Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978, Gorée Island serves as a reminder of the atrocities of the slave trade. Built on volcanic rock it was an ideal location for traders to dock their ships. Visit The House of Slaves and musems which depict womens backgrounds and history (the vast majority of slaves were women). 
 
"After successfully obtaining my Mali visa when I returned to Dakar from Saint-Louis, I was able to relax and spend the afternoon on Gorée Island. This island, about 25 minutes by ferry from Dakar, was once West Africa's most famous slave centre. It is so peaceful and pleasant to walk round now, that it’s hard to imagine what it must have been like at the height of the slave trade. At that time slaves were often stored here in cells for upto 3 months awaiting shipment to the 'new world'. The island was first settled by the Portuguese in the 1450's, followed by the Dutch, then British, and finally to the French in 1600.
With no new buildings or cars, and the breeze off the sea keeping things cool, I found this island a most relaxing place to be after Dakar. I was even left in peace to explore the old slave houses and main fort, with its second world war defences used in the making of the film 'The Guns of Navarone'. I think the general neglect, to which most of the buildings were suffering, seemed to add to the charm of the place." - MH