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Nestled in the lush southwest of Ghana, Ankasa Conservation Area is a remarkable two in one forest reserve spanning approximately 509 square kilometres and incorporating the former Nini-Suhien National Park.
Renowned for its untouched evergreen rainforest, Ankasa stands as the most botanically diverse forest in Ghana and is often ranked among the world’s richest nature reserves. Within just a single hectare, more than 300 plant species have been recorded, including rare and endemic varieties such as Psychotria ankasensis, a species found nowhere else.
Beyond its extraordinary plant life, Ankasa is alive with wildlife. The forest shelters elusive forest elephants, leopards, wildcats, African civets, broad fronted crocodiles, chimpanzees, and the majestic bongo antelope, which conservationists have proposed as the proud symbol of this exceptional park. Ankasa is not just a destination. It is a living sanctuary where biodiversity thrives in its purest and most breathtaking form.
Over 500 years old, Nzulezo is a remarkable stilt village situated on the serene waters of Amansuri Lake. Home to about 450 residents, predominantly farmers, the community lives in harmony with its delicate watery environment. Every structure is carefully crafted from raffia palm and raised on stilts, forming a unique floating settlement that reflects centuries of tradition and resilience.
What makes Nzulezo truly fascinating is its strong sense of independence and organization. Despite its remote location, the village is self sufficient, with its own primary school, churches, local shops, well defined walkways serving as streets and alleys, and even a couple of modest guest lodges for visitors. It is a rare blend of heritage, ingenuity, and community life thriving gracefully above the water.
Standing proudly along the shores of Benyin in the Western Region of Ghana, Fort Apollonia holds the distinction of being the last English fort constructed on the Gold Coast. It was built between 1768 and 1770 by the English Committee of Merchants, following an invitation from Chief Amenihyia, as part of Britain’s expanding commercial presence along the coast.
The fort derives its name from the Portuguese explorer who first sighted the area on St. Apollonia’s Day, giving the settlement its historic identity. After the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, the English relinquished the fort in 1819. Ownership was later transferred to the Dutch in 1868.
Upon taking control, the Dutch renamed the fort in honour of their monarch, William III of the Netherlands, and retained possession until 1872, when their territories on the Gold Coast were ceded to the British. Today, Fort Apollonia stands as a powerful reminder of the region’s colonial past and its enduring historical significance.
Conceived as an integrated energy generation project to accelerate the development of Tano basin, the Osagyefo Barge is a dual fired power generating unit which can operate on both diesel and natural gas. It was commissioned in 1999 and moved to present base at Effasu-Mangyea in the Jomoro District in March 2007.
When operational, the Osagyefo Barge will generate some 185 megawatts of power to supplement electricity from the Akosombo and Kpong Hydro-electric power plants as well as the Aboadze thermal power plant.
This is a trans-boundary wetland important to both Ghana and la Cote d’Ivoire because of its high productivity as a medium of transport and for fishing. It is widely believed that the lagoon has considerable stocks of the West African Manatees (Trichechus senegalensis)
Jomoro has 50-kilometre stretch of clean sandy beaches from Ekabaku to Newtown (Ghana’s last coastal community on its western frontier).
Most of Jomoro’s beaches have clean white sands, laced with rows of coconut trees mysteriously spared by the onslaught of the Cape Saint Paul Wilt Disease, which ravaged most of the coconut crop along Ghana’s coastal belt. Besides their suitability for hospitality and recreation, Jomoro beaches are Ghana’s most favorable nesting habitat for marine turtles, which are of global conservation interest.
Home to the Meadah Crocodile Pond which is habitat for some Long snout, Dwarf and Nile crocodile; the Ebonloa Bird Sanctuary and Ebonloa’s intriguing Local Gin Distilleries.
There are several wetlands within the district, the major ones are the Amanzule, Domunli and the Abby wetlands located near Benyin, Old Kabenlasuazo and Jaway Wharf respectively.
The Amanzule wetland in particular, has a great national importance as Ghana’s largest intact swamp peat forest; it is the only forest in Ghana whose vegetation encompasses mangrove, raffia palm, coconut palm and swamp peat. It is also a home to a wide variety of wildlife, including monkeys, crocodiles, marine turtles and birds.