Juffure is a small village on the north bank of the Gambia River, about 30 kilometres southeast of Banjul. It became world-famous through Alex Haley's novel Roots, in which he traced his ancestry to this village and to Kunta Kinte, who was captured and sold into slavery in the 18th century.
Today, Juffure is one of the most visited sites in The Gambia. The village has a small museum (actually in neighbouring Albreda) and a compound belonging to the Kinte family, where a local guide will tell the story of Kunta Kinte and the village's connection to the slave trade. The experience is moving, though inevitably somewhat staged for tourists.
Most visitors combine Juffure with a boat trip to nearby Kunta Kinteh Island (formerly James Island), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island's crumbling fort was used as a holding point for enslaved people before their transportation across the Atlantic. The ruins are small -- the river is gradually reclaiming the island -- but the historical weight of the place is undeniable.
To reach Juffure, take the ferry from Banjul to Barra on the north bank, then travel by road, or join an organised river excursion from the coast, which is the more scenic option. Day trips combining the ferry, Juffure, and the island are widely available from the resort areas.