Cape Coast in Two Days

Overview

Day by day itinerary

1. 1Cape Coast⌄

   Assin Manso Slave Camp is a pure historical site where tourists are briefed on the slaves who were taken through the camp for their last bath and later to be auctioned before they were taken to the slave forts. Slaves who were not selected were sometimes shot dead and buried in a hole together. This is a sacred site where people believe the spirits of many ancestors reside and can be felt.

   Cape Coast Castle is one of the largest of the castles built by European powers in today Ghana. It began as a trade lodge constructed by the Portuguese in 1555 on a part of the Gold Coast, which later became known as the Cape Coast. In 1653, following Sweden’s conquest of the Cape Coast, the Swedish Africa Company constructed a permanent wooden fortress for trade in timber and gold. A decade later, the fort was reconstructed in stone when the Danes seized power from the Swedish. The fort then passed through the hands of many foreign powers.

2. 2Cape Coast⌄

   The Kakum National Park was established in 1932. Kakum National Park is a home for lovers of nature. The Park is made up of mostly undisturbed virgin rainforest and is one of the famous national parks in Ghana. It protects plant and animal treasures of the African tropical forest. Trails provide self-guided day hiking opportunities where you may sight some of the over 200 bird species represented: the parrot, bee-eaters, blue plantain-eaters, hornbills, and kingfishers. The dense vegetation provides cover for globally endangered species such as the forest elephant and bongo - the largest forest antelope, as well as various types of monkeys. The Canopy Walkway, suspended 30 meters above the ground, provides a treetop view of the beautiful forest.

   Elmina Castle was established by Portuguese in 1482 as São Jorge da Mina (St. George of the Mine) in Elmina, Ghana (formerly the Gold Coast). Elmina and Elmina Castle was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, so is the oldest European building in existence below the Sahara. It was first established as a trade settlement but later became one of the most important stops on the route of the Atlantic slave trade.