2-Day Tour: Coastal Forts and Nzulezo – The Village on Stilts
We will pick you up from your hotel in the Cape Coast area between 6:00 AM and 8:00 AM. We will travel west for about 2 hours through Sekondi-Takoradi, the capital of the Western Region. In Busua, on a gentle bay on the Atlantic coast, we will make a stop for a swim. Then we will continue to Fort Metal Cross in Dixcove. This fort, built by the British in the 17th century, also had to defend itself against the Prussians stationed in the neighboring Fort Groß Friedrichsburg in the 18th century. We will then visit this Prussian fortress in Awiabo Aiyinase. Afterwards, we will travel for 2 hours to Beyin. From Beyin, the lakeside village of Nzulezo can only be reached by small boat. The life of this community of about 500 people takes place almost exclusively on boats and wooden platforms made from raffia palm trunks, which have been driven into the lake bed on stilts. For centuries, the people here have lived in harmony with nature, engaging in fishing and farming, but modern life has also left its mark. Here, you can get to know the daily lives of the local people, enjoy a drink in a pub, or even have a freshly grilled fish served to you. You can also visit the local primary school or one of the places of worship. We will stay overnight at a guesthouse on the lake.
After breakfast, we plan to visit the small Apollonia Fort in Beyin and learn about the culture of the Nzema people. Fort Apollonia, built by the Swedes and later used by the British and Dutch, including for the slave trade, is one of the World Heritage Sites on the Ghanaian coast.
In Axim, located 2 hours away, we will visit Fort St. Anthony, the second fortress built on the Gold Coast by the Portuguese in 1515. Its current name already indicates that it has changed hands several times over the centuries. However, what we will see is a well-preserved, imposing fortress where, as at the other trading posts, slaves were an important commodity on the triangular voyages to America and Europe well into the 19th century. This brings us to the return journey to Cape Coast. There will certainly be another opportunity along the way to take a dip in the waters of the Atlantic.
After approximately 32 hours, we will return you to your hotel.