How to get to Akosombo Dam

About Akosombo Dam

Lake Volta was formed between 1961 and 1965, when the Akosombo Dam was built across the Volta River to power a planned aluminum industry. The reservoir behind it covers about 8,500 square kilometres — around 3.6% of Ghana's entire land area — making it the largest artificial lake in the world by surface area. Its turbines still generate over 1,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power for Ghana and its neighbors, though the dam's construction also displaced an estimated 80,000 people, a legacy the country continues to reckon with.

Getting there

Akosombo is about 100 km north-east of Accra. The usual route is the Accra–Tema motorway or the Dodowa road north to Juapong and Atimpoku, where the Adomi Bridge crosses the Volta just below the dam. The drive takes around two to three hours.

For live, turn-by-turn directions from wherever you are — by car, trotro, motorbike, bicycle or on foot — open Akosombo Dam on the Lincoln Navigation map. It also shows the weather there and any road hazards reported along the way.

Before you go

• Tours of the dam are run by the Volta River Authority; ask about them in Akosombo.
• Boat cruises on Lake Volta leave from the Akosombo port area on some days.
• Atimpoku, by the Adomi Bridge, is known for grilled "one man thousand" fish and fresh shrimp from the river.