Visit: April 2019. Ian and Walter already covered the historical background and significance of this place. So I will stick to the more practical part. Unless you are a descendant of an African slave or in any other way emotionally attached to this place, what you will find is just a very underwhelming and poorly presented 10 minutes easy tick.

I visited in 2019, almost 2 years after inscription. Other sites with few to display (e.g. Jelling) make up for that with extensive information and an interpretation center for the lack of excitement. Valongo Wharf doesn’t. The information panels are old and don’t even wear the world heritage logo. The Wharf is part of an African heritage trail and somehow it’s not given more importance than the other five stops of the trail and you rather feel like you passed by accidentally. You need too much imagination to figure out how it once looked like. Finally you will do what we all do: take pictures from different angles, read the panels and leave after around 10 minutes. Luckily Rio is a nice city. Would this place be in a more remote place, far from other WHS, I doubt many would visit. The closest to compare this site with would be the Danube Limes site in Vienna.

To get there take the L1 tram and get out at Parada dos Navios. You can also walk along the seaside, taking the (far more eye catching) Mosteiro de Sao Bento TWHS on the way and the very futuristic Museo de Amanha.