Canopy, Castles & Culture: Kakum, Cape Coast & Elmina Day Tour

Renowned as the first major European construction in tropical Africa, St. George’s Castle, in the town of Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana, was founded by the Portuguese in 1482. The site of the Castle was selected by Portuguese navigators, as it was advantageously located at the end of a narrow promontory , a stone’s throw away from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Benya River. The lee of the low headland provided an excellent natural harbour. St George’s Castle or ‘Sao Jorge da Mina’, after the patron-saint of Portugal, as the castle was known to the Portuguese, afforded the Portuguese a trade monopoly in the area, with unrivalled access to the region’s gold. The sheer magnitude of trade volumes resulted in labour challenges, as navies were unable to convey the large quantities of European goods to all markets. The importation of slaves from Benin in exchange for gold and ivory in the early 16th century was the identified.

The Kakum National Park canopy walk is a series of seven suspension bridges spanning 330-350 meters and reaching up to 40 meters high in Ghana's Kakum National Park. It allows visitors to walk among the treetops, providing a unique perspective of the rainforest, though the experience can be daunting for those with a fear of heights. The walk is made of wire ropes, ladders, and wooden planks, and is secured with nets for safety.Length and height: The walkway is approximately 330-350 meters long and can reach heights of up to 40 meters above the forest floor.Structure: It is made of seven suspension bridges, constructed with wire ropes, aluminum ladders, and wooden planks, and is secured by safety netting. Experience: Visitors walk through the rainforest canopy, offering spectacular views of the forest that are not possible from the ground. The bridges can be noisy.Safety: The structure is secured by nets for safety, and maintenance, including regular rope changes.

Cape Coast Castle:’Cabo Corso’ means ‘short cape’, is the name the Portuguese settled on for the local settlement within which its trade lodge was built in 1555. Its corruption to ‘Cape Coast’ is now the accepted name of the capital of the Central Region of Ghana. The Swedes, led by Krusenstjerna, however, were the initiators of the permanent structure presently known as Cape Coast Castle. They built a fort in 1653 and named it Carlousburg, after King Charles X of Sweden. Its proximity to St. George’s Castle (Elmina Castle) and its sheltered beach were all forceful ‘pull factors’ for European nations to the Cape Coast. In addition, the immense viability of the area’s trade implied that the ensuing quest for control led to the Swedes having trouble holding on to their fort. It was captured in turn by the Danes and the local chief. Dutch occupation commenced in 1660. Finally, the British fleet, led by Captain Holmes, conquered the fort in 1665 and by 1700, had upgraded it into a castle.