Cities and regions／Sierra Leone
Place of interest ·

Bunce Island

Bunce Island is a small river island with the ruins of a former British fort linked to the transatlantic trade in enslaved people. Visiting requires a boat journey and a respectful approach to a fragile heritage site.

Wide view of Bunce Island ruins among vegetation in the Sierra Leone River estuary.
Photo by Pierre Chrzanowski Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC0
The place

What makes it special

  • Ruins of a fort connected to the deportation of Africans to the Americas.
  • A place of remembrance for the history of the Atlantic slave trade and its diasporas.
Weathered masonry detail in the ruins of Bunce Island fort.
Photo by Pierre Chrzanowski Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC0
Small boat on the Sierra Leone River estuary approaching Bunce Island.
Photo by Pierre Chrzanowski Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC0
Travel atlas

Articles in Bunce Island

Guides to this place

1 article

Bunce Island

journal.travel Editorial

Guides to this place

1 related guides

Wide view of Bunce Island ruins among vegetation in the Sierra Leone River estuary.

Bunce Island from Freetown: a journey into Atlantic memory

An island in the Sierra Leone River estuary preserves the ruins of a British slave-trading fort. The boat crossing requires checking current conditions, but the essential preparation is historical and ethical.

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Information in context

Sources and references

This profile summarises our destination guides. Their research sources and the geographical reference are listed below.

Profile updated: 08/10/2026