Heritage
Island of Gorée: Visitor and Heritage Guide
Most World Heritage properties are listed under two or three criteria. Gorée carries one, and that single line is the whole argument.
- Country Senegal
- Category Heritage
- Reviewed 20 August 2026
- Sources 2
- Length 1 min read
Credit Warren McKenzie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Gorée was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978, in the first years of the list's existence, under criterion (vi) and no other.
Criterion (vi) covers direct or tangible association with events, living traditions, ideas or beliefs of outstanding universal significance. It is the criterion for meaning rather than for fabric. A property listed under it alone is being recognized for what happened on it.
Visiting
- The island lies opposite Dakar and is reached by ferry. Confirm the schedule in advance.
- It is car-free. Everything is reached on foot, over uneven ground.
- The Maison des Esclaves is the focus of most visits.
- This is a site of memory. Consider before photographing, and consider whether the photograph is needed.
- If you are traveling for reconnection rather than sightseeing, tell whoever is guiding you.
Sources
The inscription date, the single criterion and the description of the island are from Gorée's UNESCO listing, ref 26, read on 20 August 2026. The count of Senegal's properties is from the Senegal States Parties page.