Coastal forts that tell a painful history
Cape Coast was once the centre of British activity on the Gold Coast, and its white-walled castle was a major holding point in the Atlantic slave trade. Guided tours lead through the dungeons to the Door of No Return. A short drive west, Elmina Castle, begun by the Portuguese in 1482, is one of the oldest European buildings in sub-Saharan Africa. The fishing harbours are lined with painted canoes, and Kakum National Park, inland, has a canopy walkway strung high between rainforest trees.