Keta promises intrepid immersions in nature, adventure and history in Ghana. More under-the-radar than look-at-me, the charm of the land between sea and lagoon is in its contemplative beauty; so uncrowded as to make you feel you have happened on a hidden gem.
WoW Contents At A Glance
Where is Keta?
Keta is located in Ghana’s most easterly region, Volta. The region attracts visitors for its enticing mix of wildlife-spotting opportunities, cultural diversity and options for adventure travel.
When in doubt, travel…east.
Graced with natural beauty, landscapes of the Volta span from lush farmlands, coastal plains and mountainous peaks to beaches, rolling hills, waterfalls and lakes. This cements its position as one of the best microcosms of tourism in Ghana.
Getting There from Accra
The drive to Keta is about 2.5 hours if you don’t hit traffic, particularly on some stretches between Tema and Kpone, or Dawhenya. Some eastbound STC and VIP buses ply the route from their terminals in Circle. The most comfortable option, I would say, is by private transportation. This is handy if, like us, you want the flexibility of stopping at anytime for food and scenery.
Flavour stop
We layer up for the morning with a buffet breakfast stop at Sogakope Beach Resort. It is a nice way to add a drive-through visit to the day’s itinerary, and of course, partake in one of my favourite activities – eating. And by breakfast, I mean a good selection of dishes including waakye. If you know, you know.
Related Post: The A to Z of Ghanaian Food Favourites
One Day, Three Ways
1. Beach, Please
In a region with a coastline stretching some 60km along the Atlantic, Keta makes for the perfect beach day out. You’ll have your pick of sandy beaches with the possibility of even getting one almost to yourself as we do. There are few bells and whistles at the one we stop at – just a blessedly quiet beach with only a lone fisherman, boats and scattered palm trees for company. The sea breeze lulls the senses and offers a welcome respite from the stifling heat. If you’re looking for a chill spot, this is ideal for simple relaxation.
Keta Sea Defence Project
Stark reminders of Keta’s vulnerability are around us. They are unavoidable even on a quick day trip; in the map we follow here which shows the town as a slither of land between sea and lagoon; the sea defence mounted along the shoreline; and in the personal story of someone we meet later. Severe and continuous erosion has caused large portions of residential and public infrastructure to be lost to the sea. It has been the subject of much concern, action, discussion and research.
Literary pieces including Kofi Awoonor’s The Sea Eats the Land at Home and Kobina Eyi Acquah’s I Want To Go To Keta mourn the devastating effect the insatiable sea has had on the people and their land.
It came one day at the dead of night, destroying the cement walls, and carried away the fowls, the cooking-pots and the ladles.
The Sea Eats the Land at Home – Kofi Awoonor
This strikes me as I stand on the rocks and watch the waves lap over the edge.
I want to go to Keta before it’s washed away, before the palm trees wither and drown outside the bay.
I Want to Go to Keta – Kobina Eyi Acquah
2. Fort Prinzenstein
We drive a minute from the beach to the crumbling ruins of Fort Prinzenstein. There’s a man resting on a bench under the trees. He breaks into a smile when he sees us, shaking our hands in welcome and enquiring about our wellbeing in the manner Ghanaians do.
“How was your journey here? Is all well with you and where you’ve come from?”
A new family soon joins us, a mum and five children. They are the only other obvious tourists we see during our day in Keta. Together, we begin an evocative guided tour which takes in harrowing highlights.
2.1 Touring Fort Prinzenstein
Fort Prinzenstein was built by the Danes in 1784. It served as a transit point for enslaved people from places including Togo, Dahomey and Accra before they were shipped to the Americas. We learn that, like many others in Ghana, the fort was used as a prison after the slave trade until it was damaged by a storm in 1980.
Today, dungeons, chains, shackles, stools, rusting cookware and other relics from the past give an insight into life within the haunting walls. Stirring messages left by visiting tourists from the black diaspora show anguish and pain over the cruelty of a history that must never be forgotten.
I came close to my ancestors and the hard reality of slavery. It made me cry and tremble. I am from Virgin Island of USA, I am black, I am proud.
Note on a dungeon wall at Fort Prinzenstein
The children have been moving from room to room swinging from incredulity to curiosity, asking questions, wanting to understand. Our guide is knowledgeable and engaging, swallowing their gasps with gentle explanations.
We emerge on the other side of the Door of No Return as the tour ends, united in contemplation of everything we have just seen and heard. All is quiet around us except for the crashing sounds of the waves nearby. The guide gestures to the sea, loosely pinpointing where his family home used to be. This, too, was swallowed up some years ago.
“It is painful, but what can you do? Life has to go on,” he says simply to our unasked questions.
3. Cape St Paul Lighthouse, Woe
The nearby town of Woe is said to house Ghana’s oldest lighthouse. However, the one in Jamestown, Accra, seems to be the more popular landmark, empirically speaking. We greet the family sitting near where we park and ask for a caretaker.
Not for the faint of heart, the staircase up the lighthouse feels narrow to me with every step. It is possible I am entertaining the horror of falling far too much and I can only give a side eye to my melodramatic mind. When we make it to the top, we are rewarded with a blast of fresh air and panoramic views. The greens of the land are broken by the road, beach and houses dotting the scenery. The shakiness I feel earlier is gone, stilled by the view from up here.
4. Don’t miss: Keta Lagoon
Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time to explore what is arguably the biggest draw for tourists, nature and wildlife enthusiasts. Keta Lagoon is an incredible wetlands area rife with opportunities for bird-watching and boat trips through mangroves and tropical islands. If you can, do make time for it on your visit.
Final thoughts
This, then, is Keta. Optimistically carrying on and welcoming visitors into a story of resilience. It may not be the starriest of places, but with sweeps of calm, quiet beaches baking in the sun, warm people, dips into nature and adventure, Keta is a rejuvenating escape to add to your Volta Region itinerary.
Pin for later
Stay connected with WoW
Like WoW on Facebook, and connect on Twitter and Instagram. Subscribe to receive the latest updates.
A wonderful coverage. Give us more.
Thank you. More on the way!
An excellent piece. Keta is my ancestral home. Had my initial education in this beautiful ancient city, Keta. I love Keta
Thank you, Enyonam. We’re so happy to have gone, and hope this piece inspires more people to take the trail and visit Keta to experience its attractions.
Excellent coverage.
Thank you, Isaac.
Had my turn with the family this holiday season. ..It was awesome and we loved it.
So great to hear you loved it 😊
Wow! Good insight to help take up an adventure! Have not been there yet but planning to visit soon, thanks for sharing and looking forward to have more of this from you about other regions. Am an adventurous person so pieces like this makes like comfortable
Thanks for reading and commenting, Aba. Planning to do this around Ghana to hopefully inspire more of us to check out what’s in our own backyard, so to speak. Enjoy your visit when you go 😊.
[…] One Day, Three Ways in Keta, Ghana – A Day Trip to The Land Between Sea and Lagoon […]
[…] allure of the cityscape continues on terra firma. From Bath to Bangkok via Keta, I’m not one to miss taking in a new place from the top. Zadar is no different. The best way […]
Great post! I really like beaches on holiday. You’re super pretty too!
Thank you, that’s lovely 😊. And Keta is a great spot for it!
[…] beach with music, cocktails, food and good vibes. For quieter spots, try Sankofa Beach House and Keta in the Volta Region. Ghana is also an emerging destination riding the waves of change. A burgeoning […]
[…] Views from the top are some of my favourite ways to take in a new place (see also: Zadar and Keta). Throw in the Rhine river, green isles and sloping vineyards, and what do you get? A happy […]
[…] Read the full post […]
[…] The name translates to “bookstore of high water”. Enchanting as it appears, the arrangements in the store are sobering reminders of the city’s battle with flooding. Venice’s vulnerability with water is well-known, and calls to mind similar observations about Keta, the land between sea and lagoon. […]
[…] the summer of 2018, I was sitting on a swing during a day trip to Keta when the penny dropped. Out of a bag full of travel stories and thoughts, this day was the one […]
Wao, Davida. I am very proud of you for putting this together. We Ketaviwo love our ancient town. I am doing a project on Keta and I am happy to find this website. Akpenawo sia.
Hello Jerome, thanks so much for checking this piece out. The trip to Keta had a profound effect on me, and I can’t wait to go back. All the best with your project. Akpe nawo ha sia.
[…] Visiting Keta on a Day Trip […]
[…] A Day Trip to Keta in the Volta Region […]