Ile de Goree

To the east of Dakar, about 3km offshore, is Île de Gorée, one of the earliest European settlements along this part of coast.

Today is a haven of history and peace within easy reach of Dakar via ferry which departs every two hours during the daylight.

Local Art & Crafts

You will find a variety of traditional vibrant, colourful fabrics and canvasses, together with wooden carvings and instruments on display on the island produced by local artists.

The Old Slave Trading Station

With its colonial brick-structures and sand-blown, bougainvillea-flushed alleyways, this island is a haven of tranquillity. But there's a sad background to all this calm beauty - Île de Gorée used to be an important slave trading station, and many visitors come here for traces of this tragic past.  Maison des Esclaves (Slave House) is a museum dedicated to the slave era.

The Fort

The Fort stands as a reminder of the Second World War.  Here visitors can see a memorial statue and the original heavy metal war guns, and view a red buoy out in the sea marking where a British ship was sunk by the guns during the war.  You can find out more about the effects of the war on Gorée Island by visiting the island’s museum of history.  There is also the opportunity to visit a traditional African mosque.