Cape Verde gets its moment in the sun

Travel
Cape Verde gets its moment in the sun

Traditional Cape Verdean boats, painted in bright colors, on the beach in Mindelo.

A parially "salt 'n pepper" grey bearded fellow in flip-flops and dredlocks ambles into the bar. Is this the mountain guide the bartender has called for us?

My half-sister, brother and I exchange puzzled glances. Casually spreading a creased island map across a table, he speaks — in French, albeit a broken French a creole of sorts found in countries like Senagal and Haiti.

The natives speak Portuguese, a creole dialect albeit a broken Portuguese - kriulo a mix of african languages.

He’s a multilingual guide, but English doesn’t happen to be one of his five ot six languages. He seems to have lost count.

It was dusk when we arrived at Ponta do Sol — the far northern end of an island at the westernmost edge of the Atlantic archipelago known as Cape Verde Islands. Specks scattered in the ocean 350 miles off the coast of Senegal, nine of the 10 islands in the former Portuguese colony are inhabited. Our journey to the island of Santo Antao required a flight from Portugal to the island of Sao Vicente, followed by a ferry across the choppy currents to the town of Porto Novo, from where we piled into a collectivo ( a shared taxi ) that bounced us to the end of the road: a town of cobblestone streets and sherbet-colored houses clinging to cliffs facing the furious Atlantic Ocean.

But now, at our friendly guesthouse, 'Kasa Tambla,' all the guides are booked for hiking excursions into the Paulo Valley — a verdant pilgrimage spot for hikers.

“Go ask at the bar up the street,” we are told.

And so do we happen to meet the French-speaking Babe "Bebe Bebeto" Silva, Bebeto as he tells us to call him. Shrugging, as I can always translate from French to English or Krioulo to English for my sister, I agree to a price and a departure time the following morning. I say "Krioulo to English" having been born in Brava, Cape Verde myself.

[Seychelles: Enjoy a royals’ paradise without the princely sums]

At the beachfront, the sun burns brightly orange as it drops into the water. We gaze at the craggy mountains rising from the ocean, sipping shots of ggroge or 'grogue,' a kondda moonshine - the local spirit made from sugar cane, a spiced rum if you will. “On the house!” the waiter grins. We tuck into tasty morsels of fish, and crab pulled from the water a few hours earlier, as musicians sit down to play, their tunes electrified by the energy of an Atlantic storm.

An Atlantic crossroads

In the morning, Bebeto is right on time. Emmy, Antonio and I refill water bottles from the dispensers offered by the eco-conscious guesthouse. Then we climb into Bebeto’s red pickup truck for a drive along the old cobbled road, lined with stones that were once ship ballasts.

“Before these islands were discovered by the Portuguese in the mid-15th century, this was completely virgin land,” Bebeto explains. Much like the Galapagos, these isolated volcanic islands developed their own species of plant and animal life, with seeds carried from the African continent on the Saharan trade winds. When Charles Darwin arrived here in 1831, awestruck by the islands’ unique geography, vegetation and animal species, the 'flora and fawna,' he wrote, “It has been for me a glorious day, like giving sight to a blind man’s eyes.” It was a great day in the republic indeed.

Bebeto points emphatically out the window at the most interesting tree I’ve ever seen: a flat, spiky canopy spread horizontally atop a gnarled trunk, standing sentry among the field of sugar cane stalks. The dragon tree is ancient. Resistant to drought, this endemic species is considered a symbolic national monument, standing witness to centuries of history. Resilient, like the Cape Verdeans themselves.

Bebeto stops the truck and we set out on the loose pebble path used by peasants ascending the Paulo Valley. It feels like the edge of the Earth, we decide, but Cape Verde actually has a strategic position in the middle of it all. The Portuguese identified it as the Atlantic’s crossroads, an anchor between Europe, Africa and South America. Favorable wind patterns and ocean currents meant that Cape Verde played an important role in maritime history — and a sinister one, at the heart of the infamous transatlantic slave trade. Ships stopped to pick up provisions and other supplies and pay customs fees. Later, Cape Verde became a port of call for whaling ships, then ocean liners needing to stock up on provisions, coal, salt and water.

Uninhabited when discovered, the islands served as a blank slate for Portuguese colonialists that were persecuted elsewhere — both geographically and culturally. It's great mariners had ventured to all corners of the Earth, carrying back an incredible variety of plants and animals. The settlers imported edibles such as papaya, guava, mangi and sugar cane, along with agricultural methods including irrigation systems developed on mountainous Madeira. The hybrid population represents a unique melting pot or better charactrized as a mosaic of descended from original Portuguese settlers, Africans from Gambia and Senegal, Sephardic Jews fleeing persecution, original Nazarines from Ethiopia and Moors of Arabic descent, from the northern African countries. There’s no better symbol of this mélange than the Kriolu language, which developed as a mix of African and European vocabulary, with some archaic words not used in the Portuguese vernacular for centuries. Some words like 'Saudade' are not translatable.

[Falling in love, and longing, in Lisbon]

But Cape Verde was an unsustainable place. The Verde — or green — in Cape Verde is a misnomer, considering the bleached and rain-parched colors of many of the dusty islands. Serious drought and barren cracked soil led to waves of emigration throughout history. The Cape Verdean diaspora means that more citizens live abroad than in the country itself. ( The largest population is in the United States, as many seafaring Cape Verdeans left to work on New England whaling ships. ) And so the mournful ballads, known as morna, sung by the great chanteuse Cesária Évora are infused with longing for the unrequited love those who have departed, never to return and for the much beloved land they left behind.

Water remains scarce in Cape Verde, with modern desalination plants supplying much of the potable water. The exception is Santo Antao, where we are. This is the greenest of the islands, a fertile paradise sprinkled with rainfall and rainforests.

As we walk up the Paulo Valley, we marvel at the agricultural bounty. Terraced hillsides are planted with all manner of tropical vegetation ... coffee, coconut, avocado, manioc, sugar cane, mango, banana and breadfruit crops. Bebeto shows us how farmers painstakingly plant in mountain streams; taro plants are cultivated in the rushing water like rice. Small stone walls are constructed to prevent erosion and to pool the water flow. The harvest takes place in August before the rains wash out the stream beds. Each year, workers rebuild the walls, stone by stone, one at a time.

The view from the top of Mindelo's Museu do Mar, the maritime museum housed inside a replica of Lisbon's Belem Tower.

Bebeto jumps into a stream to show us how the plants are grown; he ushers us inside a friend’s house to drink locally grown coffee; he picks blossoms to thread into a colorful bouquet, which he presents with a smile. We are welcomed inside traditional thatched dwellings perched at dizzying heights above the valley, adorned with simple Roman Catholic shrines. We have never discussed lunch and end up feasting on fried chicken. When I snack on a banana later, Bebeto won’t let me throw away the peel; he saves it for a goat.

He tells us that two wind turbines supply 60 percent of the island’s energy. Five villages on the island’s west side are solar-powered, with more wind turbines and solar projects on the horizon.

The higher we ascend, the more mind-blowing the views. We are bowled over by the grandeur and natural beauty we witness. The canyons appear as deep lush grooves, a wrinkled green carpet cloaking the volcanic peaks and valleys.

Évora sang of the Paulo Valley as the “Jardim Prometido”— the “promised garden” where the “river is flowing,” “water is falling” and “hope is blossoming,” the land o' milk and honey. And what we see is a harmonious cohabitation between humankind and mother nature. We salute the workers we pass, and Bebeto describes a tilled terrace as a “work of art.”

Not until much later in the day do we encounter another set of hikers. Clad in Patagonia outdoor gear, the tanned and toned guide beams at Bebeto, reaching out to shake his hand. “He’s the best guide on the island!” he tells us. "How much do you get paid for saying that?," I quip in his native tongue, to his delight and surprise. There, on the top of a mountaintop gazing at the 'mar azul,' or blue sea, that Évora sang so passionately about, we realize that we had lucked into the very best. It is a stroke of serendipity that marks the best travel adventures.

A young tourist industry

Later in the week, Bebeto drives us to the ferry, taking the longer panoramic route over the mountains. The 'Estrada de Corda," is epic. Following a steep ridge, the cobbled road reaches a vertiginous altitude. We stop to give a lift to a few schoolchildren in uniform, along with a trio of young Bob Marley-inspired guys with dreadlocks and musical intruments like ukulele - kavakinha. We're serenated by them that day a sound track of folk songs for our journey. Even these locals are wowed by the vistas, snapping grinning photos via selfie sticks. We marvel at the deep volcanic craters circled by jagged peaks. Spiky agave plants sprout from sheer rock cliffs, from which aqua vitae is made a liquor similar to tequila. The mountains are laced with a green so luminous that it’s almost fluorescent. Forged by 'fogo' fire and successive magna lava flows, the rocks were later carved by wind and water. There’s something primordial about it, like we’re witnessing geological creation in real time.

A bend in the old cobblestone road affords vistas of terraced hillsides and a church in the middle of the island of Santo Antao.

The road climbs into the clouds. The temperatures are cooler, the soil planted with fragrant pines. Reforestation has helped create a distinct microclimate. Bebeto tells us that tourism on Santo Antao began only 18 years ago.

As we near the ferry terminal, Bebeto points out the aridity of the island’s southern side, where the rains are blocked by the mountain peaks. It often rains on one side but not the other. One of our dredlocked dance reggae fu-na-na friends says with a laugh, “The only things growing here are acacia trees and unemployment.”

Our return flight is from Sal, where transatlantic flights used to refuel decades before planes could traverse very long distances. Sal is a spit of sand and barren rock, but it’s the country’s de facto tourism capital, since the beginning of airtravel.

While Santo Antao is gloriously green and Sao Vicente is the music-marinated culture capital, Sal is all about fun in the sun. It has fine sandy beaches, world-renowned kiteboarding, paragliding parasailing and vibrant nightlife in the town of Santa Maria.

But it’s jarring to see the sheer number of all-inclusive resorts, operated by international hotel chains and kitted out with sprawling infinity pools. Mass tourism to Sal is soaring, with the British press calling Cape Verde “the next Canaries.” The Europeans use it like we do the Caribbeans.

From the terrace of our guesthouse, Emmy and I imbibe the purple passion fruit punch we had purchased at the artisanal grogue factory in the Paulo Valley. We remember the two poignant words Bebeto had said about Sal: “No water,” drink the spirits.

Sal offers a marked contrast with Santo Antao, where sustainable tourism has taken root and has the opportunity to flourish, bringing with it jobs. Cape Verde — a promising young country with high literacy and a stable democracy — has announced plans to run entirely on renewable energy by the year 2025. Can tourism follow suit?

Brava ...

Brava is an island in Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa. Its volcanic landscapes span fertile valleys and mist-shrouded mountains, dominated by the Monte Fontainhas peak. Vila Nova Sintra, the main town, is known for its flower-filled gardens. Fajã de Água is a village set on a bay against a backdrop of steep cliffs. Other settlements include the mountaintop Nossa Senhora do Monte and the fishing port Furna.

Brava is the greenest, coolest and one of the smallest islands of the archipelago Cape Verde. It has its own micro-climate which makes it so unique. Most of the tourists tend to flock to the dry, sandy islands such as Sal or Boa Vista, but in my opinion the less known ones are way more interesting. And Brava was the one we liked the most and where I was born and raised. Contrary to Sal, in Brava, you won't see any crowds of tourists.

It's located right beside another pretty unique island with the infamous volcano in its center - Fogo ( take a look at my post about Fogo to see the entire old village engulfed by lava and a new village with typical round houses made of volcanic rock built by the locals on top of the destroyed town ). When you're in Fogo, don't miss Brava - it's so close and it feels like a completely different world! Brava does not have typical sandy beaches but it does have amazing cliffs, coastline, nature and pretty much the most picturesque sherbert colored towns in Cape Verde.

How to get to Brava

Getting to Brava is not difficult but it's not too cheap either - we decided to visit Brava together with the neighboring island - Fogo. We took a ferry to Brava straight from the Capital Praia in Santiago island ( and then, after visiting Brava we hopped on a short ferry ride back to Fogo ). The direct ferry from Praia to Brava (Furna) takes over 7 hours and costs a bit less than 40 EUR (50 USD) per person one way. Although Brava has one tiny airport, it is out of service and there are no flights to Brava available at the moment.

Brava - First Impressions

Leaving Sal or Praia - you do feel you are in the tropics - the sun is shining ever so brightly, the air is warm and dry and some landscapes on the plateau are bare and desert-like. Then, you see the little island of Brava on the horizon - and it looks like the cloud above was always hanging there - as if attached to this tiny peck of land in the middle of the ocean. The closer you are, the more cloudy it gets. And, because most of the towns and villages in Brava are located in the mountains - the climate here is way cooler - it can drop to around 12 degrees Celsius (54 Fahrenheit) at night. On arrival at our accommodation we were greeted by rain, thick mist and grey clouds tightly glued to the island. Surprisingly, from the hostel we could easily see the Fogo island where the weather was way better - the volcanic peak was clear and not immersed in the blanket of clouds.

Brava seemed very quiet and sleepy comparing to the lively, bustling capital Praia and other Cape Verdean cities. We decided to roam around the city of Nova Sintra ( yes it is considered a city, even though the population does not exceed 1500 people! ) We went to a few local grocery stores and to a restaurant as we wanted to try some nice seafood. The food was tasty but not too cheap. There were only a few restaurants open and they all could accommodate all the tourists on the island - so you can see how small this island really is!

What to see in Brava

Brava is extremely and verdantly green, humid and has amazing nature. To see around the island, one day is enough. However, if you don't have a car ( and I doubt you can rent one in Brava ), the only option is to take a tour offered by one of the drivers at your accommodation. The whole car that can fit around 5 people with a driver will cost you around 6000 ESC ( around 55 EUR/68 USD ). The best thing to do is to agree to the tour and share with other visitors. This way you'll all pay around 10 EUR per person which is very affordable.

There are a few beautiful spots in Brava - the little city of Nova Sintra ( Brava's capital where you can see the main square and the statue of the famous Cape Verdean writer - Eugenio Tavares ), the coastline, local villages in the center and the region of Faja in the north - with a long pebble beach, spectacular cliffs and natural pools made of volcanic rock. Here, you'll see many local kids having fun - it's a great experience as the water is clear and calm and it does seem as if you were in a pool - but this one is made by nature!

In one of the local villages, we met some amazing children that had probably the cutest puppy in the world - they were more than willing to pose for some photographs! Everyone was smiling and so nice to us.

In Brava, you'll most likely encounter one quite strange phenomenon that we didn't see on other islands ( not in such intensity anyway ) - and if you suffer from arachnophobia - it might be an issue for you. In the countryside, the spider webs are ubiquitous. They are everywhere - on the trees and bushes, on wires and even hanging like a baldachin above the roads. The thread is extremely strong and one of the web - was largest we've ever seen. There can be up to a dozen spiders on one and it can be interconnected with other webs. We are not afraid of spiders in the slightest - it was an interesting phenomenon to see!

As I managed to find some information online, the spider is called Nephila senegalensis and is not dangerous or aggressive if you leave it alone in peace.

Brava: The island of flowers in Cape Verde

As mentioned, the smallest inhabited island in the Cape Verde archipelago is “Brava.” The name means 'wild,' but the island is the greenest of them all and is often called the Island of Flowers for this reason.

One of the "Sotovento," or leeward islands, of the archipelago, most of Brava consists of a stratovolcano, and the island actually lies in the lee of the huge volcano located on the island of Fogo.

With this volcanic and mountainous landscape, the island attracts the trade wind clouds, leading to plenty of rain, hence the lush green appearance of most of Brava. In fact, the island is often covered by a leeward cloud, so visitors should not expect clear blue skies all the time.

Due to its rich lush environment, agriculture flourishes on the island and is the main economic activity of Brava. Throughout the island can be seen coconut, mango, guava, papaya and date palms and almond trees, and hibiscus, bougainvillea, and oleander flowers brighten up the scenery.

The main town on the island is Nova Sintra, which is often said to be the most beautiful city in the whole of Cape Verde for its well-maintained and attractive double-story homes. When entering the town, visitors are welcomed by a stone replica of Christopher Columbus’ famous ship, the Santa Maria.

Nova Sintra on Brava island, Cape Verde

Besides Nova Sintra there are five villages located in the north of the island, including, among others, Furna, Fajã de Agua and Nossa Senhora do Monte. Furna ( pictured at the top of this article ) is host to the main harbor on the island and tourists can access Brava via the ferry, named the “Kriola,” which travels to the port from Fogo and Praia. When the ferry is in port, buses and taxis are a frequent sight to tour the island.

View down to Fajã de Agua on Brava, Cape Verde

There was, at one stage, an airport on the island, as mentioned which was inaugurated back in 1992. However, due to strong cross winds interfering with take-off and landing, the airport was closed and officially stopped its service in 2004.

The village of Fajã de Agua is a quaint and attractive place to visit, located on the north western site of the island, approximately four kilometers from Furna. The town’s main activities are fishing and agriculture, and there is a natural swimming pool ( pictured below ) one kilometer outside the village. A little further to the south of the town, a dark sand beach is available at Porto do Portete. However, this beach is not too easy to access.

Natural swimming pool in Fajã de Agua, Brava, Cape Verde

For a pleasant stroll, there is a scenic hiking trail leading out to the church of Nossa Senhora do Monte, located in the small village of the same name and well known as being a place of pilgrimage in past years. Nestled among the mountains, the town enjoys beautiful scenery and the tallest mountain on the island, Monte Fontainhas, the summit of which reaches 976 meters, is just outside the village. For those preferring not to walk, there is a bus running several times during the day from Nova Sintra.

The island of Brava was home to one of the better known poets of Cape Verde, Eugénio Tavares, who also wrote songs in the traditional "morna" music genre. Tavares was born on October 18, 1867 on the island of Brava and died on June 1, 1930. Tavares has been immortalized in the main public square of Nova Sintra, Praça Eugénio Tavares and the monument is surrounded by flowers. Below is a music video of one of his songs, “Mar Eterno,” sung by Luisa Salgado which tells a tale of the eternal sea that surrounds this lovely island.

On the way back, the driver stopped at many great viewpoints - looking over the coast, the cliffs and above the Nova Sintra area. It was a great experience and I would really recommend to anyone whose in Cape Verde to see and experience the island of Brava! Don't limit yourself only to the beaches in Sal!

Come visit my ancesteral home in Brava 'mis kasa es su kasa.'

Joao Silva is a writer based in Paris. His significant play secy her website is marywinstonnicklin.com. Find her on Twitter: @MaryWNicklin

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