Cape Coast
Shutterstock / Fabian Plock
Overview
Forever haunted by the colonial horrors of the past, Cape Coast is one of Africa's most culturally significant spots. This former European colonial capital, originally named Cabo Corso by the Portuguese, was once the largest centre for the trade of enslaved people in West Africa. At the height of the trade it received trafficked people from locations as far away as Niger and Burkina Faso, and enslaved people were kept locked up in the bowels of Cape Coast's imposing castle. At the shoreline, these enslaved people were herded onto vessels like cattle, irrevocably altering the lives of generations to come.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Cape Coast
Cape Coast’s imposing, whitewashed castle commands the heart of town, overlooking the sea. Once one of the world's most important slave-holding sites, it…
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Cape Coast
This gracious old church was set up by missionaries of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society in 1835, making it one of the oldest (and largest)…
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Cape Coast
Built in 1821 on a hillside in western Cape Coast, Fort Victoria was used as an outlook post by the British, hence the stunning views out over the town.
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Cape Coast
This former lookout post and lighthouse was built in 1820, and has wide-ranging views over the town.
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