Atorkor Slave Markets
Atorkor Slave Market is a historic site located in Ghana’s Volta Region that once served as a transit point in the transatlantic slave trade. This coastal village was a slave trading post where captured individuals were gathered before being transported to forts like Elmina and Cape Coast for shipment overseas. Though less well-known than other sites, Atorkor played a significant role in the slave trade’s coastal network.
History of Atorkor Slave Market
During the 17th and 18th centuries, Atorkor was an active slave transit town in collaboration with European merchants, particularly the British. Local chiefs and middlemen captured or bought enslaved people from inland territories and brought them to Atorkor, where they were held, traded, or marched to larger forts along the coast.
In recent years, the site has gained attention for its potential in heritage tourism and education. The town also houses a monument and a small information center commemorating its past.
Location and How to Get There
Atorkor is a coastal town in the Keta District of Ghana’s Volta Region, roughly a 3-hour drive from Accra. It is accessible by car via Sogakope or Ada.
GPS Coordinates: 5.9196° N, 0.7870° E
Nearby Landmarks: Keta Lagoon, Fort Prinzenstein, and the Atorkor Vocational Training Institute.
Location and How to Get There
Cultural Significance and Legacy
Though Atorkor isn’t as commercialized as other slave heritage sites, its historical importance is deeply rooted in local culture. The community is now working to preserve its legacy, using oral history and developing historical landmarks to ensure future generations never forget the impact of slavery on the Volta Region.
Atorkor’s story highlights the role of smaller, lesser-known ports in the broader slave trade narrative of West Africa.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Atorkor is during the dry season (November to March), when the coastal roads are dry and weather conditions are ideal. Weekdays tend to be quieter, and you may have a more personalized experience.
Tour Tips and Entry Fees
Entry Fee: Most visits are free, though donations are encouraged to support community efforts.
Guided Tours: Available from local community leaders or by request through tour companies.
What to Bring: Water, sunblock, camera, and respectful attire.
Etiquette: Be mindful—this is a place of memory and sorrow.
Tour Tips and Entry Fees
Fort Prinzenstein: A former Danish slave fort in Keta, just 30 minutes away.
Keta Lagoon: Great for birdwatching and eco-tourism.
Woe Lighthouse: A scenic historic landmark.
Anloga Town: A center of Ewe culture and traditional music
Frequently Asked Questions
At sites like the Atorkor Slave Market along Ghana’s coast, auctions typically happened whenever European slave ships arrived. These ships came on irregular schedules, sometimes monthly or even seasonally, depending on demand and weather. During peak slave trade years in the 18th and early 19th centuries, some auctions took place every few weeks
Enslaved Africans who were sold and transported to the Americas or Caribbean were forced to work every day, often with no rest days. Those who remained as domestic or farm laborers in West Africa also worked daily, especially during planting and harvest seasons. Work was backbreaking and relentless
Tragically, beatings were frequent and brutal. Enslaved individuals were beaten as punishment, for control, or to instill fear. At slave forts and markets like Atorkor, physical violence was a tool used by both local captors and foreign traders to maintain dominance and obedience
Slaves were typically fed once or twice a day, and even then, meals were minimal—often just gruel, cassava, or leftover scraps. At holding sites like Atorkor, food was kept basic and rationed strictly, as enslaved people were not seen as deserving proper care by their captors
Enslaved people could be sold multiple times in their lives. From the moment of capture to arrival at slave markets like Atorkor, they were passed from hand to hand—from raiders to local chiefs, to coastal traders, and then to Europeans. It was not uncommon for an enslaved person to be sold two or more times before even leaving African soil
Slavery has existed in various forms throughout human history, across cultures and continents. However, the transatlantic slave trade, which markets like Atorkor were part of, was largely driven by European powers in the 15th to 19th centuries. Portugal, Britain, the Netherlands, France, and others created a system that commodified human lives on an unprecedented scale. African intermediaries and kingdoms also played roles in capturing and selling people, often for European goods.
Atorkor Slave Market is one of Ghana’s lesser-known yet deeply important slave trade sites. It offers a raw, community-based reflection on the horrors of slavery and the resilience of the people who lived through and after it. Visiting Atorkor allows travelers to uncover hidden layers of Ghana’s coastal slave route history—making it a must-see for heritage tourists, educators, and conscious travelers alike.
