How safe is Ghana for travelers?

The travel advisory, stated plainly

• The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Bawku Municipal area, in the Upper East region on the Burkina Faso border. Travelling against that advice can invalidate travel insurance.
• The rest of the country carries no such advisory, which is why Accra and Kumasi are ordinary destinations and this page is written for people going there.

Roads

• Street lighting is poor or absent. Avoid road travel outside the main towns after dark, both for accidents and for the higher risk of attacks on vehicles.
• Expect impromptu police checkpoints if you drive at night.
• The FCDO names specific Accra roads where robberies happen, including Graphic Road, the George Walker Bush Highway, the Accra Mall roundabout, Awudome Cemetery Road, the Pokuase to Amasaman road, the Teshie to Nungua road, the Labadi beach area, the GIMPA road and Kokrobite beach.

Water

• The southern coast has rip tides. Beaches that look calm are the ones that catch people, and lifeguards are not a given.

Laws that catch visitors out

• Cannabis possession can mean 5 years or more. There is no tourist allowance.
• Photography near the airport and near military sites is illegal. Put the phone away rather than argue about what counts.
• Camouflage clothing is illegal for civilians. This is a common rule across West Africa and a common way to lose a bag of clothes.