Gorée Island

The Island of Gorée (in French Île de Gorée) has an area of 17 hectares and is located near the coast, just 3 kilometers in front of Dakar. In 1978 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

For more than three centuries it was the most important slave market to supply slaves to the United States, the Caribbean and Brazil, mainly. The island was invaded by the Portuguese in 1444 and soon became an important commercial port and stopover on the route to the Indies. Under the Portuguese flag, the first Slave House was built in 1536, which was sold to the Dutch in 1627 who built two forts to protect their business from the slave trade. From then until 1848, the year in which France abolished slavery, the most active base of the slave trade was established on this island. The house built by a Dutchman in 1776 and which is still preserved is currently converted into a museum by UNESCO. For the African American descendants of former slaves, the House of Slaves has become a respectful place of pilgrimage.

Since 1960, the year in which Senegal acquired its independence, the island has been an important part of the active life tourist attraction of this country.

This small island is a small town of colonial houses with warm colors, with a beautiful beach, several restaurants and hotels, craft markets and very smiling people.