Lake Bosumtwi

Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana’s only natural lake, formed in a meteorite impact crater 17 miles southeast of Kumasi. The lake is surrounded by lush greenery and dotted with small villages along its shores. Since the 1970s, it has become a popular recreational spot, offering calm waters for safe swimming. With no surface outlets, the water level has risen over time, occasionally forcing the lakeside villages to relocate. According to Ashanti traditional beliefs, the spirits of the dead visit Lake Bosumtwi to bid farewell to the god Twi, making the lake sacred. As a result, there is a taboo against letting metal touch the water, and locals fish using large planks of wood.