How to get to Paga Crocodile Pond

About Paga Crocodile Pond

Paga, in Ghana's Upper East Region right on the border with Burkina Faso, is known for its sacred crocodile ponds. Local tradition holds that the crocodiles carry the souls of the community's ancestors, so they are protected rather than hunted, and they have lived alongside people here for generations.

The crocodiles are famously calm, and with a guide visitors can approach — and even touch — one, usually after the guides tempt it out of the water with a chicken.

Getting there

Paga is about 40 km north of Bolgatanga, a short way past Navrongo on the main road to the Burkina Faso border. Most people reach it via Tamale and Bolgatanga.

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

Before you go

• Only approach the crocodiles with a guide, and follow their lead.
• The Pikworo Slave Camp, a sobering site from the slave-trade era, is close by and often visited on the same trip.