Accra is the most optimistic capital on the African continent — a city where colonial forts and fishing canoes sit side by side on the same beach, where Kente cloth weavers work the same streets as tech entrepreneurs, and where Ghana’s remarkable stability has made it the destination of choice for the African diaspora around the world. This walking tour moves from the British colonial lighthouse at Jamestown, through the haunting walls of James Fort, across the noise and colour of Makola Market, past the Independence Arch that marks Ghana’s 1957 freedom, and out to the pounding surf of Labadi Beach on the Gulf of Guinea.
About This Walking Tour
This tour by COUNTRY & CULTURE Tour takes viewers directly into Jamestown, Accra’s oldest neighbourhood and the original heart of British colonial settlement on the Gold Coast. The walk begins at the 1931 Jamestown Lighthouse — Ghana’s oldest surviving lighthouse — which rises above a dense fishing village of corrugated rooftops and colourful wooden canoes pulled up on the sand. The streets around the lighthouse have changed little in decades: kente weavers set up on the roadside, boxers train in the open-air Bukom boxing gym that has produced multiple world champions, and fishermen mend their nets in the warm morning light.
From the lighthouse the camera moves to James Fort, the British slave fort built in 1673 that still stands at the edge of the water. The fort’s thick stone walls carry centuries of weight — it was one of the embarkation points for the transatlantic slave trade that carried millions of Ghanaians across the Atlantic. The tour shows the fort’s outer walls, bastions, and the adjacent Ussher Fort, built by the Dutch in 1649, giving viewers a visceral sense of the colonial infrastructure that shaped this coastline. The COUNTRY & CULTURE Tour approach is unhurried and observational, letting the streets and landmarks speak for themselves without heavy narration.
Highlights of Accra
The Jamestown Lighthouse is the most photogenic point on Accra’s entire coastline. Built in 1931 to guide ships into the harbour, it stands 28 metres tall and can be climbed for panoramic views across the Gulf of Guinea and over the tin-roofed fishing village below. The adjacent beach is one of the most active working fishing beaches in West Africa — dozens of brightly painted wooden canoes are launched and recovered here daily, and the catch is sold directly on the sand.
James Fort represents one of the most significant historical sites in Ghana. First constructed by the British in 1673 and later used as a prison well into the twentieth century, its thick sea-facing walls are among the best-preserved examples of Atlantic slave trade architecture anywhere in West Africa. Ussher Fort, built by the Dutch in 1649 just a few hundred metres away, adds to the extraordinary density of colonial history concentrated in this small neighbourhood.
Makola Market, Accra’s largest and most chaotic market, lies north of Jamestown. Fabric traders, gold jewellery stalls, spice sellers, and electronics vendors pack together in a labyrinthine grid of narrow lanes. The market has operated continuously for over a century and remains the commercial heart of the city. Further north, Independence Square and the Black Star Gate — built to celebrate Ghana’s 1957 independence — provide one of the most dramatic public spaces in sub-Saharan Africa, with the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park nearby. Labadi Beach, at the eastern end of the route, is Accra’s most popular beach and comes alive on weekends with drumming, Afrobeats, and beach bars overlooking the Atlantic.
A Brief History of Accra
Accra’s history is inseparable from the transatlantic slave trade and the colonial architecture it left behind. James Fort was built by the British in 1673 and Ussher Fort by the Dutch in 1649 — both were used as collection and holding points in the slave trade that removed millions of people from West Africa over three centuries. The fishing community of Jamestown grew up around these forts as a settlement of traders, freed slaves, and local fishermen who worked the fort economies.
Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from British rule on 6 March 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah, an event that sent shockwaves of inspiration across a continent still largely under colonial control. The Independence Arch and Black Star Gate were built as physical declarations of that moment. Nkrumah’s vision of Pan-African unity made Accra the intellectual capital of the independence movement. In 2019, Ghana’s Year of Return campaign invited members of the African diaspora to visit their ancestral homeland on the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans arriving in colonial America — over 500,000 visitors came, the most successful heritage tourism initiative in African history.
Practical Tips
Jamestown is best visited in the morning when the fishing canoes are being launched and the market around the lighthouse is most active. The neighbourhood is safe for visitors but the streets are narrow and busy — walk slowly and engage with the community rather than rushing through. James Fort can be viewed from outside; check current access arrangements before visiting. Kotoka International Airport is approximately 10 kilometres from Jamestown and taxis are plentiful. Tro-tros (shared minibuses) connect most areas of Accra cheaply. The dry season from November to April is the best time to visit — the rainy seasons from May to July and September to October bring heavy downpours that can make outdoor exploration difficult. Comfortable walking shoes are essential for the uneven streets of Jamestown.
Watch & Explore More
If this walk through Ghana’s colonial shore has sparked your curiosity, COUNTRY & CULTURE Tour has more African city content on their channel. For more walking tours across the continent and beyond, explore @walkingtoursvideoscom on YouTube. On this site you can also discover the Cape Town walking tour from the V&A Waterfront to Bo-Kaap and the Marrakech walking tour through the Jemaa el-Fna souks.