Beach · Butre
Butre Beach
Butre Beach, also called Coconut Beach, is the narrow palm-fringed beach at the fishing village of Butre in Ghana's Western Region, where the Butre River meets the Atlantic.
Photo: benketaro · Source
Explore Ghana
Boat trips in Western Region
The Western Region is where Ghana's rivers meet the Atlantic, and much of the best of it is seen from the water. Boat trips here range from a gentle paddle through mangroves to a working harbour full of canoes, and each one puts you close to the coast's fishing villages, forests and birdlife.
What these ten places share is water, and people who know it well. At the Beyin Visitor Centre you arrange a guided dugout-canoe tour to the stilt village of Nzulezo on Lake Tadane, reached through the blackwater Amansuri Wetland. The Amanzule River Boat Cruise at Bantaka runs in association with the same Nzulezo Stilt Village Tourism Project. Near Axim, the Ankobra River Boat Tour offers a longer Dominase market trip or a shorter mangrove canoe option, while at Akwidaa the Ezile River Mangrove Canoe Experience uses wooden canoes with local navigators.
They differ in mood and setting. Dixcove Harbour and the Albert Bosomtwi Sam Fishing Harbour at Essikadu are working artisanal ports, busy with landings and fish markets. Butre Beach, where the Butre River meets the sea, and Ezile Bay Beach near Cape Three Points are quiet, palm- and almond-shaded spots with boat experiences of their own. Maaha Beach Resort at Anokyi adds pools, a spa and Amanzule River boat rides.
Good to know
Before you go
Plan boat trips around the coast's own rhythm: mornings are usually calmer on the water, and harbour life is busiest when canoes come in. Many of these places sit in different districts, so allow proper travelling time between Axim, Akwidaa, Dixcove, Butre, Beyin and Anokyi rather than trying to fit them into one day. Community-run tours, such as the canoe trips to Nzulezo and the mangrove and river cruises, are best arranged locally and in advance, and it is worth confirming departure times, group sizes and whether a guide or life jackets are provided before you set out. Bring sun protection, water and cash, and ask before photographing people at work in the harbours and markets.
Start here
Places to explore
Beach · Akwidaa
Ezile Bay Beach
A roughly 300 m almond-shaded beach in a small protected bay between Akwidaa and Katakor, near Cape Three Points, Western Region, home to Ezile Bay Ecolodge.
Photo: aripeskoe2 · Source
Attraction
Attraction · Essikadu
Albert Bosomtwi Sam Fishing Harbour
GPHA-operated fishing harbour in Sekondi, Western Region, with inner and outer harbours, a canoe basin, and an adjacent fish market and processing area.
Attraction
Attraction · Beyin
Amansuri Wetland
A blackwater wetland system near Beyin in Ghana's Western Region, visited by canoe to the stilt village of Nzulezo.
Attraction
Attraction · Bakanta
Amanzule River Boat Cruise
A boat and canoe cruise on the Amanzule River near Nzulezo in Ghana's Western Region, run in association with the Nzulezo Stilt Village Tourism Project.
Attraction
Attraction · Axim
Ankobra River Boat Tour
Guided motorboat excursion on the Ankobra River near Axim, run by Ankobra Beach Retreat, with a long Dominase market trip and a shorter mangrove canoe option.
Visitor information
Visitor information · Beyin
Beyin Visitor Centre
Reception and departure point in Beyin, Western Region, where visitors arrange guided dugout-canoe tours to the stilt village of Nzulezo on Lake Tadane.
Attraction
Attraction · Dixcove
Dixcove Harbour
Dixcove Harbour is the natural harbour and working artisanal fishing port of Dixcove in Ghana's Western Region, with a canoe basin and fish landing beach below Fort Metal Cross.
Attraction
Attraction · Akwidaa
Ezile River Mangrove Canoe Experience
Guided wooden-canoe trips through the mangroves of the Ezile River at Akwidaa, Western Region, with local navigators and advertised wildlife viewing.
Resort
Resort · Anokyi
Maaha Beach Resort
Beachfront resort at Anokyi in the Ellembelle District, Western Region, with pools, a spa, dining, meeting space and Amanzule River boat rides.
Wider area
More in Western Region
- Things to do in Western Region
- Beaches in Western Region
- Resorts in Western Region
- Heritage sites in Western Region
- Monuments in Western Region
- Forts and castles in Western Region
- Museums in Western Region
- Rivers in Western Region
- Hiking trails in Western Region
- Viewpoints in Western Region
- Wildlife reserves in Western Region