The Gold Coast was the name for the stretch of West African coastline that is now Ghana. It was also the name of the British colony that ruled it. On 6 March 1957, the Gold Coast became independent and took a new name: Ghana.
The name changed, but the Gold Coast did not disappear.This guide explains what the Gold Coast was, why it carried that name and where you can still see it today. It covers Jamestown in Accra, the castles at Elmina and Cape Coast, and the very different story told in Kumasi, heart of the Asante Empire.
What Was the Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast was a trading coast first and a colony later. For nearly four centuries, European powers competed along this shore for gold and, later, for enslaved people. Britain then turned the coast into a colony and ruled it until independence.
The Portuguese arrived first, but others also followed: the Dutch, the British, the Danes and the Swedes. Each built forts and trading posts along the shore. Over time, Britain pushed the others out and took control.
Butre beach, where a lagoon meets the Atlantic on a palm-lined stretch of Ghana’s coast
The key moments are clear:
- 1471: Portuguese traders find gold being traded at Shama, on the western coast
- 1482: The Portuguese build São Jorge da Mina, today’s Elmina Castle
- 1637: The Dutch capture Elmina. By 1642 the Portuguese have left the coast
- 1649: The Dutch enlarge Fort Crèvecoeur in Accra, later called Ussher Fort
- 1673: The British build James Fort in Accra
- 1851: Denmark sells Christiansborg, in Osu, to Britain
- 1868: The Dutch hand Fort Crèvecoeur to Britain
- 24 July 1874: Britain declares the Gold Coast Colony
- 1877: The colonial capital moves from Cape Coast to Accra
- 1900: The War of the Golden Stool is fought in Ashanti
- 1902: Ashanti joins the colony, and the Northern Territories become a British protectorate
- 1903: The railway from Sekondi to Kumasi is completed
- 6 March 1957: The Gold Coast becomes independent as Ghana
The colony grew in stages. It began on the coast. Ashanti, in the forest interior, was added only after years of war. The Northern Territories came under British control at the same time.
Independence came under Kwame Nkrumah. Ghana was one of the first colonies south of the Sahara to win independence, a story we tell in our guide to the women behind Ghana’s independence.
Why Was It Called the Gold Coast?
The name comes straight from the gold trade. When Portuguese traders reached this shore in 1471, they found gold already being traded in large amounts. They called the region the Costa da Mina, the “Coast of the Mine.”
Other Europeans used their own versions of the same idea. In English, it became the Gold Coast. The name stuck for centuries. The gold did not come from the coast itself. It came from inland, from the forest regions ruled by Akan states, and later by the Asante. Coastal towns were the meeting point where that gold changed hands.
Gold was never the only trade. Over time, the transatlantic slave trade grew into the coast’s most devastating business. Many of the forts built to store gold were later used to hold captives before they were shipped across the Atlantic.
By the twentieth century, a new crop dominated the colony’s economy. Cocoa, first grown on a large scale by Ghanaian farmers, became the Gold Coast’s leading export. Read more in our story of the man who brought cocoa to Ghana.
Why did leaders choose “Ghana” in 1957? The name was a deliberate link to the medieval Ghana Empire, a powerful West African state that existed centuries before Europeans arrived. It replaced a colonial label with an African one.
What Gold Coast History Can You See in Jamestown?
Jamestown is where the Gold Coast is most visible in Accra. The area takes its name from James Fort, which the British built in 1673. Parts of its walls still stand.
A short walk away is Ussher Fort. The Dutch built it as Fort Crèvecoeur and enlarged it in 1649. Britain took it over in 1868 and renamed it after Herbert Taylor Ussher, a colonial administrator. The neighbourhood around it is still known as Ussher Town.
Old Accra grew up between these two forts. It was the commercial heart of the colonial city.
The Jamestown Lighthouse in Accra. The current tower dates from 1932.
The Jamestown Lighthouse is the area’s most famous landmark. The first lighthouse on the site went up in 1871. The tower you see today replaced it in 1932. It stands about 28 metres tall above the fishing harbour.
| Site | Origin | First built | What you see today |
| James Fort | British | 1673 | Surviving fort walls |
| Ussher Fort | Dutch | Enlarged in 1649 | The fort and the Ussher Town district |
| Jamestown Lighthouse | Colonial era | 1871 | A tower rebuilt in 1932 |
Jamestown is also one of Accra’s most creative neighbourhoods. Since 2011, the Chale Wote Street Art Festival has filled its walls and streets with contemporary art. Some of the city’s oldest colonial buildings now sit beside some of its boldest new work. Our guide to Ghana’s creative scene covers the festival in more depth.
The best way to see it all is on foot. This Accra walking tour takes you through the old city. For the story of the colonial railway that once served Accra, read about the forgotten train stations in Accra.
What Can You See in Cape Coast and Elmina?
The Central Region coast holds the most powerful Gold Coast sites in Ghana. Cape Coast is about 148 kilometres west of Accra, roughly three hours by car. Elmina is a short drive further west.
These forts are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 1979. Its full name is “Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions.” It covers fortified trading posts built between 1482 and 1786, along the coast from Keta in the east to Beyin in the west.
Elmina Castle
Old cannons still line Elmina Castle’s upper ramparts, facing out toward the Atlantic they once helped defend.
The Portuguese began building Elmina Castle in January 1482. They called it São Jorge da Mina. It is the oldest surviving European building in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Dutch captured it in 1637 and held it for more than two centuries. From the outside, the white walls look calm against the Atlantic. Inside, the dungeons tell a darker story. Our complete guide to Elmina Castle covers its history and how to visit.
Cape Coast Castle
Cape Coast Castle, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, drew thousands of diaspora visitors during the Year of Return Ghana and remains one of West Africa’s most significant historical sites.
Cape Coast Castle was the centre of British power on the coast. It served as the administrative capital of the Gold Coast until 1877, when the capital moved to Accra.
Today the castle houses a museum on the slave trade and African resistance. The museum is included in the standard guided tour. Our traveller’s guide to Cape Coast Castle explains what to expect.
Other Stops Nearby
Fort Apollonia
Kakum National Park sits about 33 kilometres north of Cape Coast Castle. Its rainforest canopy walkway pairs well with a castle visit on the same day. Further west, Fort Apollonia at Beyin is another site in the same UNESCO listing.
Emintsimadze Palace
Emintsimadze Palace in Cape Coast, the seat of the Oguaamanhen, the paramount chief of Oguaa.
Cape Coast is also home to Emintsimadze Palace, the seat of the Oguaamanhen, the paramount chief of Oguaa. The castle shows the European side of the town’s history. The palace shows the traditional authority that carried on beside it. In September 2024, the Asantehene visited the palace for the 60th anniversary of the Oguaa Fetu Afahye festival.
Planning the trip? Our road trip guide to places to visit in Ghana covers both castles and Kakum on its coastal route.
How Does Kumasi Tell a Different Side of the Story?
Kumasi shows that the Gold Coast was never only a coastal story. The city was the capital of the Asante Kingdom long before British rule reached it. It stayed a centre of Asante power throughout the colonial period.
The War of the Golden Stool
In March 1900, the British governor, Frederick Hodgson, arrived in Kumasi and demanded the Golden Stool. For the Asante, the stool holds the soul of the nation. The demand was taken as a deep insult.
The Golden Stool
The Queen Mother of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa, rallied the resistance. The war lasted from March to September 1900. Britain won and captured Kumasi, and Yaa Asantewaa was exiled to the Seychelles. But the Asante kept the Golden Stool, which stayed hidden throughout the war. Ashanti became part of the colony in 1902.
Manhyia Palace Museum
The Asantehene, Prempeh I, spent nearly three decades in exile before Britain allowed him to return in 1924. The palace at Manhyia was built for him in 1925.
Today it is the Manhyia Palace Museum. It reopened in 1995 after restoration, and again in May 2024. The 2024 reopening included 32 Asante objects on loan from the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. It tells the history of Ashanti from an Asante point of view.
Kejetia Market and the Railway
Kumasi has been a major trading centre for centuries. Gold and kente passed through it long before the railway arrived. The redeveloped Kejetia Market, completed in 2018, has around 8,400 stores. Our guide to Ghana kente styles explains one of the region’s best known crafts.
The colonial railway from Sekondi reached Kumasi in 1903. It carried gold, cocoa and timber to the coast. Today only short sections of Ghana’s rail network carry passengers. Our article on the Ghana railway tells the full story.
Which Place Names Come from the Gold Coast Era?
Once you start looking, the Gold Coast turns up in names all around you. Some came from Portuguese sailors. Others came from British officials. Many are much older than any European arrival.
| Name | Origin | What it means |
| Elmina | Portuguese “A Mina” | The mine |
| Cape Coast | Portuguese “Cabo Corso” | Short cape |
| Oguaa | Fante, from “Gua” | Market, the local name for Cape Coast |
| Jamestown | James Fort | Named after the British fort |
| Ussher Town | Ussher Fort | Named after Herbert Taylor Ussher, a British colonial official |
| Accra | Akan “Nkran” | Ants |
| Ghana | The medieval Ghana Empire | A claim on African history, chosen at independence |
Most Ghanaian towns carry names from Ghanaian languages. Kumasi, Tamale, Tema and Takoradi are all local names. The colonial names are a thin layer on top.
The name Ghana itself was a deliberate choice. The medieval Ghana Empire lay far to the north west, in parts of present day Mali and Mauritania. By taking its name in 1957, the new country linked itself to an African state that was older than any European fort. The symbols chosen at independence carry the same message. Our guide to the meaning of the Ghana national flag explains them.
The Gold Coast era also shaped schools and churches. Missions such as the Basel Mission and the Methodists set up institutions that grew into parts of Ghana’s education system. Many still carry the names of their founders.
How Did the Gold Coast Shape What Ghanaians Eat and Hear?
Two parts of daily life in Ghana carry the Gold Coast era with them. Neither looks like history at first.
Food
Maize and cassava came from the Americas. They reached this coast through Portuguese trade. Today they sit at the heart of Ghanaian cooking.
| Dish | Main ingredient | Where the ingredient came from |
| Kenkey | Fermented maize | The Americas, through Portuguese trade |
| Banku | Maize and cassava | The Americas, through Portuguese trade |
| Fufu | Often cassava with plantain | Cassava from the Americas |
Many visitors are surprised to learn that these staples are not native to West Africa. Our guide to kenkey in Ghana looks at one of these staples in depth. Our wider guide to Ghanaian cuisine covers the rest of the table.
Music
Highlife music took shape in the coastal towns during the Gold Coast era. It blended local rhythms with guitar and brass band styles. It became the sound of the years around independence, and it still shapes Ghanaian music today.
Why Do the Castles Matter to the African Diaspora?
Elmina Castle seen from the sea, the oldest surviving European building in sub-Saharan Africa.
The castles on this coast were not only trading posts. They held enslaved Africans before they were shipped across the Atlantic. That history reaches far beyond Ghana’s borders.
In 2019, Ghana marked the Year of Return. It was timed to 400 years since the first enslaved Africans were recorded arriving in Virginia, in 1619. People of African descent travelled to Ghana from the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe. For many, the visit to Cape Coast Castle or Elmina Castle was the heart of the trip.
Inside both castles you can stand at the Door of No Return. Captives passed through it to the waiting ships. It is one of the stops on the guided tours.
Our guide to the Year of Return explains the campaign and what followed. Our article on the Ghana diaspora covers the wider links between Ghana and its global community. The Pan-African movement in Ghana adds the political side of the story.
How Can You Explore Gold Coast History from Accra?
For anyone living in Accra, all of this is within reach. Jamestown is in the city. Cape Coast and Elmina make a full day trip. Kumasi works best as a weekend.
| Destination | Distance from Accra | How to get there | Best as |
| Jamestown | In central Accra | Taxi or ride hailing | A half day |
| Cape Coast | About 148 km | Road, roughly 3 hours depending on traffic | A full day trip |
| Elmina | A short drive west of Cape Coast | Road | Combined with Cape Coast |
| Kakum National Park | About 33 km north of Cape Coast | Road | The second half of a Cape Coast day |
| Kumasi | Several hours by road | Road or a domestic flight | A weekend |
Start early for the coast. Traffic leaving Accra can add a lot of time. Both castles run guided tours, and the tour is the best way to understand what you are seeing.
Living centrally makes these trips easier. Green Views Residential offers luxury apartments in Accra’s Airport Residential Area. From there, Jamestown is a short drive, and the coast road west is easy to reach.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Gold Coast in Ghana
Fishing canoes and nets on a busy beach, where daily life carries on beside centuries of coastal history.
What was Ghana called before independence?
Ghana was called the Gold Coast. The name covered the British colony on the coast. Over time it also came to cover Ashanti and the Northern Territories.
When did the Gold Coast become Ghana?
The Gold Coast became Ghana on 6 March 1957. It was the first colony in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from Britain.
Why was it called the Gold Coast?
European traders named it after the gold they found here. Gold was the main reason the Portuguese built Elmina Castle in 1482.
What is the oldest castle in Ghana?
Elmina Castle is the oldest. The Portuguese began building it in 1482. It is the oldest surviving European building in sub-Saharan Africa.
Can you visit Cape Coast and Elmina in one day from Accra?
Yes. Both castles are close to each other. Leave Accra early, because the drive takes roughly 3 hours each way, depending on traffic.
Where can you see Gold Coast history in Accra?
Jamestown is the best place to start. It has James Fort, Ussher Fort and the Jamestown Lighthouse within walking distance of each other.
Is the Gold Coast in Ghana the same as the Gold Coast in Australia?
No. The Gold Coast in Australia is a city in Queensland. The Gold Coast in Ghana was the colonial name for the country before 1957.
