A wonderful way to enter Ghana is the fishing village of Elmina with common sights of long fishing boats – made from a single log – and hand-sewn fishing nets in progress.

Impressive Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482 to protect their gold riches, is the star of the small coastal town. The view from the upper floor, where the Governor once lived, is superb – strategically and aesthetically. The old 16th century Portuguese church remains inside the walls. The Dutch used the church as a market for gold and ivory and later sold slaves from it. Twenty-nine forts remain along the Gold Coast today.

Designated a World Heritage site in 1979, the former fort with two moats juts out into the Atlantic. The Smithsonian and other NGOs have given money for the castle’s preservation.