Culture & Heritage
Paga crocodile pond: what the ritual visit actually involves
Upper East Region
Paga Crocodile Pond, Upper East Region
A sacred pond on the Burkina Faso border where the crocodiles are considered the reincarnated souls of the townspeople.
The crocodiles of Paga are protected by a taboo that has held for centuries: no resident of the town will harm them, and the crocodiles in turn have never harmed a resident. Each is understood to carry the soul of a member of the community.
Guides call a crocodile out of the water with a live fowl, which is offered after the visit. Visitors may sit beside the animal for photographs under the guide’s direction. It is a managed ritual, not a wildlife encounter, and the fee supports the custodian families.
Paga sits a kilometre from the Burkina Faso frontier and is usually visited alongside the Pikworo slave camp at Nania and the Sirigu painted houses to the east.
What to see
- The pond ritual with a custodian guide
- Pikworo Slave Camp at Nania, three kilometres away
- The painted courtyard houses of Sirigu
- The Burkina Faso border post, one kilometre north
Getting there
- Fly to Tamale, then drive three hours north to Bolgatanga and on to Paga.
- Shared taxis run from Bolgatanga station to Paga through the day.
Get directions
Visitor tips
- Agree the fee, including the fowl, before the ritual begins.
- Follow the guide exactly, the animals are wild despite the tradition.
