Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, embarked on an ambitious project to build the world’s largest water reservoir in 1961. Many people thought Nkrumah was pushing the country’s capabilities to their limits when he proposed the project, which was judged extremely ambitious and near-impossible at the time.
Despite all obstacles, Dr. Nkrumah created the largest artificial lake in living memory by 1965. This great achievement was not achieved without cost. As part of the project, the land encompassing over 3000 square miles was flooded, requiring the relocation of over 78,000 people.
The lake’s northernmost tip is near the town of Yapei, while its southernmost point is at the Akosombo Dam, which is also responsible for the country’s electrical power supply. (Other notable dams, such as the Bui Dam, have provided electricity to the country over the years.)
Despite its origins as a source of power generation, the Lake has evolved into one of Ghana’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting thousands of people from within and beyond the country each year.
Dodi Island, a small island village developed as a result of the lake construction, is at the heart of tourism. Five kilometers off the shore of Lake Volta, the island is located. Tourists usually travel by cruise ship to the little, remote village of 600 residents (2012).
Through the Adomi Bridge, which connects the Eastern Region to the Volta Region at Kpong, the River Volta, an outflow of the Volta Lake, serves as another prominent tourism destination.
Unusual About Lake Volta
Lake Volta is one of the world’s largest man-made lakes, with a storage capacity of 124,000,000 acre-feet (153,000,000,000 cubic m) of water. It stretches for around 250 miles (400 kilometres) and covers 3,283 square miles (8,502 square kilometres), or about 3.6 percent of Ghana’s land area.
How Deep Is The Volta Lake
Lake Volta/Max depth
75 m
Ghana Travel Restrictions
Ghana is open to most travelers again. I mean travelers from all over the world. However, you do need proof of your COVID-19 vaccination(s) or a negative test result before being allowed entry.
Many hotels, attractions, and private tours are open with new health & safety protocols in place, and you still have to follow certain guidelines. They are all good for our safety.
Read the ultimate travel guide to Ghana to help you plan