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The Western Region of Ghana has no less than 8 forts dotted along its golden coast from Shama to Half-Assini. A visit to any of these unique buildings is a trip in the history of medieval European commerce and the slave trade.

Fort St. Sebastian

Fort San Sebastian, 20km east of Takoradi was originally constructed and named by the Portuguese in about 1520. The fort received gold and slaves from Adom, Wassa, Twifo and other areas for export. In 1872 the fort was ceded to Britain. It then fell into ruins until 1957 when it was restored to its Old Dutch status.

Fort Orange - Sekondi

Fort Orange, located in Sekondi the Werstern Regional capital, was built by the Dutch in 1657 and later taken over by the British in 1872. The fort was converted into a light house. In the 17th and 18th centuries the coast of Sekondi was a major theatre for European trade competition.

Fort Batenstein - Butre [1656 Netherlands - 1872 Britain]

Butre, a picturesque village with one of the nicest beaches in Ghana is 38km west of Takoradi. Due to its proximity to the gold-rich hinterland, Butre became one of the early historic settlements and generated 17th century inter-European and inter-African conflicts.

Fort Metal Cross - Dixcove [1692 Britain, 1868 Netherland, 1872 Britain]

Dixcove, 35km west of Takoradi off the Takoradi-Tarkwa road is home to the interesting Fort Metal Cross. The coast's calm waters and sandy beach made it an ideal "harbour" for canoes and small boats while ships could anchor about 3km off shore. The original fort was square in shape with a pointed bastion at each corner except the southwest corner, which had a round tower. In the 18th century, garrison apartments, storage rooms and workshops were added. After the abolition of the slave trade, the fort's commerce declined and trade was only in gold, ivory and palm oil offered in exchange for European goods. The bay was also used for ship repaires.

Fort Groot Friedrichsburg

Built by the Brandenburg in 1683-84 and named Groot Friedrichsburg. The fort was located on Manfro Hill, 5km east if Fort St. Anthony in Axim. It was a faily large square fort with four bastions and thick parapets linked by large curtain walls. It had a courtyard lined on three sides by two-storey buildings large enough to accommodate the over ninety-strong staff residences. In 1724, the Dutch managed to recapture the fort and renamed it Fort Hollandia.

Fort St. Anthony - Axim

Axim is 63km west of Takoradi. After the Portuguese had established themselves at Elmina, and in order to exclude foreign ships from the gold markets, they constructed a trading post in 1503 at Axim, close to the estuary of the Ankobra river. In 1515, a fort was built on the entire promontory on the Ankobra estuary and named San Antonio, the second Portuguese fort on the Gold Coast

Fort Apollonia - Beyin

In 1768, the English Commitee of Merchants responded to the Nzema chief Amenihyia and built the large English fort above the beach at Beyin. It is to be noted that the coastlands west of the ankobra river estuary are characterized by a long, sandy beach broken by lagoons and swamps. (However, the fort was built on a flat, solid sandy ground above the beach due to the gold and timber richness of the Ankasa Forestin the hinterland). In 1868, the fort was transfered to the Dutch who renamed it after their King, Willem III. T Dutch held it until 1872 when it was turned over to Britain by treaty.

NATURAL ATTRACTIONS

For lovers of nature, the Western Region possesses a wide range of remarkable natural attraction packages. These include parks, reserves, estuaries and beaches of great scenic beauty. It is to be noted that most of Ghana's great rivers (Pra, Tano, Ankobra etc) emty into the sea in the Western Region. The region provide prospects for ecotourism, adventure tourism, nature tourism, health and recreational tourism.

Ankasa-Nini Suhien Natinal park

In addition to hundreds of plant species, Ankasa supports over 80 species of mammals, including forest elephants bongo, giant forest hog, red river hog, several species of duiker and white colobus, and the rare and endangered Diana Rollway and white-crested mangabey, among several other species of primates.
More than 200 species of birds have been recorded at the park, icluding the white-breasted guinea fowl. There is also an extremely diverse butterfly fauna (600 species) and numerous fisf, frog and reptile species.
Travelling to the Ankasa is relatively easy and the park is open year round. The park lies adjacent to the west Africa highway that connects Accra with Adidjan in the Cote d'Ivoire.

Nzulezo - A Wonderful Water Village

These unique water villages of Nzulezo and Kojokuma are the only water villages in Ghana. They are built wholly on stilts on an open lake fed by two rivers. About 90km west of Takoradi and 5km north of Beyin is Nzulezo, an Nzema name meaning "built on water". The villagers migrated several centuries ago from Walata, a city in the ancient Ghana Empire, which fell in the year 1250. Ancestors of the villagers, according to oral tradition, were led to this secure place by a snail.

Nkroful

Another settlement worth visiting is the home of the great African librator and the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Though his remains has been re-interened in Accra, his mausoleum and the village still welcome visitors and Pan-Africanist pilgrims.

Beaches, Beaches Everywhere

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Western Region : The Western Region covers an area of approximately 21,391 square kilometres, which is about 10 per cent of Ghana’s total land area. The region has about 75...more

Tourist Attractions : The Western Region is endowed with rich natural resources and potential tourism assets, something which makes it a major tourist attraction...more