On the corner of the Infante's square stands the hardest truth of the Age of Discovery: the Mercado de Escravos, marking where, from 1444, captive Africans brought back by Henry the Navigator's expeditions were first sold — the opening act of the Atlantic slave trade.
The arcaded building, rebuilt after 1755, now holds a concise, unflinching museum: documents, archaeology — including burials from the nearby Vale da Gafaria excavation — and testimony tracing the trade's growth from these arcades to the plantations of the Atlantic world, and Lagos's reckoning with that legacy. It is small, serious and necessary — the counterweight to the navigator's statue across the square.
Entry is modest (€3, with a €6 combined ticket adding the Ponta da Bandeira fort and the Lagos Museum), closed Mondays.
Highlights
- Site of Europe's first Atlantic slave market (1444)
- Documents and archaeology of the trade
- Finds from the Vale da Gafaria burials
- Counterpoint to the navigator's statue opposite
- €3, combined €6 ticket with fort and museum
History & context
From 1444 the first captives of the African voyages were sold at this corner of Lagos, decades before the trade industrialised; the present arcaded customs building post-dates 1755, and the museum opened its reckoning in 2016.
🗓️ Best time to visit
Morning, before the square fills; pairs naturally with Santo António and the fort.
⏱️ Duration
45 minutes – 1 hour
♿ Accessibility
Ground floor accessible; upper room by stairs.
Frequently asked questions
Is it suitable for children?
The presentation is sober rather than graphic; many families visit — parents can frame the history for younger children.
How long is the visit?
45 minutes to an hour does it justice; the combined ticket pairs it with the fort across the avenue.