Located east of Korle Lagoon, Jamestown is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city of Accra. The community on this site settled as early as the 17th century around the British Fort James, built on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The settlement grew to a great extent in the late 19th century, and after the development and expansion of the urban boundaries in the twentieth century, Jamestown became a mixture of commercial and densely populated residential neighbourhood. Today, the primary population of Jamestown remains a fishing community.
Although the area is neglected and considered poor, it is popular with tourists. Remnants of the country's colonial past remain here in the form of the original Jamestown Light Lighthouse building, built by the British next to the fort in 1871, and reconstructed and relocated in the 1930s. The structure is 28 metres high and the light extends up to 30 kilometres. The observation deck can be climbed to see the entire neighbourhood, the bay and the fishing boats.
Attractions also include Fort James, the old customs house, Makola Market No. 2. A special feature of the neighbourhood is the local king's palace, a blue colonial-style building decorated with relief paintings and primitive lion sculptures at the entrance. It is located next to a football field.
The Ghanaian government has had plans to make massive investments in the development of Jamestown, but so far there are not enough funds to realise the project.
