Sports and leisure activities Ghana

Budget & Tips

Water sports. As the bar is quite strong in Ghana, it's best to take maximum precautions, both when boating and surfing. The safest spots are on the west coast, which is very indented, with numerous capes framing calm waters. Recommended beaches include, from west to east: Axim, Busua, the coastline between Sekondi and Takoradi, then between Elmina and Cape Coast, and between Biriwa and Winneba. Then comes Accra's favorite beach, Fetteh, followed by Accra's beaches: Riviera Beach and Labadi Beach for folklore. Then there's Acapulco Club (16 km east of Accra), Paradise Beach (30 km from Accra), Prampram (50 km away), Ada and Keta.

Swimming pools can be found in most of the country's major hotels and in the following towns: Teshi, Tema, Takoradi, Akosombo, Kumasi, Mole and Bolgatanga. Swimming has been practiced nationwide since 1971. There are sailing clubs in the Accra region and in Sekondi-Takoradi. Please note that swimming in rivers is not recommended due to bilharzia. The same applies to lakes Volta and Bosumtwi.

Sport fishing is practiced by individual tourists at the mouth of the Volta.

Land sports. As in all former British colonies, Ghana has no shortage of golf courses and tennis courts. Fine golf courses have been laid out in Accra (Achimota and Sakumo), near the port of Tema, as well as in Kumasi, Akwatia, Obuasi (Ashanti region), Tafo (Eastern region) and Takoradi (Western region).

There's also foot-safari, a hiking sport that has become a speciality in Ghana, particularly at Mole National Park. In many other African countries, safaris are conducted in a vehicle, usually a 4x4. In Ghana, it is possible to do so on foot, as the animal populations are never very far from the base or departure camp. The guides at Mole Park rightly explain that it is in Ghana that you can get closer to the elephants than anywhere else. All it takes is a few hours' walk to come face to face with the largest of the mammals.

Horseback riding is also very popular in Accra, Takoradi, Kumasi and the Shaï Hills reserve.

What's very local

Soccer is the most popular sport in Ghana, and many Ghanaian players have played abroad (mainly in Europe). For many years, boxing has also gathered a large following in Ghana. The emergence of Ghanaian champions on the international scene in the 1980s and 1990s helped the sport to flourish on the Gold Coast, but there are distant traces of combat sports in the country's history.

To be booked

Whether for pirogue trips, deep-sea fishing, "foot-safari" or horseback riding, it's advisable to book in advance with the incoming agency.