a post there, and in 1482 the Portuguese built the castle of São Jorge da Mina, the first trading post on the Gulf of Guinea and now the oldest European building standing in sub-Saharan Africa. It became one of the most important stops of the Atlantic slave trade; the Dutch West India Company took it in 1637, after a failed attempt in 1596, and continued the trade until 1814, and in 1872 the Dutch Gold Coast, the castle included, passed to Britain (Wikipedia, Elmina Castle).

The main sights

• The dungeons - the holding cells beneath the courtyards.
• The Door of No Return - the sea gate through which captives were taken.
• The governor's quarters and chapel - the rooms directly above the cells.
• The fishing harbour - the working port and painted canoes below the fort.

When to go

The dry season from November to March is the most comfortable for coastal travel. Emancipation Day and the Year of Return commemorations bring significant gatherings, particularly meaningful for visitors of the African diaspora. Mornings are cooler and quieter.

What to expect

This is a place of profound suffering and should be approached as such - guides ask for respectful behaviour, and smiling group photographs in the dungeons are deeply out of place. The tour is emotionally heavy and many visitors find it difficult; that is appropriate. Guiding quality varies and a tip is customary. Combine with Cape Coast Castle nearby, though doing both in one day is a great deal to absorb.

Nearby

Cape Coast Castle, Kakum National Park and the coastal road east toward Accra.

Key facts