Nzulezu (or Nzulezo) Stilt Village

Nzulezu Stilt Village

Near the coast at the far western side of Ghana, near the border with Cote d'Ivoire, is a village that is unique in all of Ghana. Nzulezu is a village that has been built on stilts above a lagoon. It is essentially one long pier, called Main Street by the locals, with buildings constructed on both sides. One side of the 'street' are living quarters while the other side of the street has businesess, the school, a community center and other commercial ventures.

The village of Nzulezu is about a 7 hour drive west of Accra. Some people love it. Some people feel that the travel time is not worth the experience. If you are staying at one of the beaches in the Western Region, such as Busua or Axim, the visit to Nzulezu can easily be done as a day trip.

The legend of this village is that the protecting spirit of the village, a snail, traveled to lead people to this place to establish a home.

Today the village subsists on fishing, farming on nearby land, and tourism. There is also guesthouse at the village, but do not expect modern standards.

The Nzulezu stilt village is not connected to electricity, but there are a significant number of television poles attached to almost every home in the village. These are powered by car batteries. For source of light in the night villages use lantern, flash light or rechargeable lamps to move about.

Amansuri Wetlands

One of the highlights of a visit to Nzulezu is certainly the journey to get there. Nzulezo is one part of the Amasuri Wetland, a ramsar site and the largest inland swamp forest in Ghana. After driving as far as the unpaved road will allow for the current conditions, there will be a short walk to get to your canoe. A canoe ride of 45 minutes to an hour passes narrow, lush channels, open plains, and finally the wide expanse of Amansuri Lake. The ride is safe and lifejackets are available.

Nearby Attractions

When visiting Nzulezu, you should take time to visit a few other local attractions.

Ankasa Nature Reserve is a rarely visited park. This is a true rainforest environment with the highest rainfall of anywhere in Ghana.

Fort Apollonia is the westernmost Colonial-era fort in Ghana. This is an easy visit because arrangements for Nzulezu are made in Beyin, the beach village where Fort Apollonia is located.

Childhood home of Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of an independent Ghana.