Elmina Castle

When you first visit Elmina castle, you’ll probably notice the scarring on the walls. Of course, the structure is hundreds of years old, but its cracks still feel like a painful reminder of what once was. The guides will walk you through the quarters, pointing out where colonizers left our ancestors in inhumane conditions. They were confined to small spaces with tiny windows and forced to defecate, and even bleed, in close proximity to one other. Those walls are forever tainted with our ancestor’s blood, but the return was strangely beautiful, even joyous. I’ll always remember what it was like the first time I visited Cape Coast Castle at sunset. We’d trekked through endless reminders of our collective pain until the tour ended on the rooftop of the castle, and the sun lit up the sky in an orange hue that felt like a warm, welcome home. While the castle is my favorite viewpoint, Orange Beach Resort, located just steps from the ocean, is a great spot to witness the glow of Ghana too.  Beyond the sunsets, the region itself is vast and surrounded by the bluest waters. At the foot of the castle, there are gorgeous wooden fishermen boats, and it’s common to see groups of children playing soccer on the sand next to the fort. Visiting Cape Coast isn’t all sorrow, and it remains a vibrant city, despite its past.