Sekondi-Takoradi
Ghana
- Population
- 138,872
- Currency
- GHS₵11.8/$
Sekondi and Takoradi are adjacent port cities; the combined municipality forms the capital of Western Ghana.
Guide content adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Sekondi-Takoradi". Source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Weather
Live27°C
Partly cloudy · feels like 29°C
- 75%
- 23 km/h
- AQI 25
- SunLight drizzle23° / 26°
- MonLight drizzle23° / 26°
- TueDense drizzle22° / 28°
- WedLight drizzle23° / 27°
- ThuLight drizzle24° / 28°
Measured at 4.927, -1.758 · Africa/Accra
Understand
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The twin cities rose from the sites of 17th-century Dutch, Swedish and English forts and were combined into a single municipality in 1946.
Sekondi-Takoradi is Ghana's fourth largest city and an industrial and commercial centre.
The chief industries are timber, plywood, shipbuilding and railroad repair. The main railway lines to Accra and Kumasi pass through Sekondi-Takoradi.
The discovery of large crude oil reserves in the western region of Ghana has attracted people from all over the world.
Getting there
Sekondi-Takoradi is a vibrant, well-connected coastal city with a good road network. You can easily get around using public trotros operating on set routes, or you can hail a drop/chartered taxi to take you straight to your specific destination.
By Air
Flights from Accra to Takoradi Airport (located at Airport Ridge along the Agona Nkwanta/Axim Road) take roughly 40 to 50 minutes. Airlines enforce standard domestic luggage limits, but flying remains the fastest and preferred choice for many travelers wanting a quick, comfortable trip on regional aircraft.
By Car
Car rental services are readily available in Takoradi, typically ranging from GHS 700 to GHS 2000+ (US$50 to US$150) per day depending on the vehicle type, your location, whether you require a driver, and the rental company. If you book through major international booking platforms, the overall baseline average for a standard rental starts around $75 to $90 USD per day.
By Bus
Traveling by road from Accra to Takoradi usually takes around 4 to 5 hours. While public transit options vary, private long-distance coach operators such as VIP Jeoun frequently service this highway route. Expect to pay around GH₵150 for executive and GH₵120 for standard.
Getting around
Commuter trains run several times a day between Sekondi and Takoradi and stations in between.
- 1 Takoradi railway station.
What to see
- Takoradi European Public cemetery. A number of South African airmen who died in World War II are buried in this cemetery.
- 1 Fort San Sebastian (near the coast in Shama, east of Sekondi-Takoradi), ☏ . 6AM-6PM daily. The third oldest fortification on Ghanaian Coast, built by Portuguese in 1526 to deter British interference which later became ceded to the Dutch and then the British. It was used for African slave trade and where first Black European professor is interred.
- 2 Fort Orange, Sekondi (near naval dockyard in Sekondi). Built by Dutch in 1642 to serve as a lodge, was then converted into a trading post and finally a fort by 1704 after being attacked by Ahantas leading up to that date. It was built close to a British fort called Fort Sekondi (also known as Fort George), that was heavily damaged by the Dutch. But ironically Fort Orange ended up becoming a possession of the British crown by 1872. But it's in pretty dilapidated condition, serving as somewhat of a lighthouse and somewhat of a place for people to dry their clothes.
What to do
- Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium. A multi-purpose stadium opened in 2008 and has a capacity of 20,000 spectators. It is primarily used for football matches and serves as the home stadium of Sekondi Hasaacas FC. The stadium hosted some matches during the 2008 African Cup of Nations.
Where to eat
They are normally found eating local food such as "fante kenkey" with fried fish and hot pepper.
- 1 God Is Love Chopbar, Cape Coast - Takoradi Rd, ☏ . Daily 8:30AM-10:00PM. Soup dotted with hunks of meat and fufu. Popular.
- 2 Bombay Indian Restaurant, Cape Coast Rd, ☏ . Daily 9:00AM-11:00PM. An option if you're wanting some international cuisine. Biryanis and veg pokharas can be found.
Drinking & nightlife
- Africa beach (a beach outside the town). Good destination to cool down and enjoy the surroundings. African drinks are normally found there such as "pitoo" and palm wine.
Shopping
Most of Ghana's major banks have branches around the market area.
- 1 Market Circle. Large trading centre and public marketplace criss-crossed with pathways that would rival any maze. There are booths and stalls selling a wide range of goods. On the outside of the Market Circle is a street lined with just as many shops if not more. Muslim money changers (euros or US dollars), cell phone time sellers and anything else you can imagine. The Takoradi Market Circle is the commercial and economic hub of western Ghana and it covers an area of approximately 1 km².
Where to stay
- SuperStar Hotel (closer to Takoradi Market Circle), ☏ . 24 hours.
- 1 Best Western Plus Atlantic Hotel, Beach Road Area, DTD, ☏ . From $103 per night.
- 2 Planters Lodge and Spa, Dixcove Road, ☏ . Built by the British Air Force in 1934, this estate is now a 44-bedroom hotel.
- 3 Alliance Hotel By Eagles (formerly Protea Hotel Takoradi Select), No 3 Axim Road, ☏ . A very plush, elegant pool and view of ocean.
- 4 The Palms by Eagles, No 2 Eagles Lane, ☏ . Must be in the hotel zone where the petrodollar people stay. It comes with all the accoutrements of a full-service hotel (e.g. pool, hot tub, spa, gym, restaurant/bar, wifi) and doesn't seem like targeted for the working poor.
Staying safe
There are hotels with safety security guards in there.
Staying connected
The local area telephone for Sekondi-Takoradi is 031 if calling from within Ghana.
If calling from another country use the country code +233, followed by 31 followed by the local number. Please note that the leading zero should be dropped when using the international prefix.
All guide text on this page is adapted from Wikivoyage and reused under CC BY-SA 4.0. Prices and opening hours change — verify anything that matters before you rely on it.