Ghana has different places that are ideal to retreat and connect with yourself or feed yourself spiritually. Ghana is a little oasis, located in West Africa, where different cultures, people, religions, and foods meet. It has a lot of different options to immerse yourself in nature: the oceanside, rainforest, waterfalls, lakes, mountains, and so on. The energy is very vivid and colorful. There are different ways to connect with your soul, with your spirit. It all depends on what you need!
In this article I share with you four places to retreat or connect with Spirit in Ghana:
I also share more about the possibility of going on your own customized spiritual retreat or journey in Ghana!
Traditional African Spirituality
If you are a Christian, it is not difficult to find different places where you can go to, like the Kristo Buase Monastery in Techiman or the Atwea mountains in Ashanti region (if you want to go to the latter, you can stay at the lovely Moon & Star Guesthouse). There are Christians from different countries who go to these places to pray. Of course other people also go there to find some silence and peace. Christianity is also deeply embedded in society so it is easy to find ‘the places to be’.
When you are not a Christian, it’s a bit more challenging to find spiritual places in Ghana you can go to. In every region, there are different places where you will find people practicing Traditional African Religion. At Akwasidae, a ceremony every 40 days, priests will dance to the drums and welcome different spirits in. There is also the possibility to have a consultation with a traditional priest. Mostly they do a reading or divination, followed by certain rituals that need to be performed.
Spiritual experiences in Ghana
Of course, to have spiritual experiences, you don’t need to go anywhere eventually. But there is a difference between being in Accra, the capital of Ghana, a busy city with lots of people and energy or being in a place where the connection with your spirit or the ability to really ‘retreat’ is enhanced.
In this article, I share different places in 4 different regions in Ghana where you can retreat and dive into your spirituality.
1. Lake Bosomtwe: get blessed by ancient waters
This lake is located in the Ashanti region, one hour away from Kumasi. It is a natural lake that came to be because of a meteorite that fell in that place more than a million years ago. According to traditional belief, Lake Bosomtwe is like a portal where the souls of people who died pass through to bid farewell to Asase Ya, the Earth goddess of fertility. This Lake is a great place if you want to have a getaway from the city noise and just retreat.
When you reach Lake Bosomtwe, you descend from some hills and you feel the energy shifts. There is a peace, a calmness that is present within the surrounding trees and in the lake itself. The locals are only permitted to fish from wooden planks on the lake. Aside from the beautiful scenery, there is also a silence that you will rarely experience elsewhere.
Entering the lake feels as if you are closer to the stars in the universe. This sweet, soft water is perfect for water rituals, cleaning, purification, swimming, water therapies or just enjoyment. Some guest houses at the side of the lake have private beach space or places where you can also meditate, journal or do some yoga.
I recorded a water meditation at this lake once. You can find it for free here.
2. Kwahu: remember who you are through connecting with the rocks
Kwahu, in Eastern region, is a hidden jewel between the cities of Accra and Kumasi. To get to this mystical area, you just ascend the mountain from the bustling town of Nkawkaw. There are different villages and towns once you are on top of the mountain, each with its own energy. Abetifi is the highest habitable place in Ghana, for example. If you stay in Obomeng, you will experience how it is to be hugged by the green mountains. The mornings have these mysterious fog roaming through the area. When you see the fog greeting the day together with the sunrise, it will touch something profoundly within your spirit.
In the whole area of Kwahu, there are many trees and many places with stones or rocks. In Abetifi, you can go to Stone Age Park to do yoga, meditate, journal or connect with the rocks and get insights into the ancient way of living. There is so much knowledge in minerals, in stones. The stones remember. They have stories to tell. Sitting on them while connecting with their wisdom can be a deep experience for the re-awakening of your own spirit. In Twenedurase, you can do a little hike to the Nkofie Caves. These caves have powerful energies. Powerful spirit beings are guarding the place too, I believe. It is said that if you make a wish or prayer inside the cave, it will come true. I can testify that all the wishes I have done, every time I went to the cave, have come true. The caves are located in the middle of a protected forest.
3. Wli waterfalls: wash your stress away
The Wli waterfalls are located in the Volta region, close to the Ghana-Togo border. The whole Volta region has a very calm and spiritual energy. The way people act and communicate is different from what you’ll see in other parts of Ghana. In a way, it feels less intense, as if you can put your guard down and soak in the healing energy of the trees, the mountains, and the waterfalls. The Volta region is also a part of Ghana where Traditional African Religion, like voodoo and Fa, is still very alive.
The Wli waterfalls are the highest in Ghana and the water is very purifying. This is an ideal place to go to if you feel you want to start anew, want to let go of certain things, recharge, and let go of the stress that resides in your body. There are different peaceful places to stay within nature around the waterfalls, where you can deeply connect with yourself and your surroundings. You can choose to do a hike to the upper waterfall, or walk to the lower waterfall. Whichever waterfall you choose, it is good to set an intention for yourself so that the journey towards the waterfall becomes intentional and healing. What do you want to let go of, heal from, clear, or purify? Ask the water for permission to enter before you do so. And state your intention. Watch the energies unfold in the days, weeks, months to come!
4. Butre: retreat & recharge
Butre is a village in the Western region of Ghana. There is a neighboring town, Busua, that is usually more popular with tourists because you can get surfing lessons there and the town is a bit bigger than Butre. But if you are searching for a place where you can retreat and recharge, Butre is the place to be! There are different guest houses in the area where you can stay or camp.
Butre is a place where the river and the sea meet. There is a possibility to go on the river on an early boat trip to spot some birds. The beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Ghana. You can enjoy long beach walks, run, walk barefoot, sungaze, collect beautiful shells, and rest. If you have a connection with water spirits or the ocean goddess, this place will make you feel at home. The internet connection isn’t the best here, which means it is a great place to even do a social media break or silent retreat on yourself or with a friend.
Spirituality in daily life
In any of these places, and also in other villages, towns and cities, there are other ways to connect spiritually, of course. It is essential to identify and follow what feels true to you and connect with your intuition. Retreating and recharging can help you with this. It can help to ‘cut other energies’ that normally keep you busy, bring chaos or cloud your mind. Retreating makes you see things more clearly, it makes you understand your own energy better. Therefore, you can start to understand other energies.
There are different ways to retreat. For some people, this can also be dancing with other people, creating pottery with a local woman, cooking food together, or having deep reasoning conversations with a local fisherman! Spirituality is part of daily life. It is not separate from other things we experience.
In the end, what does it mean to connect spiritually? To experience your spirituality? In a way it means that you realize and feel that we are all one, that we are connected. So, being connected to your higher self and living spiritually is a daily practice that we must carry in our interaction with other human beings, animals, nature, and the elements.
Do you have a favorite place in Ghana to retreat or connect spiritually? I am super curious to hear more from you !
Or are you coming to Ghana? Where would you go if you could choose?
Are you interested in a spiritual retreat / holiday / journey in Ghana?
I may have just what you are looking for ! I organize customized spiritual journeys in Ghana. There are different options, so if you are interested, click on the button below to explore the options.
Are you interested in knowing more about what I do?
With love, Ama
