Gorée Island

Gorée Island, a short ferry ride from Dakar, is one of the most beautiful and deeply moving places in Senegal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its car-free lanes of pastel colonial houses draped in bougainvillea are lovely, but its significance is sombre: for centuries Gorée was a centre of the Atlantic slave trade, and its Maison des Esclaves, the House of Slaves, with its haunting Door of No Return, stands as a powerful memorial to the millions of Africans torn from the continent. It is a place of pilgrimage, reflection and remembrance.

What you actually see

• The House of Slaves - the memorial and its Door of No Return.
• The colonial lanes - the pastel houses and bougainvillea.
• The historical museum - the exhibits on the island's past.
• The island views - the quiet, car-free streets and sea.

When to go

November to May, the cooler, drier season, for the most comfortable visit; the island is a short, frequent ferry ride from Dakar and is best given time and quiet reflection rather than rushed. Approach the House of Slaves with the respect and emotional readiness such a place deserves.

Honest expectations

Historians debate the precise scale of the trade that passed through Gorée specifically, but its role and its power as a symbol and memorial of the immense human tragedy of slavery are beyond question, and a visit is deeply affecting. The island can be busy and vendors persistent. As a beautiful, poignant place of memory and reflection, though, it is one of the most significant and moving sites in West Africa.

Nearby

The capital Dakar and its monuments and markets are just across the water.