Things to Do in La Beach

Join the Saturday night reggae jam

Starting around eight the sea wall becomes an open-air stage; bass lines wobble across the sand while dancers move in bare feet, kicking up dust that catches the bar lights. Someone will press a calabash of sobolo into your hands - hibiscus sharp, ginger hot - just as the drummer drops a thunderous rim-shot you feel in your knees.

Dawn fishing-boat pull-out

At 5 a.m. the crew of the 'Blessing' shouts for extra hands. You heave the painted canoe seaward with rope that bites your palms while the surf roars and sprays your face with warm salt. For the effort you get first pick of the silver anchovies flipping on the wet sand, their scales flashing like scattered coins.

Take a beginner surf lesson on the inside break

The sandy bottom here forgives wobbles. Instructors push you into waist-high rollers that smell faintly of diesel and cocoa husks from the nearby port. You'll taste brine when you tumble, then hear the laughter of kids body-boarding on broken fridge doors farther down the beach.

Street-food crawl along the Marine Drive promenade

Start with kelewele - plantain cubes caramelized in chili and nutmeg - then move to grilled octopus whose tentacles crisp over flame, finishing with kenkey so fermented it makes your tongue tingle. The air hangs with onion smoke and the sweet reek of shito chili paste that lingers on your fingers all evening.

Sunday acrobatics and pickup volleyball

University students set up a net at ten. Newcomers rotate in after every three points. Between serves you watch tumblers back-flip off the sea wall, landing in soft sand that puffs around their ankles while the crowd claps in sync with the slap of palms on the ball.

La Pleasure Beach Hotel - rooms open straight onto volleyball pitch sand, drumming audible until midnight

Academic Plus Guesthouse on Aviation Road - quiet backstreet, rooftop views of fishing canoes

Pink Hostel two blocks inland - dorm beds, cold AC, cockerels replace surf as alarm clock

Tropical Even Apartments behind the lighthouse - self-catering, good for longer stays, mosque loud at dawn

La Beach Hotel proper - mid-range, pool shielded from Atlantic winds, Sunday buffet tends to book up

Budget lodgings above chop bars on Teshie Road - shared bath, smells of fried fish, stagger-distance to bars