# Sekondi-Takoradi

Sekondi and Takoradi are adjacent port cities; the combined municipality forms the capital of Western Ghana.

## Cities

* Sekondi
* Takoradi, an important deepwater seaport and Ghana's first, built in 1928.

## Understand

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.

## Talk

They are normally found speaking Akan such as "fante". You can learn more common phrases from the Fante Phrasebook

## Get around
### By train

Commuter trains run several times a day between Sekondi and Takoradi and stations in between.
* 4.8824-1.74941 Takoradi railway station. (updated Jan 2021)

## See

* Takoradi European Public cemetery. A number of South African airmen who died in World War II are buried in this cemetery.
* 5.01073-1.629221 Fort San Sebastian (near the coast in Shama, east of Sekondi-Takoradi), ☏ +233 332132529. 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. (updated Aug 2020)
* 4.93552-1.707382 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. (updated Aug 2020)

## 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.

## Buy

Most of Ghana's major banks have branches around the market area.
* 4.898132-1.76041 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.

## Eat

They are normally found eating local food such as "fante kenkey" with fried fish and hot pepper.
* 4.91739-1.768971 God Is Love Chopbar, Cape Coast - Takoradi Rd, ☏ +233 55 965 9557. Daily 8:30AM-10:00PM. Soup dotted with hunks of meat and fufu. Popular.
* 4.90235-1.762822 Bombay Indian Restaurant, Cape Coast Rd, ☏ +233 24 488 6410. Daily 9:00AM-11:00PM. An option if you're wanting some international cuisine. Biryanis and veg pokharas can be found.

## Drink

* 4.88454-1.756451 Champs Sports Bar, Takoradi, ☏ +233 31 229 2262. A nice place to relax, with food and snooker, and even an attached hotel.
* 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.

## Sleep

* SuperStar Hotel (closer to Takoradi Market Circle), ☏ +233 312023105. 24 hours.

### Splurge

* 4.8817-1.7551 Best Western Plus Atlantic Hotel, Beach Road Area, DTD, ☏ +233 31 200 2700. From $103 per night. (updated Jun 2022)
* 4.882745-1.7577882 Planters Lodge and Spa, Dixcove Road, ☏ +233 31 202 2233. Built by the British Air Force in 1934, this estate is now a 44-bedroom hotel.
* 4.878739-1.7697223 Alliance Hotel By Eagles (formerly Protea Hotel Takoradi Select), No 3 Axim Road, ☏ +233 24 243 5500. A very plush, elegant pool and view of ocean.
* 4.882541-1.7664044 The Palms by Eagles, No 2 Eagles Lane, ☏ +233 24 285 5122. 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. (updated Apr 2017)

## Stay safe

There are hotels with safety security guards in there.

## Connect

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.

## Go next

* Sunyani, in the Brong Ahafo region
* Kumasi, the fastest growing city in West Africa, home to the Asantehene (King of The Ashanti Kingdom) and the second largest city of Ghana.
* Wa, the capital of the upper western region of Ghana. Wa is bordered by Burkina Faso to the north and the Ivory Coast to the west.
* Cape Coast Town, a small town with a reputation for excellence in education.
* Bolgatanga, between Burkina Faso and Togo. Bolga is the capital of the upper eastern region of Ghana.
* Koforidua, (Kof town), in the cool mountains in eastern Ghana, Koforidua is the capital of the Eastern region of the country.
* Ho, the beaches of the Volta estuary are amongst the best in Ghana.
* Accra, a city of high rise buildings and vibrant night life. Accra is the capital and most populous city of Ghana. It is also the provincial capital of the Accra region.