Off the coast of Dakar, Gorée is an island of volcanic origin, a unique place steeped in history, a must during a stay in Senegal. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978, it is the symbol of the slave trade in Africa, but also the symbol of reconciliation between peoples. You must soak up its special atmosphere, appreciate its quiet charm and stroll through its narrow streets lined with bougainvilleas where its decrepit colonial buildings and its unique colours are revealed: reds with a patina of ages, Spanish (or Italian) ochres with fragile scales... And of course, visit its museums and its famous House of the Slaves, a place of memory of a whole continent in search of a vanished history, a red-hot burn inflicted by colonization. Nelson Mandela, the liberator of black South Africans subjected to apartheid after centuries of slavery, and former Pope John Paul II, Yasser Arafat, came here to gather in memory of the 12.5 million slaves deported to the Americas between 1501 and 1866. It is no coincidence that Barack Obama, the first black American president, came on a solemn visit to Gorée with his family on 27 June 2013 before embarking on a major African political tour. A tour of the island only takes a few minutes. To the right of the landing stage on arrival, here is the residential area. On the left, it is the lively, popular Gorée, with open doors, because everyone knows each other, with alleys brightened up with artists' paintings. Because Gorée is a major meeting place for African artists. You have to climb to the top of the island, to the Castel, and let yourself be amazed by the many colourful paintings of the artists who exhibit along this alley leading to the Castel. At the top, the view over Dakar is sublime. Then, take a trip to the interesting Historical Museum on the tip of the island, leave, digest it all, and then come back for the selfless pleasure of taking the rowboat and rediscovering this atmosphere, these sublime houses. Allow yourself a short break on the beach of the Landing where the clear water invites you to swim. Blessed are those who take the shuttle in the late afternoon, against the tourist flow, and disembark for a peaceful evening on the island, where the atmosphere is more authentic than during the day

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Village de l'île de Gorée. Tom Pepeira - Iconotec
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