La Beach

Being God’s day of rest, a lot of Accra’s shops and museums close on a Sunday. So I decided to head out to La Beach, a few kilometres east of the centre of Accra, and easy to get to by tro-tro from 37 station.

I arrived early and took a stroll down the beach. It was still pretty quiet and most beach bars were still setting up. The beach has a long stretch of sand, more or less covered in parasols and tables and chairs belonging to the many restaurants. The sea seems pretty rough here and I wouldn’t recommend swimming.

I settled down in a comfortable looking spot and relaxed with a book. Within an hour, once church services were over, the beach really started to liven up. The restaurants were quickly filling up, small children were enjoying pony rides along the sea front, boys were playing beach football, and surfing lessons were up for grabs. I was content to simply read my book.

Visitors to the beach will not want for food and drink options. I opted for Vienna City Beach restaurant, simply because it had a huge, comfortable indoor area where I could shelter when the rain inevitably came. The food wasn’t bad, though a little pricey at around 30 cedis for a main (around £6). The red snapper was tasty and fresh, and served up completely whole (eyes and all) on the plate. Avoid the bread (or better yet, ask them for no butter – which is pretty grim tasting margarine).

The down side of a trip to the beach is you’ll find it difficult to find a spot for quiet contemplation. Even early on a Sunday afternoon music blares from all the restaurants, sometimes aggressively so. Apparently Wednesday night is the time to visit the beach. Given how buzzing the beach was on a Sunday, I wonder just how loud it gets on a Wednesday.

There are a number of vendors ploughing the beach, mostly selling paintings, shell jewellery and wood carvings. As a result it is impossible to go to the beach without experiencing some hassle to buy. However, most of those selling are so very amiable in their approach that the hassle really isn’t too bad at all. In fact, from time to time I enjoyed the company and conversation.