Nzulezu (also spelled Mzulezu) is one of the most extraordinary villages in Ghana — a settlement built entirely on stilts over Lake Tadane, a freshwater lake in the Western Region near the border with Côte d'Ivoire. The village sits in the middle of the lake, accessible only by dugout canoe through channels lined with papyrus reeds. There are no roads, no vehicles, no solid ground: every path is a boardwalk, every step is over water.
The community has lived this way for centuries, and the village functions as any other small Ghanaian village — with a school, a church, a chief's house, and a small bar — except that everything floats. Nzulezu is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List and one of the most visited attractions in the western coastal region.
Getting there requires hiring a canoe guide from the small town of Beyin, about 90 kilometres west of Takoradi. The canoe journey takes roughly 45–60 minutes each way through papyrus swamp. While in Beyin, Fort Apollonia — the westernmost British fort on the Gold Coast — is worth a stop. Most visitors come as a day trip from Takoradi, though it is possible to stay overnight in simple accommodation in the village.