There is some controversy about some of the sites listed below. Goree Island in Senegal for example has long marketed itself as a major slave-trade port, but historians argue it didn't play a huge role in exporting slaves to the Americas. For most people, it's the symbolism that matters. There is no one that can visit these sites without reflecting deeply about the human and social cost of slavery.
GHANA
Ghana celebrated its 50th year of independence in 2007 and heavily marketed itself as a destination for African-Americans to visit the slave-trade sites and invest in the country.Important slavery sites in Ghana include:
St George's Castle in Elmina, one of several former slave forts along Ghana's Atlantic coast, is a hugely popular destination and place of pilgrimage for African-American tourists and visitors from all over the world. A guided tour will lead you through slave dungeons and punishment cells. A slave auctioning room now houses a small museum.
Cape Coast Castle and Museum. The Cape Coast Castle played a prominent role in the slave trade and daily guided tours include the slave dungeons, Palaver hall, the grave of an English Governor, and more. The castle was the headquarters for the British colonial administration for nearly 200 years. The Museum houses objects from around the region including artifacts used during the slave trade. An informative video gives you a good introduction to the business of slavery and how it was conducted.
The Gold Coast in Ghana is in fact lined with old forts used by European powers during the slave trade. Some of the forts have been turned into guesthouses offering basic accommodation. Other forts like Fort Amsterdam in Abanze have many original features, which gives you a good idea of what it was like during the slave trade.
Salaga in northern Ghana was the site of a major slave market. Today visitors can see the grounds of the slave market; slave wells which were used to wash slaves and spruce them up for a good price; and a huge cemetery where slaves who had died were laid to rest.
More information about traveling in Ghana
SENEGAL
Goree Island (Ile de Goree) , is Senegal's premiere destination for those interested in the history of the trans-Atlantic slave-trade.The main attraction is the Maison des Esclaves (House of Slaves) built by the Dutch in 1776 as a holding point for slaves. The house has been converted into a museum and is open every day except Monday. Tours will take you through the dungeons where the slaves were held and explain exactly how they were sold and shipped.
Find out more about getting to Goree Island, tours and lodging.
BENIN
Porto-Novo is the capital of Benin and was established as a major slave-trading post by the Portuguese in the 17th century. Ruined castles can still be explored.Ouidah (west of Coutonou) is where slaves captured in Togo and Benin would spend their final night before embarking on their trans-Atlantic journey. There's a History Museum (Musee d'Histoire d'Ouidah) which tells the story of the slave trade. It is open daily (but closed for lunch).
The Route des Esclaves is a 2.5 mile (4km) road lined with fetishes and statues where the slaves would take their final walk down to beach and to the slave-ships. Important memorials have been set up in the last village on this road, which was the "point of no return".
THE GAMBIA
The Gambia is where Kunta Kinte hails from, the slave Alex Haley's novel Roots was based on. There are several important slavery sites to visit in the Gambia:Albreda is an island that was an important slave post for the French. There is now a slave museum.
Jufureh is the home village of Kunta Kinte and visitors on a tour can sometimes meet the members of the Kinte clan. Every 2 years a Roots Festival is held for two weeks in Jufureh.
James Island was used to hold slaves for several weeks before they were shipped to other West African ports for sale. A dungeon still remains intact, where slaves were held for punishment.
Tours which focus on the novel "Roots" are popular for visitors to the Gambia and will cover all the slave sites listed above. You can also meet descendants of Kunta Kinte's clan.
More Slave Sites ....
Lesser known slave trade sites but worth visiting in West Africa include Gberefu Island and Badagry in Nigeria; Arochukwu, Nigeria; and Guinea's Atlantic Coast.Recommended Slave Tours to West Africa
- Spector Travel based in Boston (US), specializes in Africa Roots tours and offers itineraries for Benin, Ghana, Senegal, the Gambia and Cote d'Ivoire.
- 18 Day Slave Route Tour. Derby Tours based in Ghana offers this 18 day tour which includes the major slave trade sites in Benin, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali.
- 10 day Emancipation Tour This is a one-time only tour which starts July 29, 2007 and coincides with Ghana's Panafest. The tour includes all the major slave-trade sites in Ghana.
- Explore Africa is a charity that raises money and awareness of Africa's slave trade. They are offering a one week tour of Benin's important slave trading sites for various dates in 2007.
- 10 Day Cultural and Roots Program. This tour from West African Adventures covers Senegal and the Gambia. Major sights on the tour include Goree island, Jufureh and James island in the Gambia.
- Roots Tour in the Gambia is a day-trip aboard a cruise ship and includes visits to Gambia's main slave sites, prison islands and Kunta Kinte's village.
