Fort San Sebastian, Shama

Fort San Sebastian stands in the coastal town of Shama in Ghana's Western Region, near the Pra River estuary. The Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) describes it as Ghana's third oldest fortification. It was built by the Portuguese between 1520 and 1526, originally to deter English sailors interfering in Shama trade, and it reflects both Portuguese and Dutch building styles. GMMB notes it has been described as a small-scale copy of St. George's Castle at Elmina, and that it appears on Di Castaldi's Venetian map of 1564.

The fort was a ruin when the Dutch took it in 1638. Major Dutch renovation between 1640 and 1643 substantially expanded the structure. Dutch West Indian records show some gold and slave trade at the fort, though by 1705 the Dutch West India Company regarded it mainly as a source of fuel wood and water, with no trade activity. It was ceded to the British in 1872 and rehabilitated in 1957.

The fort is a listed National Monument under National Monuments Instrument EI 42, 1972, and forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions, inscribed in 1979 under criterion vi. Custody rests with GMMB.

Visitors should note that the fort is a working building rather than a conventional museum. GMMB states it is presently used as a post office and magistrate's court, and also houses offices of the Electoral Commission. One tourism portal describes a museum with exhibits, which conflicts with GMMB's account; the position is disputed. Guide access and other facilities are unknown.

GMMB publishes opening hours of 9:00am to 4:30pm, without day-of-week or holiday detail. Published fees, reviewed in February 2013, range from GH¢ 0.50 for pupils to GH¢ 5.00 for Ghanaian adults, and USD 2.00 to USD 10.00 for foreign visitors by category. These figures are dated and should be confirmed before travel. The GMMB Central and Western Regions office can be reached on +233-3321 32529; a direct fort contact is unknown.