Lighthouses of Ghana

Volta Region Lighthouse

** Cape St. Paul (Woe) 1901. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); one long (1.7 s) flash every 15 s. 25 m (83 ft) octagonal pyramidal cast or wrought iron skeletal tower, upper third enclosed, with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Bernard Emmanuel Bentum's 2021 photo is at right, Wikimedia has two photos, Keta District Tourism has photos of the lighthouse, Lawrence Kwasi Ayivor has a 2017 photo, and Google has a satellite view. A remarkable lighthouse with a design very rare for Africa. After being neglected for many years the lighthouse was restored and repainted in 2017. Located at Woe, about 10 km (6 mi) south of Keta in easternmost Ghana. Site open; the tower can be climbed, but be careful. . ARLHS GHA-004; Admiralty D3168; NGA 24924. Greater Accra Region Lighthouses * Chemu (Breaker) Point (Tema) Date unknown (modern). Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) tapered concrete (?) tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with black and white vertical stripes; lantern is white. A 2026 photo is below right, Kwabena Akuamoah-Boateng has a closeup photo, Divine Addae has a 2022 photo, a 2016 photo is available, Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant 2005 photo, Doug Murray has a 2007 view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a low hill about 1.5 km (1 mi) northeast of the harbor facilities in Tema, about 30 km (19 mi) east northeast of Accra. Site probably open, tower probably closed. ARLHS GHA-003; Admiralty D3167; NGA 24896. Tema Outer Fishing Harbor North Breakwater Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 10 m (33 ft); quick-flashing green light. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted green. Trabas has Capt. Peter's 2005 photo, Ohene Darko has a 2019 photo of both breakwater lights, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the lee (north) breakwater of the outer fishing harbor, east of main harbor at Tema. Site status unknown. Admiralty D3167.52; NGA 24916. Tema Outer Fishing Harbor South Breakwater Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 10 m (33 ft); quick-flashing red light. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted red. Trabas has Capt. Peter's 2005 photo, Ohene Darko has a 2019 photo of both breakwater lights, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the lee (north) breakwater of the outer fishing harbor, east of main harbor at Tema. Site status unknown. Admiralty D3167.5; NGA 24915. Tema Lee Breakwater (2) Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 17 m (56 ft); green light, 5 s on, 5 s off. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted green. Trabas has Capt. Peter's 2005 photo and Google has a satellite view. The former light, a post light less than half as tall, stands next to the new tower. Located at the end of the lee (north) breakwater of the main harbor at Tema. Site status unknown. Admiralty D3167.4; NGA 24908. Tema Main Breakwater (3) Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 17 m (56 ft); three red flashes, two short and one long, every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) round red barbell-shaped tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The breakwater was extended in 2023 with a new section about 550 m (1800 ft) long. Trabas has Capt. Peter's 2005 photo of the second light, at the original end of the breakwater; next to it is the first light, a post light less than half as tall as its replacement. Steve Britt has a 2012 photo and a view from the sea, and Dan Spencer has a photo. Google has a satellite view of a new post light (Admiralty D3167.19, quick-flashing red light) at the former end of the breakwater. Located at the end of the extended main (south) breakwater of the main harbor at Tema. Site status unknown. Admiralty D3167.2; NGA 24904. *** Accra (Jamestown) (2) Date unknown (1920s or early 1930s; station established 1871). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); four white flashes, separated by 3 s, every 25 s. 28 m (92 ft) stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1- and 2-story keeper's house. Lighthouse and keeper's house painted with red and white horizontal bands. A 2024 photo is at the top of this page, Carsten ten Brink has a good 2012 photo, Wikimedia has several photos, Trabas has Eckhard Meyer's 2011 photo, Luigi Ceccaroni has a 2022 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a 2016 street view and a satellite view. The lighthouse was formerly painted white with blue trim, as seen in Kara van Malssen's 2009 photo and a 2008 photo. Accra, the capital city of Ghana, was originally two settlements, one British and one Dutch, with Jamestown being the British outpost. The lighthouse is in a very poor district of the city (this photo shows a bit of the surroundings), but it is popular with tourists seeking the history of the city. The tower itself appears to be in good condition, as shown by an interior photo. In 2011 the lighthouse was refurbished and repainted and a TRB-220 rotating solar-powered light was installed. Nearby is Fort James, the British outpost dating from the late 1700s; a photo by Brian McMorrow shows the lighthouse rising behind the fort. Located near a point of land on the southwest side of Accra. Site open with due caution, tower open for climbing. . ARLHS GHA-001; Admiralty D3162; NGA 24884.

Cape St. Paul Light, Woe, November 2021 Google Maps photo by Bernard Emmanuel Bentum Chemu Point Light, Tema, February 2026 frame from Facebook video by The Tema Story

Central Region Lighthouse

*** Fort William (Cape Coast Castle) (2) 1847 (station established 1835). Inactive since the 1970s as a lighthouse, although flashing red lights on the radio masts are listed as a minor navigational aid. 20 m (66 ft) square stone tower, with lantern and gallery, rising within the walls of the circular fort; radio masts on two corners of the building. Manuel Mensah has a 2020 photo, Lightphotos.net has a good photo, Sergio Berio has a 2008 photo, John Hammond has a more distant view, Wikimedia has two photos, Eustace Dsane has a 2022 drone view, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. The lighthouse is often called "Cape Coast Castle Light," although Fort William is not part of the Cape Coast Castle complex. (Cape Coast Castle, a principal slave trading center on the Gold Coast, is now recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.) Built by the British around 1820, Fort William was used for a time as a prison. Mark Moxon has photos taken from the tower, indicating that it is accessible to tourists. Located atop a hill about 600 m (3/8 mi) northwest of the Castle in Cape Coast, roughly 80 km (50 mi) northeast of Sekondi. Site open, tower apparently open as well. ARLHS GHA-007; ex-Admiralty D3158. Western Region Lighthouses ** Fort Orange (Sekondi Range Rear) 1915. Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, two 3 s occultations every 30 s. 14 m (46 ft) square masonry tower with lantern and gallery, embedded in the walls of the fort. Tower painted white with blue trim, lantern red. Nii Obodai has the 2019 photo seen at right, Lightphotos.net has a good photo, Erik Blauwet has a 2023 closeup, Trabas has Poulsen's 2014 photo, Stas Ivanov has a 2018 photo, a closeup of the lantern and a view from the sea are available, and Google has a satellite view. Fort Oranje was occupied by the Dutch as early as 1640; the present fort dates from the early 1700s. The fort remained generally under Dutch control until Britain bought out Dutch interests on the Gold Coast in 1872. Bernard Cloutier has good photos from a 1999 visit (1/3 the way down the page); he found the fort occupied by squatters who were not particularly friendly. However, the fort is now listed as a tourist attraction on many web sites. Located in Sekondi, the historic town served by the port of Takoradi. Site status somewhat uncertain, probably open; if so, the gallery of the lighthouse should be accessible. ARLHS GHA-006; Admiralty D3155.1; NGA 24868. Sekondi Lee Breakwater Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); green flash every 3 s. 5 m (17 ft) square concrete tower painted in a black and white checkered pattern. Trabas has Poulsen's 2014 photo and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the north (lee) breakwater of Sekondi's harbour. Site and tower closed. Admiralty D3156; NGA 24880.

Fort Orange Light, Sekondi-Takoradi, June 2019 Google Maps photo by Nii Obodai

Sekondi Main Breakwater (Sekondi Range Front) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red flash every 3 s. 5 m (17 ft) square concrete tower painted in a red and white checkered pattern. Trabas has Poulsen's 2014 photo, a view from shore is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the north (lee) breakwater of Sekondi's harbour. Site and tower closed. Admiralty D3155; NGA 24872. * Takoradi Date unknown. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); two white flashes every 3 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) square stone or concrete watertower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern red. Michael Schubert's photo is at right, Trabas has Poulsen's 2017 photo, Lightphotos.net has a photo, Jesse Macauley has a 2022 photo, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. The light guides vessels approaching the modern port facilities of the merged city of Sekondi-Takoradi, the capital of Ghana's Western Region. We don't know the history of the tower; it appears to be a fortified watchtower of the 18th century (or even older). Located on a promontory in Takoradi, about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Sekondi. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Ghana Water Comopany. Admiralty D3145; NGA 24852. Takoradi New Bulk Jetty Around 2016. Active; focal plane about 17 m (56 ft); green light, pattern unknown. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower, colored green. Dharmendra Patel has a 2020 photo, Akutse Jacob Joy has a distant 2022 view, and Google has a satellite view. It's likely this light was simply relocated from the Lee Breakwater (next entry) when the harbor was expanded. Located at the end of the jetty, north of older Lee Breakwater and opposite the Main Breakwater light. Site and tower closed. Admiralty D3153. #Takoradi Lee Breakwater (2) 2007. Removed but still listed with focal plane about 17 m (56 ft); continuous green light. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower, colored green. Trabas has Poulsen's 2014 photo but the tower is missing in Google's satellite view. The new breakwater lights, prefabricated by Tideland Signal, replaced much shorter post lights; the old post light is seen next to the new light in Poulsen's photo. Located at the end of the lee (north) breakwater pier at Takoradi. Site and tower closed. Admiralty D3148; NGA 24860. Takoradi Main Breakwater (2?) 2007 (replaced or relocated in 2019). Active; listed with focal plane about 17 m (56 ft); quick-flashing red light. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower, colored red. In 2019 the main breakwater was greatly extended. The Admiralty dropped its listing for the Main Breakwater Light and Google's satellite view shows that the light is gone from its original location. At the same time the Admiralty added a new listing for a light at the end of the extended breakwater and Google's satellite view shows what could be the original light either relocated or replaced with a copy at that location. The light is seen at the far left of Dharmendra Patel's distant 2020 view. Trabas has Poulsen's photo of the original lighthouse. Located at the end of the long main (south) breakwater at Takoradi. Site and tower closed. Admiralty D3153.5 (ex-D3150); NGA 24856.

Takoradi Light, Takoradi, June 2009 photo copyright Michael Schubert; used by permission

 

* Cape Three Points (1) 1875 (?). Inactive since about 1930. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round rubblestone tower. Kwabena Akuamoah-Boateng has a closeup photo and Wikimedia has Friedmut Abel's photo, but the light is not seen in Google's fuzzy satellite view. Although 1875 is inscribed on the tower as its date of construction, Findlay's 1879 list has it only as "proposed." Probably it was not activated unil 1880 or later. The lighthouse marks a prominent cape at the southernmost point of Ghana; it is the central point of the three promontories on the cape. Site open, tower closed. * Cape Three Points (2) Around 1930 (station established 1875(?)). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white flash every 5 s. 18 m (60 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern and gallery red. A 2024 photo is at right, Emmanuel Yankey has a 2021 photo, Elias Lomotey has a 2025 photo, Bismark Asante has a 2023 photo, Emmanuel Eshun has a nice 2018 drone view, Kwabena Akuamoah-Boateng has a closeup 2016 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS GHA-005; Admiralty D3140; NGA 24848. Bobowasi Island (Axim) 1915. Reactivated (inactive from around 1960 to 2003); focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 14 s on, 3 s off. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red, Lightphotos.net has a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Long listed as "temporarily extinguished," the light was restored and reactivated in 2003. Axim was one of the earliest European outposts in Ghana, first occupied by the Portuguese in 1502. The town is a fishing port and has had some modest development as a beach resort. Located on an island just off the coast about 3 km (2 mi) south of Axim; easily visible from shore and from the historic Fort San Antonio in town. Accessible by boat or by wading across at low tide, but permission is required. Site open with permission, tower closed. ARLHS GHA-002; Admiralty D3138; NGA 24844.

Cape Three Points Light, December 2024 Instagram photo by Leisure by Bless

Information available on lost lighthouses:

• Jamesfort (1871-?), Accra. The light was replaced by the Accra lighthouse sometime around 1930. Google has a street view and a satellite view of the fort. ARLHS GHA-008.

Notable faux lighthouses:

• Fort Metal Cross, near Takoradi. This tower is a fortified watchtower; there is no record of it having been used as a lighthouse. Jephthah Frimpong has a photo and Google has a satellite view.

Adjoining pages: East: Togo | West: Côte d'Ivoire

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Posted September 11, 2005. Checked and revised July 25, 2026. Lighthouses: 18. Site copyright 2026 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.