Ghana's oldest botanical gardens, established by the British in 1890 on the Akwapim ridge about 45 minutes' drive north of Accra. The altitude — around 450 metres — makes Aburi noticeably cooler than the coast, sometimes by five degrees or more, and the gardens are a genuine relief after days in Accra's heat. Mature tropical trees, a small arboretum, well-kept lawns, and views down the escarpment toward the plain and the distant coast make this one of the most pleasant half-days available from the city.
A favourite weekend escape for Accra residents, which means the gardens get crowded on Saturday afternoons. Arrive early to have the paths to yourself. The drive up the escarpment is part of the attraction: the ridge road passes through a series of old Akwapim towns with substantial churches and Presbyterian mission buildings, remnants of the nineteenth-century missionary enterprise that took hold here earlier than almost anywhere else in Ghana. Stop at a roadside palm-wine bar on the way back down for a proper end to the day.