Île de Gorée (Gorée Island)

In 1444, the Portuguese arrived in the region and they started trading with the locals.

The Portuguese built a fort on the island of Bezeguiche, which they also called Palma. The island had never been settled before due to the lack of fresh water. In the 1530s, the Portuguese started to use the island as a base for their slave trade. It was captured by the Dutch, who renamed it Goeree, after the island of Goeree-Overflakkee in the Netherlands.

The British took control in 1664 and then the French conquered it in 1677. By that time, the name of the island had become Gorée.

In 1794, the French abolished slavery, although Napoleon Bonaparte reinstated it in 1802 and the slave trade at Gorée continued until 1848.

In 1857, the French established a military stronghold at the village of Ndakaaru, on the mainland opposite from Gorée. The French called it Dakar. With the rise of Dakar, Gorée lost in importance and it slowly declined.

Île de Gorée is a very small island 3 km (2 mi) off Dakar's eastern coast. It has only about 1,800 inhabitants and, although it is close to Dakar (only a 20-minutes boat ride), it has a completely different, mellow atmosphere. There are no roads and no cars on the island. Most buildings are colonial style.

Points of interest

The Bambara quarter is situated in the center of the island. It was a segregated area, where slaves were housed that worked on the island.
Le Castel is an elevated rock plateau the provides good views over the island and Dakar.
The Maison des Esclaves (House of Slaves) serves as a memorial to the victims of slavery on Gorée Island. The museum is housed in a building that was constructed in 1776 for slave trader Nicolas Pépin. Parts of the building were used to hold slaves, before being shipped to the Americas. Although there is little to see, it is still a grim reminder of one of the darkest periods in Senegal's history. The museum opened in 1962.
The Musée de la Mer (Maritime Museum).
The Rue des Dungeons (Dungeon Street).

There are numerous hotels and restaurants on Goré Island. After sunset, everything, including the restaurants, closes and the streets become deserted. Ferries to the island leave from the jetty near Dakar's railway station, but it is also possible to hitch a ride with one of the local fishermen.

On Île de Gorée, souvenirs can be bought from the tourist market near the ferry ramp. The island has several good beaches.

Gorée was inscribed in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites in 1978.

Hotels in Île de Gorée

Images

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