Fort St. Antony

Fort St. Antony stands on a rocky promontory at the western end of Axim, in the Nzema East Municipal District of Ghana's Western Region, close to the mouth of the Ankobra River. Begun by the Portuguese in 1515, it was the second Portuguese fort on the Gold Coast after Elmina Castle, built as a massive triangular fortification with a rock-cut trench about three metres deep on its landward side. The Dutch captured it in 1642 and expanded it as part of the Dutch Gold Coast, including quarters used to hold enslaved people before shipment; it became a major regional slave-trading post in the 18th century. It was ceded to Britain in 1872 and is now the property of the Ghanaian state, open to the public, and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 as part of Ghana's forts and castles.

For a visitor, the fort is chiefly a place to read the layers of Gold Coast history in one structure: Portuguese origins, a Dutch trading and slaving post, British administration, and later reuse. Its 17th- and 18th-century panelling is noted as an archaeological feature, and in the 1950s the building was rehabilitated for government and local council offices. The Zamani Project documented the fort with 3D laser scanning in 2013.

The fort is managed by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. Guided tours are available on site. A museum and a restaurant have been proposed for the fort but are not documented as operating, so visitors should not expect on-site amenities such as a museum, restaurant or shop.

Visit Ghana lists opening hours of 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, though the days of operation are not specified on that page. GMMB fee tiers were reviewed in February 2013 and may be outdated; they range from GH¢ 0.50 for primary pupils to GH¢ 5.00 for Ghanaian adults, and from USD 2.00 for foreign children to USD 10.00 for adult foreigners. Bringing cash in small notes for the fee, guide and a camera charge is advisable.

The fort sits on a rocky promontory reached on foot, with stairs, uneven floors and wet rock near the sea; proper shoes are advised. No step-free or wheelchair access is documented. It is walkable from Axim town centre, and taxi drivers know it. From Takoradi, the route runs west via Agona Nkwanta, roughly 65–70 km or about 1.5 hours, with trotros running from Takoradi to Axim throughout the day.