Fort Victoria

Cape Coast, Ghana, Ghana

---

Fort Victoria is a historic British colonial fort located in Cape Coast, Ghana, initially known as "Phipps Tower" in honor of its constructor English Governor James Phipps, and later renamed Fort Victoria in honor of Queen Victoria of Great Britain.

Built in 1821 on a hillside in the western part of Cape Coast Township on the site of an earlier ruined fort from 1712, the fort was constructed between 1821 and 1828 and served as an outlook post for signalling and surveillance purposes, offering stunning views over both the Atlantic Ocean and the historic town.

Perched high on a hill overlooking Cape Coast, it is one of Ghana's lesser-known but deeply fascinating historic treasures that played a significant role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the gold trade between Ghana and Britain. Along with other nearby forts and castles, Fort Victoria was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 because of its European colonial significance, and it is one of the unique forts that had a hidden tunnel built specifically for Queen Victoria.

The fort has been preserved as a monument and remains in respectable condition, open to visitors daily from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm with entrance fees ranging from 0.50 GH¢ for local students to USD 10 for international adults.