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Castles in Ghana

32 landmarks in the Castlemap atlas — every one mapped with a photo and its story, 30 with sourced founding dates, ranked by Wikipedia coverage and real readership.

The most famous castle in Ghana is Elmina Castle, ranked #196 of 7,738 in the world — followed by Cape Coast Castle and Osu Castle.

The Castlemap atlas charts 3 castles, 26 fortresses, 1 palace & château and 2 ruins in Ghana. They span more than 4 centuries — from Elmina Castle (founded 1482) to Fort Komenda (1957). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of Ghana.

Map of castles in Ghana

On the map they cluster thickest around Sekondi-Takoradi — 22 within a 100 km day trip, then Cape Coast (20) and Accra (7). The northernmost is Manhyia Palace, the southernmost Fort Dorothea — about 222 km apart.

Planning a visit? Day-trip guides: Castles near Cape Coast · Castles near Sekondi-Takoradi · Castles near Accra.

See them on the map →

When they were built

Of the 32 landmarks mapped in Ghana, 30 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 17th century — 17 of them. 1 predate 1500 and 10 were built after 1700.

All 32 castles in Ghana

Elmina Castle
Castle · 15th century · #196 worldwide · #1 in Ghana
Elmina Castle, or Fort St. George, was erected by the Portuguese in 1482 as Castelo de São Jorge da Mina, also known as Castelo da Mina or simply…
Cape Coast Castle
Castle · 17th century · #2 in Ghana
Cape Coast Castle is one of about forty "slave castles", or large commercial forts, built on the Gold Coast of West Africa by European traders.
Osu Castle
Castle · 17th century · #3 in Ghana
Osu Castle is a castle located in Osu, a neighborhood of Accra, the capital city of Ghana, on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea.
Fort Amsterdam (Ghana)
Fortress · 17th century · #4 in Ghana
Fort Amsterdam is a former slave fort in Abandze, Central region, Ghana. It was built by the English between 1638 and 1645 as Fort Cormantin or Fort…
Fort Prinzenstein
Fortress · 18th century · #5 in Ghana
Fort Prinzenstein is a fort located at Keta, Ghana, which was used in the slave trade.
Manhyia Palace
Palace & château · 20th century · #6 in Ghana
The Manhyia Palace is the seat of the Asantehene, as well as his official residence.
Fort Nassau (Ghana)
Fortress · 17th century · #7 in Ghana
Fort Nassau, near Moree, Ghana, was the first fort that the Dutch established on what would become the Dutch Gold Coast.
Fort Batenstein
Fortress · 17th century · #8 in Ghana
Fort Batenstein was a fort and trading post established by the Dutch on the Gold Coast in 1656. It was situated near Butre.
Fort Saint Anthony (Axim)
Fortress · 16th century · #9 in Ghana
Fort Saint Anthony was a fort built by the Portuguese in 1515 near the town of Axim, in what is now Ghana.
Fort São Sebastião de Xama
Fortress · 16th century · #10 in Ghana
Fort São Sebastião or Fort San Sebastian located in Shama, Ghana, is the third oldest fortification in Ghana and it was built in 1523.
Ussher Fort
Fortress · 17th century · #11 in Ghana
Ussher Fort is a fort in Accra, Ghana. It was built by the Dutch in 1649 as Fort Crèvecœur, and is two days' march from Elmina and to the west of…
Fort Coenraadsburg
Fortress · 17th century · #12 in Ghana
Fort Coenraadsburg or Conraadsburg, also Fort São Tiago da Mina, is a small fort situated opposite the Elmina Castle in the Central region of Ghana,…
Fort Apollonia
Fortress · #13 in Ghana
Fort Apollonia is a fort in Beyin, Ghana. The name Apollonia was given to the area by a Portuguese explorer who sighted the place on the Feast of…
Fort Fredensborg
Fortress · 18th century · #14 in Ghana
Fort Fredensborg is situated along the Gulf of Guinea, in the Greater Accra Region in Old Ningo and was built in 1734.
Fort Metal Cross
Fortress · 17th century · #15 in Ghana
Fort Metal Cross, originally Fort Dixcove, is a military structure located on a promontory at the fishing community of Infuma in Dixcove, in the…
Fort James
Fortress · 17th century · #16 in Ghana
Fort James is a fort located in Accra, Ghana. It was built by the Royal African Company of England as a trading post for both gold and slaves in…
Fort William (Ghana)
Fortress · 17th century · #17 in Ghana
Fort William is a fort in Anomabu, Central Region, Ghana, originally known as Fort Anomabo and renamed Fort William in the 1830s by its…
Fort Goede Hoop
Fortress · 18th century · #18 in Ghana
Fort de Goede Hoop is a historic Dutch fort located in Senya Beraku, Central Region, Ghana.
Fort Patience
Fortress · 17th century · #19 in Ghana
Fort Patience is a Dutch-built fort located in the township of Apam, in the Central Region of Ghana.
Fort Orange (Ghana)
Fortress · 17th century · #20 in Ghana
Fort Orange is a fort located in Sekondi, Western Region, Ghana. Built by the Dutch in 1642, it was originally established as a trading lodge.
Fort Vredenburgh
Fortress · 17th century · #21 in Ghana
Fort Vredenburgh was a Dutch fort on the Gold Coast, established on the left bank of the Komenda River. The fort exists as preserved ruins.
Fort Augustaborg
Fortress · 18th century · #22 in Ghana
Fort Augustaborg was a Danish fort on the eastern Gold Coast in present-day Ghana, which was located about 15 km east of Fort Christiansborg near…
Fort Komenda
Ruin · 20th century · #23 in Ghana
Fort Komenda was a British fort on the Gold Coast, currently preserved as a ruin.
Fort Dorothea
Fortress · 17th century · #24 in Ghana
Fort Dorothea was a fortification on the headland south of present-day Akwidaa in the western part of Ghana and belonged to the then Electoral…
Fort Witsen
Fortress · 17th century · #25 in Ghana
Fort Witsen, also Fort Tacaray, was a fort on the Dutch Gold Coast, established in 1665 near Takoradi.
Fort Sekondi
Fortress · 17th century · #26 in Ghana
Fort Sekondi, also Fort George, was an English fort on the Gold Coast, built in 1682 at Sekondi.
Fort Ruychaver
Fortress · 17th century · #27 in Ghana
Fort Ruychaver, also Fort Ruijghaver, was a Dutch trading post in the hinterland of the Gold Coast, in contemporary Ghana.
Fort Victoria
Fortress · 19th century · #28 in Ghana
Fort Victoria is a structure in Cape Coast, Ghana. It was initially known as 'Phipps Tower', in honour of its initial constructor English Governor…
Fort Elize Carthago
Ruin · 18th century · #29 in Ghana
Fort Elize Carthago was a fort built by the Dutch West India Company in 1702 on a hill at the mouth of the Ankobra River, near the base of the Dutch…
Fort Kumasi
Fortress · 19th century · #30 in Ghana
Fort Kumasi was a fortification in the city of Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region in Ghana.
Fort Java
Fortress · 19th century · #31 in Ghana
Fort Java was a so-called redoubt, that is, in this case a small round earthwork, which was built in the then Dutch town of Elmina on the coast of…
Fort De Veer
Fortress · #32 in Ghana
Fort De Veer – or, in the Dutch original, Veersche Schans – was a fortification which the Dutch built in Elmina, Ghana, between 1817 and 1829, about…

Frequently asked questions

How many castles are in Ghana?

The Castlemap atlas maps 32 landmarks (3 castles · 26 fortresses · 1 palace & château · 2 ruins) in Ghana — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks from Wikidata, not a count of every fortification ever built.

What is the most famous castle in Ghana?

Elmina Castle, ranked #196 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking, founded in the 15th century.

Where are most of the castles in Ghana?

They cluster thickest around Sekondi-Takoradi — 22 of the atlas's landmarks within 100 km, then Cape Coast (20) and Accra (7).

Which castles in Ghana are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

Per Wikidata, 14 of the mapped landmarks hold a UNESCO World Heritage designation — inscribed in their own right or as part of an inscribed ensemble: Elmina Castle, Cape Coast Castle, Osu Castle, Fort Amsterdam (Ghana), Fort Prinzenstein, Fort Batenstein, Fort Saint Anthony (Axim), Fort São Sebastião de Xama, Fort Coenraadsburg, Fort Metal Cross and 4 more.

How many castles are there in Ghana?