Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE SLAVE HOUSE
Île de Gorée was an important trading station during the 18th and 19th centuries, and many merchants built
houses in which they would live or work in the upper storey and store their human cargo on the lower floor.
La Maison des Esclaves (The Slave House;
Click here
) is one of the last remaining 18th-century buildings of
this type on Gorée. It was built in 1786 and renovated in 1990 with French assistance. With its famous 'doorway
to nowhere' opening directly from the storeroom onto the sea, this building has enormous spiritual significance
for some visitors, particularly African Americans whose ancestors were brought from Africa as slaves.
Walking around the dimly lit dungeons, you can begin to imagine the suffering of the people held here. It is this
emotive illustration that really describes La Maison des Esclaves as a whole - its historical significance in the
slave trade may not have been huge, but the island's symbolic role is immense.
The island's precise status as a slave-trading station is hotly debated. Of the 20 million slaves that were taken
from Africa, the general belief is that only around 300 per year may have gone through Gorée (historians and aca-
demics dispute the exact number and some argue that no slaves passed through this specific house) and, even
then, the famous doorway would not have been used - ships could not get near the dangerous rocks and the town
had a jetty a short distance away.
But the number of slaves transported from here isn't what matters in the debate around Gorée. The island and
museum stands as a melancholy reminder of the suffering the Atlantic slave trade inflicted on African people.
Sleeping & Eating
Many Gorée residents keep a spare room for unexpected (and paying) visitors - just ask
around and someone will know someone. Prices per person start at around CFA9000 per
night.
For cheaper food options than the Hostellerie, check out any of the many eateries op-
posite the jetty.
Chez Valerie
GUESTHOUSE
$
)
One of the prettiest and
(
33 821 8195; csaodakar@orange.sn; 7 Rue St Joseph; r CFA15,000-20,000;
friendliest private options is Chez Valerie, an old Goréen house.
Hostellerie du Chevalier de Boufflers
FRENCH
$$
( 33 822 5364; r from CFA18,000-23,000; )
Set in one of Gorée's classic elegant old homes,
this place is mainly famous for its garden restaurant serving seafood-focused fare (meals
CFA5000-7000) but also offers five tasteful rooms.
Getting There & Away
A
ferry
( 33 849 7961, 24hr info line 77 628 1111)
runs regularly from the wharf in Dakar to
Gorée (CFA6000 return for nonresidents, 20 minutes).
