Ile de Goree
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Port
Dakar, Senegal
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$149.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 5¼ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Less than two miles from Dakar lies the Island of Gorée, whose dark history comprises an integral part in the story of the slave trade.
It is a short ferry ride from the Senegalese capital over to the island. Upon arrival, you will set out on a walking tour to trace the history that wrested 40 million human beings from the shores of Africa and transported them into the nightmare of the slave trade that persisted for more than 600 years. Gorée became the first, and for a time, the most important slave depot in West Africa. Today, Ile de Gorée is listed as a Historic Monument and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
See the Slave House built in 1777 with its cells and shackles, and visit the Church of Saint Charles de Barromée, which was built in 1829. Stop at the fortress to see its underground passages, vast trenches, gun turrets and an incongruously peaceful panoramic view over land and sea.
Fully conscious of its solemn past, nowadays, Ile de Gorée is also a charming and lively town, brimming with cafés, art galleries and a beach.
Notes:
Wear comfortable walking shoes. Shade is limited; please dress accordingly. Bring a hat and wear biodegradable sunscreen. Limited tourism infrastructure is part of the charm here, and you are trading breadth of experience for authentic interaction. Please bring your spirit of adventure and bear with any language difficulties your guide may encounter and with any operational surprises that may crop up.