A ferry boat sailing across the wide water of the Oti River arm of Lake Volta at Dambai, Ghana.

Explore Ghana

Lakes in Ghana

Lake Volta Boat Ride Experience · Photo: INUSAH GANIYU · License: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Ghana's lakes and lagoons offer some of the country's most rewarding days out, whether you want a boat trip, a forest walk or simply a quiet shoreline. The places gathered here share one thing: water at the centre of the visit. Beyond that, they differ wonderfully. Lake Volta, impounded by the Akosombo Dam on the Volta River, is the great working waterway of the Eastern, Oti and Volta regions, and you can meet it in many ways — the Dambai Volta ferry crossing, the Dambai lakefront boat ride, guided trips from Kpando Torkor, or a cruise to Dodi Island aboard the MV Dodi Princess II. The VRA Akosombo Dam Visitor Centre explains the dam's history, while BridgeView Resort and Platinum Blue Island Resort offer lakeside and riverside places to stay near the Adomi Bridge.

Lake Bosomtwe is a different story altogether: Ghana's only true inland natural lake, sitting in a million-year-old meteorite crater about 30 km south-east of Kumasi. Around Abono you can take a boat trip in a traditional flat wooden padua, walk the crater rim trail, or call in at the community information centre. Further south, Avu Lagoon and the Keta Lagoon Complex are Ramsar wetlands rich in birdlife, and Abby Lagoon near Jaway Wharf is a trans-boundary wetland believed to hold West African manatees.

Good to know

Before you go

Plan around water, not just places: boat trips, ferry crossings and cruises depend on weather, water levels and demand, so confirm timings and availability with operators or your accommodation before travelling. Akosombo and Abono are the two main hubs here, with Dambai, Kpando Torkor, Keta and Jaway Wharf further afield, so group nearby stops into one trip rather than criss-crossing the country. Roads to shoreline settlements can be rough, and some sites are community-run with limited facilities, so carry water, cash and sun protection. For wetlands such as Avu Lagoon and the Keta Lagoon Complex, ask locally about guides and respectful visiting, and never disturb wildlife or nesting birds.

Start here

Places to explore

Attraction · Akosombo

Akosombo Dam

The Akosombo Dam is a rock-fill embankment dam on the Volta River in Ghana's Eastern Region, operated by the Volta River Authority and impounding Lake Volta.

Photo: Allison Stillwell at English Wikipedia · Source

Attraction · Dambai

Dambai Volta ferry crossing

VLTC's Dambai ferry carries passengers and vehicles across the Oti River (Volta Lake) in the Oti Region, linking Dambai with the opposite bank.

Photo: Isibrahy · Source

Attraction · Akosombo

Dodi Island

Dodi Island is an inhabited island in Lake Volta, Eastern Region, reached by a roughly two-hour cruise boat trip from Akosombo.

Photo: Hiroo Yamagata · Source

Attraction · Akosombo

Dodi World Cruise

Dodi World runs cruises on Lake Volta at Akosombo aboard the three-deck MV Dodi Princess II, sailing to Dodi Island with live band music and water sports.

Photo: Celestinesucess · Source

Attraction · Abono

Lake Bosomtwe

Lake Bosomtwe is Ghana's only true inland natural lake, set in a million-year-old meteorite crater about 30 km south-east of Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region.

Photo: Noahalorwu · Source

Attraction · Abono

Lake Bosomtwe Boat Trips

Boat trips from the Abono shoreline on Lake Bosomtwe, Ghana's only true inland lake, using the traditional flat wooden padua rather than dugout canoes.

Photo: Alexandre Ultré · Source

Attraction · Abono

Lake Bosomtwe Crater Rim Trail

A forested hiking route on the crater rim above Lake Bosomtwe, Ghana's only natural inland lake, starting near Abono about 30 km south-east of Kumasi.

Photo: Alexandre Ultré · Source

Attraction · Abono

Lake Bosomtwe Information Centre

Community information centre at Abono, the main shoreline settlement and entry point to Lake Bosomtwe, Ghana's only true inland lake, set in a meteorite impact crater.

Photo: Alexandre Ultré · Source

Attraction · Dambai

Lake Volta Boat Ride Experience

The Dambai lakefront and ferry point on the Oti River arm of Lake Volta, where a working river crossing doubles as a scenic boat and canoe experience.

Photo: INUSAH GANIYU · Source

Attraction

Attraction · Jaway Wharf

Abby Lagoon

Abby Lagoon is a trans-boundary wetland near Jaway Wharf in Jomoro, Western Ghana, listed among the municipality's attractions and believed to hold West African manatees.

Attraction

Attraction · Gui

Avu Lagoon

Avu Lagoon (Xavi) is a community-protected freshwater wetland in Ghana's lower Volta Region, part of the Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar site and home to Ghana's only sitatunga.

Resort

Resort · Akosombo

BridgeView Resort

BridgeView Resort is a nature resort in the Akosombo mountains, Eastern Region, with a mountain property and a waterfront LakeSide property near the Adomi Bridge.

Attraction

Attraction · Keta

Keta Lagoon Birdwatching

Birdwatching on the Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site in the Volta Region, a brackish lagoon with boat access to bird-breeding islands.

Attraction

Attraction · Kpando

Kpando Torkor Lake Volta Boat Trips

Guided boat trips on Lake Volta leave from Kpando Torkor, a fishing and ferry landing point in Kpando Municipal, Volta Region, run by Emo Guide Service.

Resort

Resort · Atimpoku

Platinum Blue Island Resort

Platinum Blue Island Resort is a three-star riverside resort in Atimpoku, Asuogyaman District, Eastern Region, near the Adome (Adomi) Bridge on the Volta River.

Visitor information

Visitor information · Akosombo

VRA Akosombo Dam Visitor Centre

The VRA Akosombo Dam Visitor Centre is the visitor information point for the Akosombo Dam, the VRA-operated hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in Ghana's Eastern Region.

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