**Tano Boase is a sacred grove in the Bono East Region of Ghana — a traditional shrine and protected forest around the Tano River, held sacred by the Bono people and associated with the deity Tano — but I should be straight with you: it is not a UNESCO World Heritage Site.** Ghana's UNESCO-listed sites are the forts and castles (Cape Coast, Elmina, etc.), Asante Traditional Buildings, and the Volta Region's Koutammakou (shared with Togo). Tano Boase is a nationally recognised sacred grove and forest reserve, not a UNESCO inscription — so if you've seen it described that way, that's an error worth correcting. What Tano Boase actually is: a grove near the town of Boase in the Bono East (historically part of the Brong-Ahafo Region), centred on the Tano River, which the Bono and wider Akan regard as the earthly home of Tano, one of the most powerful abosom (deities) in Akan cosmology. The Tano River itself is sacred — it is the river whose priests historically served many Akan states, and its grove at Boase functions as a shrine complex, a ritual bathing and purification site, and a protected patch of high forest. The grove matters on three levels. **Spiritually**, it is a living shrine — priests and priestesses serve Tano there, and traditional ceremonies, consultations and rites continue. **Ecologically**, sacred groves like Boase are among Ghana's oldest de facto conservation areas: taboo and custom protected the forest long before any Forestry Commission gazette, preserving remnant forest that surrounding farmland has lost. **Culturally**, it ties into the deep Bono-Akan story of Tano and the founding of states — the same Tano whose cult spread across Asante, Akuapem and beyond. A word of caution on visiting: sacred groves are not ordinary tourist sites. Access, photography and where you may walk are governed by the shrine's customs and the priests' permission — always seek the caretakers' blessing first. As the Akan say, *"Kɔ a, kɔ bɛka"* — when you go, go and listen before you speak. If you want, I can dig deeper for the latest on its conservation status or how to arrange a respectful visit — just say the word.