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Goree Island
A small car-free island off Dakar, a UNESCO-listed memorial to the Atlantic slave trade with colourful colonial streets
A small car-free island off Dakar, a UNESCO-listed memorial to the Atlantic slave trade with colourful colonial streets
The Maison des Esclaves, built in the late 18th century, is a museum and memorial with cells and the ‘Door of No Return’ opening onto the sea. Historians debate how many enslaved people passed through this house, but it has become a powerful place of remembrance.
Check opening times before you go.
Photo: Fawaz.tairou, CC BY 4.0
The rocky high point at the southern end of the island has old fortifications, large guns and views back to Dakar. Local artists sell their work along the path.
Photo: HaguardDuNord, CC BY-SA 3.0
Without cars, the island’s lanes of colonial houses, small churches and squares are best explored slowly on foot. The IFAN Historical Museum in the old Fort d’Estrées covers Senegal’s history.
Photo: Josi Salgado, CC BY-SA 4.0
The island’s small beach by the jetty and the harbour front look across the water to the Dakar skyline.
Photo: Fawaz.tairou, CC BY 4.0
Small restaurants by the jetty serve grilled fish, thieboudienne and yassa. Prices are higher than in Dakar.
A few guesthouses allow you to stay overnight, when the island is quiet after the last day visitors leave.
Ferries leave from the port of Dakar near the Plateau and take about 20 minutes. They run roughly every hour or two; foreign visitors pay a higher fare than residents, plus a small tourist tax on arrival.
There are no cars on the island; everything is reached on foot. Citizens of the EU, the UK, the US and many other countries have been able to visit Senegal visa-free for up to 90 days, but the government has announced a reciprocity-based e-visa for countries that require visas from Senegalese citizens. Check current rules before you travel.
Senegal uses the West African CFA franc (XOF), which is pegged to the euro (€1 = 655.957 XOF). Carry cash for markets, taxis and small restaurants; Wave and Orange Money are widely used.
Fares and fees are approximate; check them at the ferry terminal.
History, views and quiet lanes.
Take a morning ferry, visit the House of Slaves and the IFAN Historical Museum, have lunch by the jetty and walk up to Le Castel.
The House of Slaves is a place of remembrance; behave accordingly.
Check the return time of the last ferry.
Unofficial guides meet the ferry; agree any fee in advance or politely decline.
Bring water and sun protection.
Quick answers for planning time in Gorée Island.
By ferry from the port of Dakar, about 20 minutes.
No, the island is car-free.
In 1978.
Yes, there are a few guesthouses.
November to May, the dry season.
French and Wolof are the main languages; translation helps outside tourist areas.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our Senegal travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.