Top 5 Most Popular Sites for Cultural Heritage Tours in West Africa
                      Top 5 Most Popular Sites 
for Cultural Heritage Tours 
in West Africa
West Africa has long been a 
popular destination for 
cultural heritage tours, 
particularly for members of 
the African diaspora who 
live in the United States. 
With the increased 
popularity of genetic testing 
sites like Ancestry.com and 
23andme.com, a growing 
number of African-
Americans are traveling to 
  
West Africa to connect with 
their cultural heritage.
Cape Coast Castle, Central 
Region, Ghana
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, 
Cape Coast Castle is the most 
popular tourist attraction in 
Ghana, and serves as a 
reminder of the dark history of 
colonialism and the 
transatlantic slave trade. The 
site of Cape Coast Castle was 
originally used by the Swedes 
as a base for exporting timber 
and other natural resources, but 
changed hands to the Dutch 
and British, eventually housing 
 thou sands of slaves in its 
dungeons before boarding 
ships.
Elmina Castle, Central 
Region, Ghana
Just thirty minutes west of Cape Coast Castle, 
Elmina Castle is the oldest European building south 
of the Sahara, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage 
site. Erected by the Portuguese in 1482, it was 
originally called Sao Jorge da Mina, and is now often 
referred to as St. George’s Castle. It would later be 
occupied by both the Dutch and the British. Until 
the Dutch abolished the slave trade in 1814, the 
dungeons of St. George’s Castle were filled with up 
to 1500 slaves at a time.
  
Goree Island, Dakar, 
Senegal
Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Goree Island is the 
most popular tourist destination in Senegal, and was 
visited by President Barack Obama in 2013. The island’s 
crucial role in the transatlantic slave trade make it an 
essential stop on any cultural heritage tour in Senegal. 
The House of Slaves was where captive slaves were held 
before they boarded ships to the Americas. After the 
slave trade was abolished, this strategically important 
island played a vital role in the colonial history of West 
Africa, and was occupied by the Portuguese, Dutch, 
French and British at one point in history.
  
Kunta Kinteh Island, Gambia
Also a UNESCO World Heritage 
site, Kunta Kinteh Island sits in the 
middle of the Gambia River, 30 
kilometers from its mouth. While 
erosion has made the island 
roughly one sixth of its size when 
it was active, ruins of British 
administrative buildings remain on 
the island and are frequented by 
cultural heritage tours to Gambia. 
The island was originally settled in 
the 17th century by a Polish-
Lithuanian commonwealth, but 
 later changed hands and  was 
occupied by the Dutch and the 
British.
Slave House of Agbodrafo, 
Togo
The Slave House of Agbodrafo is 
one of the more off-the-beaten-
path stops for cultural heritage 
tours in West Africa. Because 
fewer slaves passed through this 
particular site than many of its 
neighbors in Ghana or 
elsewhere, you won’t find quite 
as many cultural heritage 
tourists here. Those who do visit, 
however, are always moved by 
the dark history of slavery and 
colonialism. LIke its neighboring 
slaves forts in Ghana, this site in 
 Agbo drafo was the final stop for 
captive slaves in transit to the 
Americas.
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