Guide to Accra scuba diving holidays

Accra is Ghana’s lively capital, sitting right on its coast in the Gulf of Guinea. The city itself is a sprawling but fun mass of people and buildings, while just outside the city you’ll find great beaches and laid-back resorts. More and more people are heading to Accra for sunshine holidays. While there, they’re discovering that there is life beyond the sunlounger on an Accra scuba diving trip.

Accra has its own beaches, but they are busy and their waters are dirty: not ideal for diving. It’s best to head away from the city, where you’ll find clean beaches, clean water and a good choice of dive sites. The best place to head is west, to a stretch known as the Cape Coast.

Scuba diving in Ghana is in its infancy, but dive shops keep on opening up, so expect to see it keep on growing. The best time to go it between September and April: the dry season. During the monsoon visibility drops and the water gets rougher.

Diving in Ghana, you’ll find plenty of fish to keep you interested. The waters are tropical and the marine life is similar to that of the Caribbean. Expect to see colourful coral, shoals of reef fish, rays, barracuda, eels and maybe turtles and sharks.

Accra scuba diving has still got a long way to go before it becomes a fully-fledged industry, but that’s part of its appeal. There are still lots of dive sites to be discovered, and you won’t find the reefs crowded with other dive groups when you go. Whether you’re an experienced diver or want to learn, a trip to Accra will be one to remember.