The waves arrived, crashing gently against the shores in Cape Coast, carrying with them the same salty breeze that has, for generations, welcomed fishermen, tourists, lovers, students and dreamers to one of Ghana’s most historic coastlines.
But something else is arriving too: Concrete.
Where coconut trees once stood, beautifully lining the white sands, and travellers slowed down simply to admire the beauty of the shoreline, pubs, eateries and makeshift beachfront structures now increasingly compete for space.
The transformation is happening quietly, one building at a time.
And while many see economic opportunity in the changing landscape, others are beginning to ask a difficult question: Are Ghana’s beaches gradually losing the beauty and tourism potential that once made them special?
In Cape Coast, a city globally recognised for heritage tourism, the concern is becoming harder to ignore.
Stretching along sections of the shoreline are rows of restaurants, drinking spots and food joints.
Each of these serves customers but is seemingly disconnected from any larger tourism vision.
To some observers, the issue is not development itself; the problem, they say, is the absence of planning. “What exactly are we building?”
“A beach for business, or a destination for generations?”
The changing beauty
For Emmanuel Afoakwah, a commercial driver who frequently travels between Takoradi, Cape Coast and Accra, the coastline tells a story of change, one that feels increasingly difficult to understand.
The beach in Cape Coast
Long before he entered commercial driving, he remembers journeys where simply passing through parts of Cape Coast and Takoradi brought a sense of calm.
The coconut trees stretching along sections of the sea created scenery that passengers admired. The ocean breeze, the natural shade, and the uninterrupted view of the coastline made the journey memorable.
But today, he says, much of that beauty is gradually disappearing.
Many of the coconut trees have been cleared, while buildings continue to emerge in ways he believes appear rushed and poorly coordinated.
“When they started cutting the trees, I thought something beautiful and modern was coming,” he recalled.
But now, it looks like buildings are just springing up everywhere.”
For him, the disappointment lies not in development but in what he believed could have been done differently.
“If tourism is important to us, then the beach should also look attractive,” he said.
Coastline rich, poor planning
At the centre of the concern is a question tourism experts say Ghana has delayed answering for far too long: What exactly should the country’s beaches become?
The beaches are gradually being concretised
For Professor Issahaku Adam of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the answer begins with planning.
According to him, beachfront development is not inherently harmful.
Around the world, thriving coastal destinations combine hotels, restaurants, leisure parks and recreational spaces to create memorable visitor experiences.
The challenge in Ghana, he argues, lies in how development often unfolds without coordination.
What is emerging along sections of Cape Coast’s coastline, he explained, appears piecemeal, fragmented and largely driven by individual business interests rather than a long-term destination strategy.
The result, he believes, is a missed opportunity. Instead of developing isolated eateries and drinking spots, city authorities could have first developed a comprehensive master plan to guide growth along the beachfront.
Such a plan, he explained, could have included wide pedestrian walkways, cycling spaces, landscaped recreational areas, beachfront hotels, cultural centres and designated relaxation zones that would encourage visitors to stay longer in Cape Coast.
“Tourism is not only about eating and leaving,” he stressed.
According to him, beaches should create experiences that encourage visitors to return and remain in the city for longer periods.
He explained that when destinations are properly designed, tourists do not merely stop by for meals; they stay for days, participate in recreational activities, visit nearby attractions and contribute more significantly to local economies.
Cape Coast, he argued, already possesses the natural beauty and historical significance required to become a complete tourism destination.
Yet, without planning, much of that value remains underutilised. “The city loses in the long term,” he warned.
“In the short term, individual businesses may benefit, but the destination itself loses bigger opportunities.”
Environmental threat
Beyond aesthetics and tourism revenue is another growing concern: climate vulnerability.
The beaches must be planned for utmost benefit
Professor Adam warned that while poor planning would not immediately trigger natural disasters, failing to plan for environmental risks would leave coastal communities dangerously exposed.
As climate change intensifies, rising sea levels and coastal erosion continue to threaten beachfront communities worldwide.
According to him, any serious coastal development should naturally include environmental protection measures to secure the shoreline for future generations.
Had there been a broader development strategy, he suggested, planners could have factored in protective measures against erosion and flooding, while preserving the coastline’s natural beauty.
Without such preparation, future interventions would become more costly and more difficult.
“If something happens tomorrow, we may not have the answers because we did not plan,” he cautioned.
Knowledge gap
Professor Adam said there was a growing disconnect between policymakers and expertise, saying institutions were rarely consulted in decisions affecting tourism infrastructure.
“Located within the very city experiencing these coastal changes is the University of Cape Coast, home to academics and tourism specialists with years of experience in destination planning who can be consulted.
He said the country’s development challenges partly stemmed from a tendency for policymakers, industries and academic institutions to operate independently instead of collaboratively.
Government plans separately, businesses invest separately, academia researches separately, and the result, he argues, is development that often falls short of its full potential.
According to him, universities should not be seen as distant institutions producing theories but as partners capable of offering practical solutions to national challenges.
He believes tourism experts at UCC could have contributed valuable technical guidance to shape a sustainable beachfront strategy for Cape Coast.
The media, he added, also has a responsibility to keep drawing attention to such issues and reminding authorities of the need to tap into local expertise.
“Knowledge exists,” he stressed. “The question is whether we are willing to use it.
Businesses want better, too
Interestingly, many of the concerns raised by tourism experts are shared by businesses operating along the beach.
Belief Katalhun, who owns one of the beachfront food centres serving local dishes, says she welcomes development but believes much more could have been done to maximise the area’s potential.
According to her, a more organised and attractive coastline would not only benefit business owners but also create wider opportunities for the community and the country.
She pointed to the presence of the University of Cape Coast and the growing number of international visitors in the city as opportunities that remained largely untapped.
Many foreigners visit Cape Coast, she observed, but the beachfront environment could be far more attractive if authorities, traditional leaders and investors collaborated on a clearer development agenda.
“If proper planning is done, everybody will benefit,” she said. “The businesses, the community and even Ghana as a whole,” she added.
Patrick Ankrah, who supplies drinks and bottled water near the coast, also believed the city is failing to fully project itself as a tourism destination.
For him, the beach should naturally attract people. He noted that even someone merely driving past should feel compelled to stop because of the beauty and atmosphere.
“We always say Cape Coast is a tourism city,” he observed.
“But if you look at our beaches, they should be more attractive than this.”
According to him, the beachfront should create a welcoming atmosphere that invites visitors not necessarily to spend money, but even to relax and enjoy the scenery.
“The beauty alone should draw people closer, but right now, it is not really calling people,” he stated.
While the road construction works under the Big Push would likely impact the coastline and the structures there now, any redevelopment must target properly planned long-term facilities that could significantly impact our tourism industry.
National issue
Though Cape Coast offers a visible example, many observers believe the issue stretches far beyond one city.
Across Ghana’s coastline, from Takoradi to Ada, Elmina to Keta, many beaches continue to evolve without clearly coordinated tourism visions.
In some areas, natural beauty is slowly giving way to unmanaged structures. In others, tourism potential remains largely untouched.
Yet beaches remain among Ghana’s strongest tourism assets, capable of generating employment, attracting foreign investment and extending visitor stays.
As Ghana increasingly positions tourism as a key pillar of economic growth, one difficult question continues to rise above the sound of the waves:
Are we building coastlines for today’s profits or tomorrow’s legacy?
Because once the beauty of a shoreline fades, rebuilding it would take far more than concrete
