Kunta Kinteh Island

Kunta Kinteh Island, formerly James Island, a tiny islet in the River Gambia, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of profound and sombre significance, central to the harrowing history of the Atlantic slave trade. For centuries a strategic outpost fought over by European powers, it became a holding point in the trade in enslaved Africans. Now bearing the ruined walls of its old fort, eroded by the river, it was renamed in honour of the ancestor in Alex Haley's Roots, whose story drew the world's attention to this place. Reached by boat, it is a moving site of memory, reflection and pilgrimage, especially for the African diaspora.

What you actually see

• The fort ruins - the eroded walls on the tiny island.
• The slavery history - the harrowing story the site tells.
• Albreda and Juffureh - the mainland villages and slavery museum.
• The river setting - the boat journey to the island.

When to go

November to February, the cool, dry season, for the most comfortable visit; the island and the related sites at Albreda and Juffureh, including the National Museum of the North Bank on slavery, are reached by boat and best given time and quiet reflection. Allow emotional space for a deeply affecting visit.

Honest expectations

The island itself is small and much eroded, with only ruined fort walls remaining, so its power lies in its history, meaning and setting rather than in grand monuments; it should be approached with the respect and readiness such a place of immense suffering deserves, ideally with a guide to tell its story. As one of West Africa's most significant and moving sites of memory, central to the story of the slave trade and Roots, though, it is deeply worthwhile.

Nearby

The mainland villages of Juffureh and Albreda and their museum are close by.