Fort Metal Cross, Dixcove

Fort Metal Cross stands on a rocky promontory at the village of Dixcove, about two kilometres west of Busua, commanding sweeping views over the bay and the Atlantic. Built in 1692, it is one of the best-preserved colonial-era forts on Ghana's coast, less visited and less commercialised than the more famous Elmina or Cape Coast castles further east. The fort's position on its rocky headland above the fishing community of Infuma gives it a dramatic setting.

The fort was built for the slave trade that defined this coastline for two centuries, and like all the coastal forts it is both an architectural monument and a place of profound historical darkness. The interior has been partially restored and can be explored; local guides from the village offer tours that provide context on both the fort's history and its role in the Atlantic slave trade. The walk from Busua to Dixcove along the coast takes about 30–45 minutes on a path that passes fishing villages and rocky coves. You can also take a boat across the bay, which local fishermen are usually willing to do for a negotiated price.

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A story
Fort Metal Cross was built by the English in 1692, not the Dutch as its Dutch design suggests — the English East India Company hired Dutch builders and architects for much of its West African construction. The fort changed hands repeatedly between the English, Dutch, and local Ahanta chiefs over the following century, with the Ahanta sometimes controlling it outright and charging Europeans for the right to trade.