Surfing in Ghana – ALL Spots + More [2025]
Surfing in Ghana – explore an untrodden coastline, surf empty lineups, and get conditions that we reckon are just about perfect for learning and improving, all in 23-degree water.
An introduction to surfing in Ghana
In Africa, Morocco and South Africa dominate.
We can see why – points like J-Bay and Anchor are epic business. Plus, RSA and Maroc are just about the two most accessible countries on the whole continent, one offering perfect winter waves for Euro escapees (who can escape for <$20 these days thanks to Ryanair) and the other linked by stacks of airlines from London.
But Africa has 18,550 miles of shoreline in total, so don’t get too stuck on its northern and southern tips.
Ghana is one of the jewels in the crown for surfing. It’s only just emerging as a destination and it’s making some serious impressions.
It doesn’t have loads. Just 375 miles of that nigh on 19k of African coast is Ghanaian. What it can offer is good exposure to the May-October SW swells that push up through the Gulf of Guinea, stacks of beach breaks that are broken up by rocky points, and – this is the kicker to be frank – empty, empty lineups.
There are nascent crews of some very good local Ghanaian surfers around the place, plus grassroots organizations helping to popularize surf in younger generations – spearheaded by Surf Ghana.
What they lack in good equipment they more than make up for in enthusiasm and the sort of mind-blowing skill you can only get from surfing sub-par gear. They’re great to watch; great to surf with.
Our thinking is this: Ghana is an intermediate and learner surf destination in waiting.
It’s not famous yet but the combo of long, sandy beaches and headlands at various angles, hitched up with consistent swells that are tempered by the topography and relative narrowness of the South Atlantic (waves have a hint of that Sri Lankan mellowness about them) means this is a perfect place to come if you’re improving and want a bit of an adventure.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Africa
What’s in this guide to surfing in Ghana?
Surfing in Ghana at a glance
The good:
The bad:
Where to surf in Ghana
Ghana’s main surf territory is to the west of the capital of Accra.
There are some workable spots to the east but that region is heavily industrialized and generally not as good for tourists. It’s also nowhere near as pretty.
So, go west, and there’s lots to pick out.
We’ll run through the lot here starting as far from the capital as we can…
Cape Three Points
If there’s swell about then you’ll get it at Cape Three Points.
This is the most exposed part of the whole coastline west of Accra. SW pulses are key. They’ll hook in nicely around the main headland and break over the rocks at the end of the beach on the inside – that’s to the east of the Cape Three Points Tourist Office, just through the jungles.
Access is either via the black-sand cove on the outside of the take-off point or the main yellow-sand beach to the east of that. The wave here is classic Ghana. It’s easy going, mellow, kinda fat and slow. Bring extra volume cos it’s not for rippers.
Katakor
There are mushy beach peaks on Katakor all the way from the entrance to Ezile Bay to the east. They’re great for messing around and the local kids have FUN there. Good to watch. But the best break here is known as LPs.
It’s a peeling right point that likes a bit more W in the swell direction, though will go off on anything between 90 degrees and 180. Breaks off the rocks to the west of the beach itself, about 200m from the town. Hook up with Desmond The Surf Ambassador for rentals and lessons here. He’s great.
Akwidaa
Akwidaa is 2.5km of pure beach break. Fairly consistent. Rarely amazing. Fun enough though, especially for the regular teams of groms and local surf schools that pass by.
There’s a patch of reef under Fort Dorothea that can handle the bigger swells and still hold shape, when it will be a wedgy right, though it’s advanced surfers only there cos the water can be shallow. Go inside the bay on those regular 2-3 foot Ghanaian April-July days and it should be good for learning and practicing.
Fort Metal Cross/Dixicove
Dixicove has one of the most demanding rights in the country when it’s on. A pretty wide pathc of reef under the main fort in the town (fricking cool name, Metal Cross, eh?).
It’s punchy and steep at the take off and then kinda’ peters out into a channel. We’ve never surfed it but can see that there are rocks to watch out for deeper into the bay if the waves are long enough to take you >100m or so.
Busua Beach
Busua Beach is THE place you wanna’ go if you’re coming to Ghana to surf. It’s as simple as that really. The town has taken on the mantle of Ghana’s surf capital and it’s home to the lion’s share of the surf camps in the country, many of which do great beginner packages, but also trips out to the neighboring beaches and point breaks to satisfy multi-level groups.
Busua Beach itself is perfect for learning on. It’s sand-bottomed and the waves are well tempered by the rocks to the west, meaning it’s often chest high and mellow as can be as the sets break on the inside of the bay. Often busy with schools and surf camps, it’s a good place to get used to Ghanaian waters.
It’s possible to up the size and punch a bit by heading east across the beachfront towards the Butre Hills. Doing that adds some exposure to S swells and means there will often be an extra foot in it, though it can get dumpy up there and rippy.
We have a full guide to surfing and traveling in Busua Beach right here
Punpuni Township
Big swells can refract all the way around the headland and Punpuni and drag out into small rights.
It needs BIG swell though because it’s a kinda’ east-facing beach, so there needs to be power enough to push it around and into the bay. If working, there can be a wave here that mimics a sort of Noosa peeler but it’s a rare beast. Will be empty for sure. Or at least we’d bet it would be.
Senya Beraku
There’s a pretty awesome right hander that can link up from the Fort Good Hope in the town center (now a museum that overlooks the shore) though about four or five points to create the longest rides in Ghana here.
Most often, they are sectioned out into about three or four waves with different take offs, though you wouldn’t know it because the place hardly has the crowds of Rincon Point or whatever. It’s a wave that needs volume. Loggers eat your hearts out.
Tills Beach
Another wrap-around right point that loves those SW pushes, Tills is okay but generally not as good as the right in Senya Beraku, which is just down the road. Loves direct south in the swell direction because that comes almost head-on to the point. And W trades are almost offshore, so will hold up a bit better than a lot of breaks in the area if the wind is blowing strong.
Where to stay for surfing in Ghana?
Ghana isn’t like Bali or Lombok. You don’t jet in and pick a surf hotel.
The 250km or so of coastline with waves here is still wild, wild stuff. You will probably have to do a combo of reaching out to local surf providers and booking accom in the right places.
Thankfully, we’re around to help with the latter.
Check out…
- Laughing Goat Ghana Hostel – A fun and affordable spot on Busua Beach that’s 500m from the surf spot and boasts a nice rooftop terrace. Has it’s own board rental, which makes things super easy.
- Afro Beach Eco Resort Butre – A little slice of heaven that’s plum on the beachfront east of Cape Three Points. Waves – okay, but not great, waves – break right out front, but you can travel to four or five fantastic beach spots in the region, plus a couple of nice rights. Food in the hotel is amazing.
When to surf in Ghana?
Ghana’s surf season lasts from around the beginning of April to the last days of September.
Ghana is all about long-fetch S-SW swells pushing up through the South Atlantic from the lower latitudes.
They come regularly but lose a lot of power and punch as they travel across the 1000s of kms that is the whole Atlantic. They aren’t the big beasts they are in South Africa or Namibia by the time they get here, which is why Ghana in season is still very good for intermediates and learners.
The dry season is the main tourist season and the opposite to the surf season. It runs from November to March and sees the lowest rainfall. There are likely to be almost NO waves at this time, so we’d say don’t even bother – Morocco is in season, though, so there’s that option if you’re dead set on Africa!
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!