Accra, Ghana‘s capital, is a lively, safe and extremely vibrant city. With good beaches, excellent nightlife, colorful markets, and inspirational art galleries there is plenty to see and do to suit everyone’s tastes. My personal list of Accra’s best attractions follows below.
It’s easy to get around Accra by tro tro or private taxi. Most of the areas are quite walkable, but it is hot and humid, so stay hydrated with the readily available coconut stands and water baggies. You don’t really need a private guide, but I was traveling alone at the time and would not have seen and done nearly as much without one.
Labadi Beach
My first Accra experience was at Labadi beach. I’d just come off a long haul flight from the US and wanted to get a late lunch. I navigated the a tro tro system with some local help, and headed to Accra’s most popular beach. I settled down to an ice cold Star lager, followed by delicious fried fish and spicy jollof. What a start to a vacation. I spent the next three hours watching little boys perform acrobatic tricks, beautiful trendy young people dancing to hip-life, men on horseback offering rides to shy ladies, and rasta groups playing for money. The public beach can get a little rowdy late on a weekend night, but it’s lively enough during the day to enjoy. The waves are strong here, so a dip to cool down is more advisable than a long swim. If you can’t take the hubbub but still want to enjoy the beach, you can always head to one of the luxury resorts close by on the same Accra-Tema Beach Road: Labadi Beach Hotel or the La Palm Royal Beach. For great live music during the weekends, you can also check out the Next Door Beach Resort.