Fort St Jago (Elmina): All You Need to Know Before Visiting

Fort Coenraadsburg which is also known as Fort Sao Tiago (Fort St Jago) da Mina, is a small Portuguese chapel dedicated to Saint Jago. It is located opposite the Elmina Castle in Central Region of Ghana to defend it from attacks.

The fort is regarded as important from a historical perspective due to its ties to the Atlantic slave trade and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, along with several other castles in Ghana.

History of Fort St Jago

Fort Conraadsburg was constructed in the 1660s on the site of a Portuguese fortified chapel that was burned down by the Dutch during the Battle of Elmina in 1637. In 1872, the Dutch transferred ownership of the fort, along with the entire Dutch Gold Coast, to Britain.

The hill where the fort now stands was originally used by the Dutch as a gun-position to attack the Portuguese in 1637. To prevent others from using the same tactic, the Dutch built a fortified earthwork the next year.

In the 1660s, J. Valckenburgh, the Director General of Elmina Castle at the time, replaced the original earthen fortification with a permanent sandstone fort named Coenraadsburg. Designed mainly for military purposes, it lacked commercial warehouses and was well-guarded, serving as both a prison for European convicts and a disciplinary institution for disobedient Dutch officers.

After being transferred to the British, the fort was adapted for civilian use and has served as a prison, hospital, rest house, inn, and restaurant over the years. Currently, it is well-maintained and functions as an inn and restaurant.

The fort opening hours are 9:00am to 4:30pm.

Entrance fee

Visitor Category	Entrance Fee*
Pupils from Primary to JHS 3	GH¢ 0.50
SHS Students	GH¢ 1.00
Tertiary Students with ID	GH¢ 2.00
Ghanaian Adults	GH¢ 5.00
Foreign Children	USD 2.00 or its equivalent in Ghana cedis
Foreign Students with ID	USD 7.00 or its equivalent in Ghana cedis
Adult Foreigners	USD 10.00 or its equivalent in Ghana cedis