Cape Coast castle, as the name suggests, is located in Cape Coast, which is the capital city of Ghana's Central region. The castle, just as the city itself, has an interesting history that can only fully be explored by visiting. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings of its nature in the world and has been regarded by UNESCO as a world heritage site since 1979. Historical accounts hold that the castle's construction was begun by the Swedes in 1650 and completed around 1653. It was expanded successively by the Danes and the British at different points in its history. The castle has changed hands between the Swedes, the Danes, the British, the Dutch and the British again. It has variously been used as a storehouse for goods, as schools, as a courthouse and a prison. The castle has been noted as one of the major scenes of the abhorrent slave trade, where captured slaves were chained and crammed into its dark, narrow dungeons, ready to be transported into the new world. It was the seat of the British colonial administration from 1844 until 1877, when the capital of the Gold Coast (Ghana's old name) was moved to Accra. Today, Cape Coast castle, riding on its chequered history, is arguably one of the greatest tourist attractions in Ghana, drawing many important visitors, such as US president Barrack Obama and his family in July 2009. The castle is reported to attract huge numbers of local and international visitors each year. The must-see parts of the castle include the museum, which portrays its rich history, and the horrific slave dungeons that housed the ill-fated slaves. There is also an interesting site of a shrine near the "door of no return", to signify restoration. It is said that this shrine was built to replace the original one that was at the same location prior to the construction of the castle. Most tourists in Ghana combine the trip with touring the exciting and exotic Kakum national park, the Elmina castle, other smaller European forts nearby and the entire Cape Coast area. This normally requires a two-day trip. Cape Coast can be accessed by bus from Ghana's capital, Accra, and the journey from Accra lasts a maximum of 2 hours and 30 minutes. It is usually advisable to go by STC buses, which are safe, reliable and run on schedule. Note that you must acquire your tickets well ahead of your planned departure date (at least a day or two ahead). The STC station is located on the road from Kwame Nkrumah circle to Obetsebi Lamptey circle. Other safe choices of transport are run by OA travel and tours, Kingdom transport services and bus drivers at the Kaneshie lorry station. The entire transport cost, using public transport to and from Cape Coast, should be about GHc 15. Tourists are also charged some money for the castle tour. They must also prepare adequately for accommodation if they plan to stay over.

The Elmina castle is famed as the oldest European building below the Sahara desert and the largest European building outside Europe. Its original name is São Jorge da Mina (St. George of the Mine) Castle. It was constructed as early as 1482 by the Portuguese. The Portuguese effort was led by legendary explorer Don Diego d'Azambuja, under the commission of Prince Henry the Navigator, after he sought the permission of Nana Kwamena Ansa , Chief of Elmina, to put up the building. Its successive masters were the Portuguese, the Dutch (annexed in 1637) and the English (bought in 1872).

Elmina castle, like the Cape Coast castle is regarded as a world heritage site by UNESCO. St. George's Castle was originally used by the Portuguese not only as a storehouse for storing major commodities like gold, salt, cloth, beads, alcohol and firearms, that exchanged hands between them and local people during the pre-slave trade era, but also as a fortress to protect them against unfriendly local tribes and other European powers. During the era of the lucrative but barbaric slave trade, the castle degenerated into a zone of torture, disease, pain and death for the numerous African slaves who passed through its walls into the New World. Today this dark history is resonated as feelings of eeriness and shock captures the castle's visitors as they walk through the hallow walls of human absurdity. When the British bought the castle from the Dutch in 1872, they transformed it into a national police academy.

This remained so until 1972 whereupon the Ghanaian government declared Elmina castle as a national monument. Visitors to the castle get the opportunity to explore its museum, halls and slave dungeons.  The museum is stocked with information on the local people, their history and culture, thus removing the spotlight from the incidence of slave trade that transpired within its walls. However, the slave dungeons are stark representations of the events of the slave trade era, and amply preserve the history of years gone by. Various relics of the various European powers who dominated the castle are also displayed in the castle.

The trip to Elmina from Accra is best approached by first going to Cape Coast, by bus and then going off to Elmina via taxi or the ubiquitous trotro. Another option would be to take a Takoradi-bound bus and alight at Elmina, although this is a less popular option. It is mostly common practice to take time to explore the Cape Coast-Elmina area in a two day span. There are other sites worth seeing in Elmina such as the Posuban shrines (built by traditional military asafo companies) and the lesser-known Fort St Jago.How to get to ElminaElmina lies approximately two kilometers from the Takoradi-Accra road. There are many tro-tros and shared taxies that move from Cape Coast to Elmina.