Busua is a seaside city on Ghana's Coastal Plain.

Get in

From Accra: Follow the coastal road via Cape Coast before reaching Takoradi.

From Lomé: Pass Ghanaian border in Aflao and follow coastal road through Accra, Cape Coast to Takoradi.

From Abidjan: Take Grand Bassam road, and continue to the Ghanaian border until Elubo passing through Aboisso. Continue until Agona Junction, Then straight to Busua.

From Ouagadougou: Take Ghana road through Pô, pass the border in Paga. Drive through Tamale and Kumasi. After Kumasi, take Tarkwa road through Obuasi. From Tarkwa take Takoradi road until Agona Junction, then straight to Busua.

From Takoradi: To reach Busua, take Elubo and Axim road from Takoradi, Turn left in Agona Junction on Busua-Dixcove road. After the 3rd village turn left to Busua. It is a 30-minute drive from Takoradi.

See

An amazing city to go to. The food is great, the smell isn't so bad and it's not that big. The beach is amazing, almost the nicest beach in Ghana. Near the bridge in town you can find fishermen in canoes who can take you to the tiny island off-shore for GH₵5 a person but you might be able to talk them down if you were so inclined. For walking around you could see out East on the beach a house way up by itself. If you walk on the beach towards it you'll see stairs going up to it. The stairs are falling apart so be careful, there is also a footpath nearby. Up at the top is a sweet house some British couple built (so the story goes) but the Chief wants it so now it's home to a Ghanaian family and from the top it's quite a view.

• 1 Fort Batenstein (on hill behind village of Butre). 9AM-5PM daily. Roofless fort built by the Dutch in 1646 to deter Swedish interests. It was also the site of the signing of the treaty of Butre between the Dutch and Ahanta (local tribe) following the Dutch-Anhanta War. Eventually it became a possession of the British. Enjoy the beach views. (updated Aug 2020)
• 2 Fort Medal Cross (in Dixcove). A fort built by the British in 1683 that changed hands with the Dutch before reverting back to a holding by the British. It was meant to counter trade at Prussian Fort Gross Friedrichsburg in what is now Princes Town nearby and was sometimes besieged by the local Infuma tribe. Situated on a promontory jutting out from the coast, it has great views of the Dixcove community and surrounding coastline. (updated Aug 2020)

Do

• Rent a boogie-board, surfboard, kayak or jet-ski: Dadson's is only two buildings away from the beach and Dadson's and Busua Inn are both right near the Black Star Surf Shop which rents boogie-boards (GH₵1.5 an hour) and surfboards for cheap. You can get lessons. There's a huge resort in town as well if you have the money which rents kayaks and jet-skis.
• Asa Baako One Dance. Annual music festival in early March. Live music stages, Asa Baako 7-day road trip, beach parties, surfing, arts, music and conservation workshops, international fair, beach football and volleyball, boat trips, treks and the legendary Jungle Party. Three days and two nights, taking place on the beach by day and in the jungle by night. Asa Baako features a live programme of well-known and emerging musicians, artists, DJs, speakers, activities and conservationists, from across Ghana, West Africa and around the world. Asa Baako celebrates music and dance from around the world with an Afro-inspired edge; from azonto of the dance floors of Accra, soulful 70's Lagos Afro-funk, Kwaito from the streets of Johannesburg, classic New York hip-hop to groovy London electronica. (updated Apr 2017)

Eat

• The 2 best restaurants of Busua are African Rainbow (they have a good Togolese cook), and Busua Inn, a good French chef.
• For breakfast hit up Dan the Pancake Man near Alaska: he uses rice flour and the pancakes are pretty damned good. There's a juice guy that hangs out there too where you can get 1.5 liters of juice for about GH₵3.5.
• For street food there's a great potatoes and beans lady right at the center of town, also if you walk on the road in town towards the fishing boats, on the left you might be lucky enough to spot the lady who makes biscuits which are more like cookies.

Drink

• Sankofa beach bar is a cool place to hang around and have a drink at anytime. It's right on the beach very close to Busua Inn.

Sleep

• Dadson's Lodge is cheap (GH₵20 for a double with bathroom, GH₵10 for a single with shared bathroom) and right in the center of town.
• The Busua Inn (GH₵25 to GH₵50 for AC) is a nicer place right on the water.
• The Alaska is another hotel right on the beach and your own bungalow is about GH₵25 but some items have reportedly gone missing there.
• Busua Beach Resort. Double GH₵615. (updated Apr 2017)
• Arena Beach Lodge (At Busua at the main junction, turn left. Arena Lodge is located 200 m on your right.), ☏ +233 31 20 95195, arenabeachlodge@gmail.com. 10 double rooms and 1 suite (updated Apr 2017)

Connect

The bug resort in town is the only place that has Internet. It costs 10 pesewas a minute (GH₵1 for ten minutes).