For the most part, Accra, the capital city of Ghana, is a concrete jungle of packed office complexes and suburban homes. There are avenues and little forest groves here and there, however, the buildings certainly outnumber them. Consequently, the city has dedicated certain spaces for parks and gardens where people can escape to a calm oasis under the shade of trees. Here are the most beautiful parks and gardens in Accra.
Legon Botanical Gardens and Playground
The Legon Botanical Gardens and Playground is by far the best green space in the city. Located at the tip of the University of Ghana campus, the garden offers wide-open space to hike between the different species of tropical vegetation growing there. There is a lake with many cattle egrets hovering above. You can sit nearby this lake and reflect or relax. Kids and adults can also engage in the swinging and climbing activities in the outdoor play space. The Legon Botanical Gardens is an awesome getaway from the stress of the city.
The Efua Sutherland Children’s Park is large spot of green crouching right in the city centre, between the towering hotels and office buildings. Named after acclaimed Ghanaian playwright, Efua T Sutherland, the park is a free public space open all through the week. It offers a calm, clean park space where you can have family picnics under the shade, without having to leave the heart of Accra.
The Mmofra Foundation is an independent cultural organisation dedicated to promoting cultural awareness, especially among young children and teens. The organisation has built a small and intimate park and playground where it engineers activities to get kids to understand their culture. On weekends, the park hosts storytelling sessions where the kids get to play on the colourful swings, slides, sandboxes and other facilities and exercise their creative impulses as well.
Situated in the heart of the city, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park shares the same compound as the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum where the remains and effects of Ghana’s first leader and Pan-Africanist hero lie. This garden is populated with many benches, short shrubs and bushes as well as creative, elaborate fountains that light up at night. From the gardens, you can also see Fort Christiansborg in the distance as it is quite close to the shoreline. The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is another quiet space in Accra where you can get away from the city and enjoy a calm atmosphere during your day.
If you are looking for a clean, well-maintained events space surrounded by plush gardens, the Crystal Park in East Legon is where you should go. This park is most suited to hosting events like weddings, parties, cookouts and picnics. It is decorated with many different floral features and well illuminated with hanging bamboo lamps –perfect for staying outside until late at night.
