Cape Coast Castle is the essential visit — a guided tour through the slave dungeons, the governor's quarters, and out through the Door of No Return is devastating and unforgettable. Allow at least 90 minutes. Elmina and its castle are just 15 kilometres west and can easily be combined in the same day.
Kakum National Park, 30 minutes north of town, is one of the best-accessible rainforest reserves in West Africa. The canopy walkway — a series of rope bridges strung 40 metres above the forest floor — is the main draw, though the park also protects forest elephants, bongo antelopes, and over 250 bird species. Early morning is best for wildlife.
Around the castle itself, the old town rewards a wander: the Fort William Lighthouse on Dawson's Hill for the best view, the small Fort Victoria on Smith's Hill for another, the working fishing harbour beside the castle walls, and the Fosu Lagoon at the western edge of town. If you can time a visit for early September, the Oguaa Fetu Afahye festival is the most spectacular Fante celebration of the year.