Elmina is a city in Coastal Plain region of Ghana.
Its name comes from the Portuguese word for "Mine". The gold found in these mines are also the origin of the name "Gold Coast", which was the name of what is now Ghana, when it was a British Colony.
- Elmina Castle. Built in 1482, Elmina Castle is the oldest European structure in Africa and incidentally the oldest slave fort. Elmina was a notorious slave fort used for moving slaves onto ships bound for other parts of the world. Although today it is a tourist attraction, it was once used as a prison by the Ghanaian government. It is quite a sobering experience and can be emotional at times (particularly the "room of no return", the cell for rebellious slaves, and the female slave dungeons, which still smell of bodily fluids). There is an admission fee as well as a minimal fee (a few pesewas, about 50 cents) for taking pictures. The money you spend is well worth it. Besides a guided tour with knowledgeable, friendly tour guides who are open to questions, there is an on-site restaurant, bookstore, gift shop, and a small museum inside the renovated Portuguese church within the castle.
- Portuguese Church. Located in the courtyard of Elmina Slave Castle, the church has been converted into a small museum devoted to the history of the slave trade in West Africa. It is a nice place to spend some time before beginning your tour of the castle.
- Fort St. Jago. The original building was made out of earth by the Dutch in order to launch attacks on the Portuguese-owned Elmina Castle, and in the 1660s, the Dutch replaced that structure with this fort. It was used strictly as a military fort for the purpose of protecting Elmina Castle after the Dutch successfully took it from Portugal. In the 19th century it became a prison and later a hospital. Along with Elmina Castle, Fort St. Jago is one of the 11 sites that make up the World Heritage Site "Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions".
Elmina Castle. Built in 1482, Elmina Castle is the oldest European structure in Africa and incidentally the oldest slave fort. Elmina was a notorious slave fort used for moving slaves onto ships bound for other parts of the world. Although today it is a tourist attraction, it was once used as a prison by the Ghanaian government. It is quite a sobering experience and can be emotional at times (particularly the "room of no return", the cell for rebellious slaves, and the female slave dungeons, which still smell of bodily fluids). There is an admission fee as well as a minimal fee (a few pesewas, about 50 cents) for taking pictures. The money you spend is well worth it. Besides a guided tour with knowledgeable, friendly tour guides who are open to questions, there is an on-site restaurant, bookstore, gift shop, and a small museum inside the renovated Portuguese church within the castle.
Portuguese Church. Located in the courtyard of Elmina Slave Castle, the church has been converted into a small museum devoted to the history of the slave trade in West Africa. It is a nice place to spend some time before beginning your tour of the castle.
Fort St. Jago. The original building was made out of earth by the Dutch in order to launch attacks on the Portuguese-owned Elmina Castle, and in the 1660s, the Dutch replaced that structure with this fort. It was used strictly as a military fort for the purpose of protecting Elmina Castle after the Dutch successfully took it from Portugal. In the 19th century it became a prison and later a hospital. Along with Elmina Castle, Fort St. Jago is one of the 11 sites that make up the [[World Heritage Site]] "Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions".
The people in the town outside are generally friendly. However, be careful where you step if you walk on the beach. Apparently, the toilet facilities in the area are lacking.
During the tour of the Elmina Slave Castle, they bring you to a bookstore within the castle filled with reasonably priced books on the castle itself, slavery, important black leaders, and even some books on Ghanaian culture (the Ghanaian cookbook is worth a look). If you need more time to browse, return to this bookstore after the tour.
There is a restaurant inside the Elmina Slave Castle, but it's recommended that you eat elsewhere. The food is average, and you'll spend most of the meal swatting flies.
The main taxi and tro-tro station is outside the Wesley Methodist Cathedral. From here you can catch a tro-tro to Takoradi (C10) or passenger taxi to Cape Coast (C5).