Tag Archive for: Santo Antão

Cova Crater and the Valley of Paul

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View from the Cova crater down the winding road into the fertile and rugged mountain valley of Paul, Santo Antao, Cape Verde

From the Cova volcanic crater at 1700m above sea level, a path winds down to the northwest coast of Santo Antao through one of the most fertile valleys of the Cape Verde Islands. Water flows through the valley all year round, even outside the rainy season, and accordingly, the diversity of tropical plant life is immense. Mangoes, papayas, bananas, and grapefruits grow here, as do sugar cane, squash, and cassava. Magnificent blossoms form colourful fountains amidst the lush green.

At the harbour of Ponta do Sol, Santo Antao

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Colourful wooden boats in the harbour of Ponta do Sol in front of the rocky coast of Santo Antao, Cape Verde

The steep north-east coast of Santo Antao enchants with its raw wildness, yet it offers no safe harbours against the wind and waves crashing here from the open Atlantic against the westernmost island of Cape Verde. Therefore, ships must drop anchor off the coast and transfer the cargo onto small rowing boats. Read more

In the Ribeira Grande valley on Santo Antao

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A gravel path leads into the rocky, tropical valley of Ribeira da Torre, Santo Antao, Cape Verde

The valley mouths by the sea are the starting point for unique mountain paths through the wild, rugged mountains of Santo Antao, the westernmost island of Cape Verde. From sea level, the trails lead up over 1,000 metres to the peaks. At the town of Ribeira Grande, the valley of the same name and the Ribeira da Torre meet.

In the mountains of Santo Antao

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A farmer's house above the clouds high in the mountains of Santo Antao, Cape Verde

In the interior of Santo Antao, many farmers live in scattered settlements and houses on the ridges high above the sea. The island can be explored on small paths through its most remote corners with its inhabitants, offering breathtaking views down, for example into the Paul Valley.

In the Valley of Torre, Santo Antao

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Hike through the rocky, tropical valley of Ribeira da Torre, Santo Antao, Cape Verde

On hikes into the Valley of Torre, you’ll come across scattered thatched huts, plantations, and terraced slopes. Tracks turn into small paths that lead through rows of sugarcane fields. Sugarcane is the raw material for the Cape Verdean national drink, Grogue, a spirit whose best quality is said to be produced in small distilleries here in the valleys of Santo Antao. A lot of alcohol is generally consumed in Cape Verde, and not just in bars. In the small grocery shops, the range of alcoholic beverages often exceeds the meagre amount of foodstuffs.

Filling up in Cape Verde

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A man filling petrol cans on the back of a donkey, Ribeira Grande, Santo Antao, Cape Verde

Fill her up, please! The donkey is the modern means of transport for the narrow and steep mountain paths of Santo Antao island in the west of Cape Verde.

Mountains, Music & more – Sao Vicente and Santo Antao

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Colourful wooden boats in the harbour of Ponta do Sol in front of the rocky coast of Santo Antao, Cape Verde

After our arrival on Sal, we continued our tour and left the island by plane, heading west. Whether you approach the north-western islands by ship or plane, the jagged silhouettes announce a more varied landscape from afar. On Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente and Santo Antao, mountain peaks rise to over 1,000 m. Such a fascinating sight immediately makes my legs tingle with the great anticipation of climbing some of the peaks. The mountains push into the regions of the lower cloud layer and form a barrier that forces down the necessary rain or benefits from the moisture of the clouds. As a result, fertile valleys stretch down from isolated peak regions, e.g. in the interior of Santo Antao, into the lower arid areas. Read more