Home to two and a quarter million people, Ghana’s largest city and its capital, Accra, has evolved into a modern metropolis. Once the capital of colonial Britain’s Gold Coast, the city has matured from an economic and administrative hub into cultural and tourist destination in its own right. Whatever your reason for visiting this at once exhausting and exhilarating city, make sure you experience the best of Accra with our full day cultural and historical itinerary.
- Walk around Jamestown’s friendly streets, taking in the district’s historic ambience and unique architecture. Scale the Accra Light, a lighthouse built in the 1930s, for spectacular views of the city’s heart and soul – its shoreline.
- Head west for a walk through Accra’s market, where you’ll find a vast selection of traditional arts and crafts, from instruments to colourful garments.
- Haggling with the market’s charismatic entrepreneurs can work up your appetite. Take a short walk to Osekan, a cliffside bar where refreshing drinks and local food combine with the relaxing sounds and sights of the Gulf of Guinea washing ashore.
- Gently work off lunch with a gentle stroll around Accra’s Independence Square and Arch. Marvel and the majesty of this vast public space.
- Delve into 20th century Ghana at Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum. Reflect upon the life of the revered leader, who led Ghana to independence, and take a walk through the mausoleum’s spacious park.
- Check out the schedule at the Alliance Français. If you’re lucky, your trip will coincide with one of its art exhibitions or concerts – an ideal end to a rewarding day in Accra. The Alliance is located some distance from the city centre in the Airport Residential Area, so give your feet a rest and take a taxi.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Image: cormac70)
