Sightseeing in Accra - what to see. Complete travel guide

Accra is the central city in Ghana, a country that attracts a big number of tourists every year. People from all over the world come to admire the incredible beauty of Accra and its surroundings. Local attractions simply cannot leave visitors indifferent. Just take a look at photographs taken in Accra – they look absolutely fabulous! However, no photo can compete with the real beauty of this region.

Ga tribes founded the first settlement here in the 15th century. This was the largest settlement at that time because there had been no settlements of this size in the region before. When Europeans appeared in the territory of modern Ghana, the region started developing and increasing in size. First of all, settlers from Europe built two fortresses, namely, Ussher Fort and Osu Castle. One of the largest trading centers in the country emerged near these fortifications. Closer to the beginning of the 19th century, it turned into the largest settlement in the region. 1877 was an important year for people living in this part of Ghana because Accra became the capital of the country.

This part of Ghana got its interesting name – Accra – not randomly. Quite an interesting fact – the Accra’s area is not only the center of a large African country but also home to a large population of ants. It is possible to see anthills virtually everywhere here. Local people call ants Nkran, and the Danes corrupted that name to Akra and then to Accra. This name fits modern Accra perfectly because the capital’s population is growing fast. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

For many years, Accra has been famous as gold and silver jewelry center. In order to maintain this traditional craft in the region, ensure the high quality of manufactured goods, and boost the demand for local jewelry, there are jewelry schools in the capital that train masters to create true masterpieces from precious metals. Besides that, local craftsmen work beautifully with wood and bones, so these souvenirs are very popular with tourists. This is one more traditional peculiarity of Accra that has made this region popular.

Fashionistas in Accra enjoy using kente cloth, traditional fabric made from cotton and silk. As a rule, locals wear kente in a simple way. They take two pieces of the cloth and use one to wrap it around hips and legs, making it look like a skirt. The other cloth is used to cover the chest. By the way, local women do not use any pins or buttons to wear kente cloths. Because of this fact, wrapping kente is a true art because if you wrap it improperly, there is a risk of revealing your nude body in the public.

What landmarks can Accra offer to tourists? To answer this question, tourists can visit the south-west of the capital, namely, the district of Jamestown. This is an old colonial district with interesting architecture. It is no less exciting to visit Independence Square situated in the nearby district of Osu. This is a traditional location of military parades and different festive processions. Independence Square is the most popular choice for public events because of its large size. The capital’s landmark was built in 1961. Queen Elizabeth II was planning to visit Ghana. In order to show respect for the queen and express excitement about the visit, it was decided to build this square.

The square is also the location of the major landmark in Accra – the Independence Arch. There is a big black star at the top of the arch. It symbolizes the country’s freedom from colonizers. Tourists may also find it interesting to visit the statue of an unknown soldier that faces the Independence Arch. The soldier’s figure symbolizes all Ghanaians who died fighting for the freedom of their motherland.

The Aburi Botanical Gardens is an important natural attraction in Ghana. It is situated in the southern part of the country. The distance to Accra is not big, approximately 30 kilometers to the north-east. This prominent garden is home to different species of plants. There are several hundreds of them in total. Scientists collected rare plants across the African continent. A dense tropical forest surrounds the natural attraction. Because of this fact, visitors can often see wild animals that visit the garden from time to time.

In the evening, consider visiting the beautiful Osu Castle (previously known as Fort Christiansborg). A visit to the old part of the city at this time of the day will be a truly unforgettable experience. You will see how quarters that look lifeless in the daytime come alive. Numerous garlands illuminate beautiful buildings and neon signs invite visitors in. The entertainment district comes alive, and vibrant nightlife doesn’t stop until the dawn.

In order to visit this marvelous African city of Accra, take a taxi from the nearby international airport. It takes one hour to reach Accra from the airport is the traffic is heavy. If there are not many cars, you will reach your hotel within half an hour. Do you like driving? In this case, you will be pleased to find a car rental with many different car brands at the airport.