Travel Guide Cape Coast

Before the arrival of the Portuguese, the town was called Oguaa, after an Etufu hunter who settled there and decided to create a village. Portuguese accounts dating from 1610 tell of the creation of a mission in Oguaa. Swedish, then Danish, the city became British in 1665, and the crown even decided to install its main military base in the Gulf of Guinea there. In the 18th century, Cape Coast was known by the world as one of the most important slave export ports in Africa. Its activity began to decline when the English Parliament decided to ban slavery in the early 19th century. London then established the main administration of its Gold Coast colonies in 1874, before transferring it three years later to Accra.Cape Coast, which has a certain charm with its old town on the hill and its streets with decrepit colonial architecture, is a must-see on the coast. This is mainly for its fort, which has been converted into a slavery museum. As a city of the British colonial administration, you will also see more (albeit poorly maintained) remnants of that era; at least the feeling of an old city.In Ghana, in addition to having a good reputation for its climate and location, Cape Coast is above all a prestigious university town. It was here, in the castle grounds, that the first recognized school in Ghana was established (this school took in children that Europeans had had with African women). It was also in Cape Coast that the first secondary school was established. Today, the university and its student body enliven this cradle of Ghanaian education.Thanks to its port, the city has always been a major trading center. Originally, the city's boundaries were set by Forts William and Victoria. Today, the city has completely encircled them.The sea, the fort and an attractive architecture: Cape Coast is one of the best stops in the country.