Municipality of Ribeira Grande
The Municipality of Ribeira Grande is one of the oldest administrative divisions in Cape Verde.
10 HEALTHIER CITIES GOALS
CAPE VERDE AMBITION 2030
As an old chamber, Ribeira Grande followed all the political changes that took place in the archipelago under the Portuguese administration until 1975, covering the period of the Rio de Janeiro court, the Liberal period, the Republic and the Estado Novo. Between 1835 and 1974, the Council had as its manager an Administrator who accumulated the functions of Government delegate, head of the Chamber, Police and Justice and supervised the parish governors.
With the independence, the local power came to be represented by the Government Delegate and, in this framework, the local residents participated, through the mass organisations, although closely, in the choice of the Deliberative Council, but there was a margin of doubt and conflict between the hierarchy of the State and the Party in the management of the Municipality, since the party structure was organised in the localities and had a secretary at municipal level. With the change in the political regime, in 1991, municipal elections were held, with the figure of the city council and the municipal assembly.
Creation
The foundation of the municipality of Ribeira Grande dates back to the first half of the 18th century, with the creation of the first chamber on the island of Santo Antão, still in the process of consolidation of its settlement.
Geographical location
The municipality of Ribeira Grande de Santo Antão is located in the northern region of the island, in the north-eastern arch, covering a complex of highlands, at elevations of more than a thousand meters, excavated in deep valleys crossing thick layers of basalt, creating patches of natural monuments in alternate basalts of pyroclasts and continental sediments of different times. The coastal edge ends in vigorous cliffs.
It lies near the mouth and at the confluence of two important streams that flow to the Northeast, respectively Ribeira da Torre and Ribeira Grande. The central nucleus of the city is located in a recess, at the base of an interior escarpment upstream of the confluence of the aforementioned rivers. Penha de França is on a narrow and elevated hill of 50 metres on the left bank of the Ribeira Grande. Tarrafal is close to the sea on the right bank of the brooks, at the base of a large cliff with more than 150 metres of control on Mount São Miguel.
Population
By mid-2010 it had a population of 18,890, or 3.8% of the country's population. At the time there were 4551 households, with an average size of 4.2 inhabitants per household, spread across urban, semi-urban and rural centres. According to the same Census, 24.5% of the population was urban and 75.5% was rural, which shows a high rural dispersion compared to the national average of 61.8% urban.
The economy of the island and of the municipality is characterized fundamentally by structural dysfunctions that are mainly related to the scarcity of space and natural resources, low concentration of capital and low valuation of human resources.
In the area of production, this is strongly dominated by the primary sector, with a focus on agricultural, fishing and livestock activities. All these activities are exploited in a regime of subsistence and marked fragility. Of the 5164 hectares of rainfed arable land, 46% are located in this municipality, of which 95% are exploited with maize and beans. On the other hand, 48% of the island's irrigation is located in the municipality of Ribeira Grande. About 80% of the available irrigation is dedicated to sugarcane and brandy production.
Agriculture
Overall, the municipality of Ribeira Grande owns 46% of the non-irrigated arable land used to grow maize and beans. The irrigated land is concentrated in narrow valleys and on conquered terraces on steep slopes, where the Andros soils constitute important plots on irrigated land. The municipality owns 48% of the island's irrigated land, the main crops being sugar cane and fruit. The thousand-foot plague (Spinotarsus caboverdus) was a disaster for tuber crops and the island was quarantined from the country's main market.
Livestock
As a general rule, livestock farming in Ribeira Grande is a complementary activity to agriculture. According to the 2004 general agricultural census data, cattle numbers in Ribeira Grande were not very expressive on a national scale, which is understood by the topographical limitations and the incompatibility of cattle breeding with irrigated gardens. At that time, there were 365 cattle (corresponding to 44% of the island's livestock); 60 sheep (36%); 8,246 goats (34.6%); 3292 pigs (42% of the island's total). The same census assesses the existence of 19,328 birds, mainly poultry around the houses.
Industry
The industrial sector is incipient, and in addition to the production of brandy some initiatives in the field of water bottling and bakery.The tertiary sector represents about 50% of the municipality's GVA, which is essentially represented by Commerce, Private and Public Services, Transport, Communication and Various Services.
Commerce
Trade is a very lively economic activity in urban centres, especially in the city of Ribeira Grande, with an emphasis on retail and informal trade.Retail trade predominates with a strong dependence on the S. Vicente market, both in the supply of goods (imported products) and as a consumer market for agricultural products produced in Santo Antão.
Fisheries
Despite the potential, fishing is exploited on an artisanal basis. The yield is low and few people are employed. Artisanal fishing is dominated by the coastal waters, with unloading mainly in Ponta do Sol, Synagogue, Tarrafal.
The island's narrow platform and strong rural tradition are constraints to the development of the sector. Fishermen usually campaign on the deserted islands, Santa Luzia and islets Branco e Raso, where the platform is more extensive, but is a dangerous work due to the fragility of the boats used. All in all, São Antão is the third island in the volume of artisanal fishing, after Santiago and São Vicente.
Tourism is a sector in frank expansion, with a strong appetite for investment in this sector in the island of Santo Antão and in the municipality of Ribeira Grande in particular.
However, its dynamics is still strongly conditioned by factors such as maritime transport, low level of human resource training, etc. If these conditions are guaranteed and consideration is given to the sustainable exploitation of environmental resources, this sector can be expected to be promising for the development of the Municipality.
Natural tourist attractions
The municipality is dominated by the riverbanks, deep and high valleys, very well defined hydrographic basins, namely the Ribeira da Torre; the Ribeira Grande valley which includes the sub-basins of Ribeira de Duque, Figueiral, João Afonso, Chã de Pedras, Caibros and Despenhadeiro, as well as the Ribeira da Garça, Figueiras and Ribeira Alta, constitute an impressive set of valleys with a very marked population dispersion.
Ribeira Grande
Ribeira Grande, which occupies the northern part of the island, has a geographical exposure to the Northeast, standing out for its territory, from a bioclimatic point of view, and according to the Agro-Ecological and Vegetation Zoning Charter, occupies, almost in its totality, the humid, sub-humid, and semi-arid strata (with the exception of the arid zone of Cruzinha), which gives it an important vegetation in the national context.
The very rugged relief of this region of the Island, the morphology, the water regime, the natural vegetation, the built patrimony, from where all the agriculture of irrigation armed in terraces stands out, (in a masterpiece of conservation and use of soil and water, only comparable to the reminiscences of the ancient civilizations of the Incas and the Mayas, in the Andes mountain range), namely the Valleys of Ribeira da Torre, Vale da Ribeira Grande (Figueiral, João Afonso, Chã de Pedras, Caibros, included), Vale da Garça, Figueiras and Ribeira Alta, constitute a spectacular panorama where the natural mixes with the humanized in a perfect symbiosis that must be defended.
The coastline is free of beaches, but in return for great beauty and spectacularity, where the imposing rocks fall abruptly on the sea and, this, often dark, creates a picture of rare singularity of light and sound when hitting the rocks.
Moroços Natural Park
The Moroços Natural Park occupies the highest part of the eastern plateau basin and is between 1,400 and 1,800 metres high. It covers an area of 818 hectares. Of this area, 71 hectares (8.7%) belong to the municipality of Porto Novo and 746 hectares (91.3%) belong to the municipality of Ribeira Grande. The landscape is fascinating, due to the geomorphological characteristics of the park, which consist of the existence of steep and rocky slopes of Cabeceiras da Ribeira da Garça, as well as pozzolan soils, all of great value for those who appreciate Nature.
Cova Natural Park/Ribeira da Torre
The Cova Natural Park /Paul/Ribeira da Torre is located in the northern slope of the island of Santo Antão, within the limits of the Ribeira Grande Council, between the meridians 25º 2' and 25º 5' 30'' longitude W and the parallels 17º 6' 20'' and 17º 8' 30'' latitude N. The minimum altitude of the park is approximately 400 metres in the Xoxó area and the maximum altitude corresponds to the Pico da Cruz with about 1,585 metres. The limits of the park are: to the East - Pico da Cruz/Pêro Dias; to the West - Espongeiro; to the North - Xoxó; to the South - Cova
Cruzinha Natural Reserve
Cruzinha de Garça is an area where several streams flow, among which the Ribeira da Garça and the Ribeira do Mocho. Cruzinha is the only representative sample of coastal area ecosystem in the municipality of Ribeira Grande de Santo Antão.
Its dune landscape contrasts with the coastal edges, rocky, in general rugged. These rugged areas contain a wide range of vegetation applied in diverse areas, particularly in the feeding of residents and livestock (goats, cattle, asinine, etc.), and in the curing of various diseases. This is an area with enormous natural potential which can be used to promote nature-based tourism.
Ribeira da Torre Valley
One of the most winding streams in Santo Antão, the Ribeira da Torre is an invitation to discover small banana plantations along the slopes and rich and exuberant family farms). Sugar cane, banana, cassava, papaya, sweet potato, are products that can be found here, next to breadfruit trees and one of the oldest brandy trapiches in the region.
Crossed by water courses that come down from the slopes, the modern, asphalted road penetrates the stream, where they snake streams that bring fresh water from the springs at the top of the rocks and reservoirs. The climate is cooler and wetter, because the sun rays only here and there make themselves felt and for a few hours of the day. When crossing the Ribeira da Torre Valley, plantations and settlements follow each other and the stream narrows, between two sharp slopes in the rock, to open again in a small and short valley.
The areas upstream of the Ribeira da Torre have recently been among the most visited in Santo Antão. The natural vegetation, especially the steep areas, benefited by climatic factors (precipitation and humidity), is generally pointed out as the most attractive element in the landscape of this area. The beauty of the species groups has been greatly appreciated by visitors and tourists.
Ribeira Grande Valley
With a very rugged relief, the Ribeira Grande Valley (Figueiral, João Afonso, Chã de Pedras, Caibros, included), has a mild climate with moderate temperatures during the year and low thermal variation amplitude. The morphology, the water regime, the natural vegetation, the built patrimony presents a spectacular panorama where the natural mixes with the humanized one in a perfect symbiosis that must be defended. Of note is all the agriculture of irrigated terraces, in a masterpiece of conservation and use of soil and water.
In terms of urban built heritage, the cities of Ribeira Grande and Ponta do Sol stand out. The latter is full of buildings with architectural features of rare beauty where very old colonial buildings and equipment stand out, such as the Town Hall building, the church of Nossa Senhora do Livramento, several houses of the Sobrados type, etc. Another historical landmark is the Regional Infirmary (where Dr. Agostinho Neto would practice medicine, while he was imprisoned by the PIDE in domiciliary regime).
The natural attractions of the municipality allow visitors and tourists to practice various sports such as cannioning, sport fishing and diving, walking, trekking, or other radical sports that combine with the physical nature of the region.
The 'Estritin' corner
The corner "Estritin" (Estreitinho in Portuguese) is located at the end of the Ribeira de Caibros, inside the Ribeira Grande valley. After passing through the city of Ribeira Grande, one enters the river and after about 20 minutes to go up, there is a beautiful waterfall, flanked by mountains that, according to the Santatonese, reach the sky. The waterfall is fresh and crystal clear. In the caves where the water flows, amazing stalactites and stalagmites are formed. A mixture of charm and fear invades the visitor who is frightened by the authoritarianism of the rocks.
Estritin is a place par excellence to be part of a tourism circuit based on nature. Places like this should be referred to as natural monuments.
Delgadinho
Delgadinho is a natural lookout point on the old road on the way to Ribeira Grande. It is a natural monument that should be preserved and promoted as an important tourist attraction. The view is impressive and of rare beauty. From there one can clearly see the high peaks of Ribeira de Duque and Ribeira da Torre, at their peak of natural beauty.
Villages of Fontainhas, Corvo and Formiguinhas
The areas where Fontainhas, Corvo and Formiguinhas villages are located are endowed with natural beauty, enviable landscape and mountain diversity, and these places can be transformed into tourist attractions of excellence. The road from Ponta do Sol to Fontainhas is a tourist resource due to its originality.
Ribeira da Garça Valley
The stream starts in the abrupt reliefs of Lombo Gudo, near Gudo de Cavaleiro (1,810 m) and runs from south to north, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean west of the village of Cruzinha da Garça.
The valley of Ribeira da Garça is extremely well connected, distinguishing itself from the more eastern streams (Ribeira Grande, Ribeira da Torre or Ribeira do Paúl) by the existence of a true sub-vertical wall cannon along the last 7 kilometres. The cannon was formed by the recent alluvial filling notch, and can reach depths of many tens of metres.
The alluvial terraces (called fajãs or chãs) and the slopes worked in terraces are used for agriculture by means of a system of levada for irrigation. Sugar cane, banana, cassava, yam, etc. are cultivated.
The Ribeira da Garça Valley can be traversed along the entire length thanks to a network of footpaths and secondary roads.
Vale de Figueiras
The valley of Figueiras is considered to be the most landlocked of the island of Santo Antão. However, it is endowed with an enormous beauty and contrasting landscape. Because it is still little visited, it is an unexplored tourist resource.
Ribeira Alta Valley
It is one of the main valleys of the Ribeira Grande municipality but together with the Figueiras Valley, it is one of the most inland areas of Santo Antão. It is a valley with an enormous landscape value and can be considered a virgin in terms of tourist exploitation.
Mocho Valley
The Mocho valley is located in Cruzinha da Garça and is one of the most remote areas in the municipality of Ribeira Grande. It has only 22 resident families, 10 of which are headed by women and a population of about 120 inhabitants. It is well known for its landscape contrast between green and arid.
Coastal natural resources
The coastline in the municipality of Ribeira Grande is characterised by its short length, which runs around three dozen kilometres of coastline from Lombinho de Saudade in the east to the left bank of Ribeira dos Paus in the west, bordering the municipality of Porto Novo.
The coastline is very cut with reliefs that fall abruptly to the sea, making it difficult to form beaches. Along this coast there are only small seasonal beaches that go from May to September, namely: Praia de Sinagoga; Praia de Mão para Trás; Praia Pequena; Praia de Lisboa; Praia de Aranhas; Praia de Boca do Mocho. Besides these beaches there are bathing and recreation areas: Lagedo Largo, Prainha and others.
Small coves namely of Synagogue, Ponta do Sol, Cruzinha, Ribeira Alta and João Redondo have given rise to important ports of artisanal fishing, thus constituting an open door for better use of ocean resources.
The population of Ribeira Grande, integrated in the island of Santo Antão, presents, like the rest of the country, characteristics forged in the acculturation and diffusion of an interlacing of races from various quadrants.
With its own shape and specificities, the santonense expresses its culture and manifests itself through the language (the Creole of Santo Antão), gastronomy, music, dance (mazurka, contradiction, waltz, lukewarm and coladeira and the characteristic of colá S. João), art, theatre, effusive participation in pilgrimages, all in a peculiar way and in its own way.
Thus we find traces and manifestations of our own, such as the use of the drum and the boat in pilgrimage festivals typical of the island and in the journeys made with the saints in festive times from one locality to another.
Material cultural attractions
The urban built heritage, with architectural features of rare beauty where very old colonial equipment and buildings stand out, such as the house of Dr. Roberto Duarte Silva, one of the oldest buildings in Ribeira Grande where the holy scientist was born and lived, the church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário.
City of Ribeira Grande
The City of Ribeira Grande, also commonly known as Povoação, is a City of the Municipality of the same name, in the parish of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, on the Island of Santo Antão. It was elevated to the category of Village in 1732 and City in 2010.
It is located at the confluence of the Ribeira Grande and Ribeira da Torre valleys, becoming an important road junction that allows the connection of the roads coming from Porto Novo through the interior and east coast to Ponta do Sol and the villages of the Ribeira da Torre and Ribeira Grande valleys, respectively.
The city has several notable buildings, such as the Municipality of Ribeira Grande or the Parish Church of Nossa Senhora do Livramento. The Town Hall building is considered by many to be the most beautiful town hall in Cape Verde.
City of Ponta do Sol
The city of Ponta do Sol (Pónta d' Sol) is the seat of the municipality of Ribeira Grande and is located in a fajã in the extreme north of the island of Santo Antão, in the parish of Nossa Senhora do Livramento of Ribeira Grande.
The city has several notable buildings, such as the Municipality of Ribeira Grande or the Parish Church of Nossa Senhora do Livramento. The Town Hall building is considered by many, the most beautiful municipality building in Cape Verde.
Boca de Pistola Wharf
Ponta do Sol is the only airfield on the island, which is currently deactivated. Ponta do Sol also has a fishing port in the area known as Boca da Pistola. The following stand out from the architectural heritage: Boca de Pistola Wharf, Former EMPA warehouse (Adam Brigham's house), Casa Vitória, Benjamin Cohen House, Residence and former Magistrates' House, Civil Registry, Nhô Kzik House, Right Street, Jail (Ponta do Sol Fortress), Lime Fortress, President's House, Jewish Cemetery.
Immaterial cultural attractions
We find traces and manifestations of our own, such as the use of the drum and boat in pilgrimage festivals typical of the island and in the journeys made with the saints during festive times from one locality to another. Another ritual that is found, but which is falling into disuse is the dove of Asunción that announces a good or bad agricultural year.
The pilgrimage festivals
The pilgrimage festivals come from a religious and pagan origin, which some scholars claim to originate from European pagan rituals, namely from the Iberian Peninsula. The June festivals are an example of this, and their origin is attributed to the pagan festivals in which the harvests are celebrated in the month of June, which the Catholic Church has absorbed, giving special prominence to the saints of that month, such as St. Anthony, St. John and St. Peter.
These festivals attract a large number of people who celebrate exuberantly throughout the island of S. Antão, in an ancestral mixture of the profane and the religious that is still alive today, having even gained a new buzz in recent years. During these events there are many typical traditional manifestations such as music, the use of drums, the auctioning of the offerings of saints, gastronomy (in many places the eating habits that come from far away are still preserved) and the sale of products and materials made by hand and at home.
The main environmental risk in spontaneous neighbourhoods is associated with urban management, with the prevalence of poor housing conditions, poor supply of essential goods such as water and energy and poor waste collection. Vulnerability to risk is increased by the high incidence of poverty and irregularity in employment.
Environmental education can be provided through schools and directly in communities, in a concerted action between the municipality, the government delegations installed in the municipality and community-based associations, using the resources provided for under PANA II, as well as resources mobilized from international organizations.
Training should be considered in concert with the items already analysed, namely in the areas of communication, information and awareness raising in the fields of the environment, citizenship and public health, involving the grassroots community associations with the support of the Municipality.
Municipality of Paul
Paul is a municipality located in the extreme northeast of the island of Santo Antão, in Cape Verde.
10 HEALTHIER CITIES GOALS
CAPE VERDE AMBITION 2030
Creation
Paul's Council was created in April 1867, but by the end of the 19th century it was merged with the former Ribeira Grande Council, and the two became the Santo Antão Council. The Council of Paul is one of the oldest administrative divisions of Cape Verde.
In 1971 the Municipality of Santo Antão was redivided into three municipalities: Ribeira Grande, Paul and Porto Novo. The seat of the Council of Paul is the City of Pombas, which is located in Fajã das Pombas, at the mouth of Ribeira do Paul, with a resident population of 1,367 inhabitants and is City since September 2, 2010, under Law No. 77/VII/2010.
Geographic location
It is located on the northeast coast of the island of Santo Antão, between Ponta da Tumba (Latitude 17° 07' N, Longitude 24° 58'W) and Ponta de Saudade (Lat. 17° 10'N, Long.25° 01'W).
About 4 km, in the direction of NW da Pontinha, extends the Ribeira do Paul Valley, with its main tributary, Ribeira do Figueiral. The total area of the municipality is 54,3 Km2. The Day of the Municipality is June 13, which coincides with the celebration of the Day of St. Anthony of Pigeons, his patron saint.
Population
According to the latest General Census of Population and Housing (Census 2010), the population of Paúl is 7 032 inhabitants, of whom 55% are men and 45% women. Of this total, 18% live in urban areas and 82% live in rural areas.
Between the 2000 and 2010 Censuses, Paul recorded an average annual growth rate (TCMA) of -1.8%, having lost 1,390 inhabitants in the same period, a little more than he had gained between 1940 and 2010. Droughts and cyclical famines may, to some extent, justify the loss of population in the period between 1940 and 1950.
Cape Verde's essentially rural municipalities, such as Paul, have, over time, suffered the catastrophic effects of drought, which have also served as a source of inspiration for great works of Creole literature. The archipelago's particular climate, characterised by insufficient and irregular precipitation, combined with the small size of the territory, the high propensity to soil erosion, the absence of mineral resources of significant commercial value and, in the case of Paul, the excessive monoculture of sugar cane, are the main causes of the structural weakness of the primary sector of the economy in the municipality, which in the meantime occupies more than two thirds of the resident population, especially in subsistence agriculture.
The municipality has excellent conditions for the development of mountain and ecological tourism, which has seen important advances in recent years, finding in the steep landscape, in the contrast between green areas and absolutely dry regions, a strong attraction for tourists with a taste for long walks, adventure tourism and ecotourism.
From the economic dynamics, always linked to agriculture, livestock, fishing, production and marketing of brandy, on the one hand, and the construction of housing and facilities to support economic activity in the small strip of land that could accommodate human settlements on the coast of the municipality, has emerged the current configuration of the urban environment of the City of Pombas.
Agriculture
The Council's water resources potential from the point of view of groundwater is estimated at about 4 200 000 m3 (technically exploitable resource in an average year) with the irrigated area estimated at 243 ha. As regards hydro-agricultural infrastructures, the Council has a considerable network of devices, namely: retention and catchment dykes, reservoirs and levadas which, together with soil and water conservation works (stools, walls, and boilers) constitute an aggregate of environmental protection throughout the territory of the Council.
Agriculture in the Municipality of Paúl is predominantly dominated by the monoculture of sugar cane, which occupies more than 2/3 of the entire irrigated area of the Municipality. It is of the subsistence type in the high areas (corn, beans, sweet potatoes), and semi-mercantile in the interior of the valleys (sugar cane, banana, tubers and vegetables).
Livestock
Livestock farming in the Municipality, although not very significant, is mostly carried out on a family basis and in complementarity with agriculture. About 35% of families in the Municipality of Paúl are considered small livestock farmers, both of pigs, cattle, goats and poultry. Animal husbandry aims at improving the diet as well as solving socio-economic problems mainly in families in rural areas.
Industry
The production of brandy and honey is an important economic activity in the municipality of Paul and throughout the island of Santo Antão, through artisanal/traditional methods. With very little industrial activity and the respective park in the municipality, the small sugar cane industries (production of brandy and its derivatives), the production of sweets and liqueurs and the construction industry are in full expansion.
Trade
The Trade Sector is of paramount importance to the municipality. Today almost all areas of the municipality are covered by small trading units for goods, mainly essentials. The low purchasing power of the municipality's population conditions turnover, making stock rotation in the municipality relatively low.
Fishing
The fisheries sector in Paúl has little impact and is characterised by a mixed, artisanal and semi-industrial system, although the greatest weight of involvement of people is in artisanal fisheries. Most fish are destined for the internal market, with a small share going to other markets outside the Council.
Paúl is considered one of the most beautiful regions of Cape Verde, possessing a diversity of natural colours - characteristic of its vegetation - and imposing mountains that give it a unique beauty. Allied to its natural potential in the agricultural field, the Municipality of Paúl has an enormous tourist potential that is yet to be discovered, not only in the beauty of its corners, the culture and traditions of its people, but also in the way visitors are welcomed by the local population that is known for its morabeza.
Natural tourist attractions
The Paúl Council stands out from the other counties of the island because much of its territory is in the humid and sub-humid strata that give the county an exceptional climate and a simply spectacular landscape. Paúl is the greenest county in the country, welcoming a remarkable biological diversity.
The extremely rugged orography, the exuberant valleys of Paúl, Janela and Penedo, endowed with great potential in terms of water resources, constitute a great agricultural potential with the predominance of sugar cane, banana, fruit and vegetables.
On the other hand, the built patrimony stands out, both in the urban and rural environments, with colonial-type buildings and agricultural infrastructures, of which the sugar cane brandy manufacturing mill of Mr. Ildo Benrós is the most finished expression of a Paúlense patrimony that has the potential to be declared national heritage, due to the historical and cultural load it carries.
Pico da Cruz, Lenhal, Pêro Dias and Cova
The largest forest perimeter of Santo Antão and one of the richest, from the point of view of diversity and productivity, is the Forest Perimeter of the Eastern Plateau, located east of the island of Santo Antão. The Eastern Plateau occupies an area of 65 km2 which includes the forested areas located between the 700 m (Rope) and 1810 m (Gudo de Cavaleiro - Moroços) contours.
This plateau plays a very important role as a reception and feeding basin and regularisation of the main springs, both in Ribeira Grande and Paúl and it is responsible in this municipality for the great water potential that characterises this municipality.
In the territory of Paúl is the most qualitatively important part of the Eastern Plateau in terms of forest resources and biological diversity, covering the areas of Pico da Cruz, Lenhal, Pêro Dias and Cova.
From this forest perimeter made up of the herbaceous, shrubby and arboreal strata of the best quality and diversity that exists in Cape Verde, the arboreal with coniferous species made up of a great variety of pines and cupresso, of great economic value due to the quality of its wood and hardwood species such as Eucalyptus, Grevilea, Casuarina stand out. There is also a great variety of acacias, which are predominant and adapted to humid ecosystems such as molissima, salicina, picnanta, cyanophila, with high annual growth rates and with great importance in the production of firewood.
Vale do Paúl
The Ribeira do Paúl, one of the largest in Cape Verde, begins in the abrupt reliefs of the circus of Ribeira, between Cova do Paúl and Pico da Cruz (1583 m), and runs from southwest to northeast, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean in the city of Pombas.
The valley of Ribeira Paúl is extremely well fitted, the slopes being used for agriculture by means of terraces and a system of irrigation channels. It is a luxuriant valley with a predominance of rare green in the archipelago and a temperate climate with moderate temperatures during the year, constituting a potentiality that works as an attraction for people from other stops for permanent settlement or for tourism purposes.
Baía de Janela (Ribeira de Janela and Ribeira de Penedo)
The Baía da Janela, in which the village with the same name is located, develops between Pontinha (Lat. 17º 07' N, Long. 24º 59' W) and Ponta da Ribeira do António.
The bay is flanked by enormous heights where two beautiful valleys are born: Ribeira do Penedo and Janela. The coastal areas along this bay are morphologically made up of basaltic rocks, large loose rocks and pebbles cut by thick basaltic sands and even dirt. The greatest economic value of the Janela and Penedo areas lies in the agricultural activity that is normally practised on the slopes, although some agricultural land can be found at medium sea level, but without much expression.
Pedra Escrivida" or "Pedra do Letreiro"
The "Pedra Escrivida", located in the locality of Penedo de Janela, has inscriptions that result from human hands. There are doubts whether they are runic characters (from the oldest Germanic and Scandinavian peoples), or Berbers, or whether they could have been made by the first Portuguese navigators. Others also claim to be characters of an Indo-Chinese language left by Chinese navigators. There is much mystery about the origin of the characters of the Pedra Escrivida, which in itself makes it a tourist attraction for those curious about these ethno-linguistic issues and beyond.
Coastal/Oceanic Resources
The municipality of Paúl has a very small coastline, in fact, in the same proportion of the size of the municipality, which goes from Ponta da Saudade (border with the municipality of Ribeira Grande) to Ponta da Tumba (border with the municipality of Porto Novo).
This waterfront is a gateway for the entry and exit of boats, namely fishing boats. The coastline of Paúl is characterized by a very rugged relief with few coves and few beaches.
The bays of Passo e de Janela are privileged shelters for the construction of wharfs or ports to allow the embarkation and disembarkation of people and goods and access to the sea by fishing boats. The main population centres, namely the City of Pombas, the beach of Gi and Pontinha de Janela, develop close to the coastline and have activities linked to coastal resources.
The coastal and oceanic marine biodiversity is characterised by a great biological diversity made up of marine invertebrates (squid, octopus and conch), crustaceans (green, brown, stone and pink lobster which is endemic and deep-sea), reptiles (sea turtles) various fish and sharks (dogfish, blue, cat and tiger).
Despite the poorly accessible orographic configuration of Paúl's coastline, it is still important and has potential for development in maritime transport, fishing, port activities, leisure activities, beaches, bathing areas, space for tourism development and other related activities.
Vicinal roads
The interior of Vale do Paúl is quite frequented for weekend excursions, both by the local population, as the neighboring island of S. Vicente, this due to the reopening of the tourist resort of Passagem, which offers a pool of fresh water, combined with a paradisiacal environment characterized by a large green patch of plants and diverse plantations, constituting a cool, quiet and welcoming area for leisure and fun, considered as the "postcard" of the municipality.
Paúlense culture is part of the cultural matrix of the island of Santo Antão, characterized by its specificity in terms of dialect (language of Santo Antão), music (mornas and coladeiras), dance (mazurca, contradança and waltz), art, theatre, Colá, Santo António pilgrimages (in the specific case of Paúl) and gastronomy, all in the good way of Santo Antão, thus contributing the island and the municipality to the cultural wealth of Cape Verde.
Thus, in the municipality of Paúl, the Santo António das Pombas pilgrimage festival stands out, celebrated effusively on the 13th of June each year, local handicraft, painting and sculpture; in terms of gastronomy, homemade and traditional sweets and liqueurs are famous; in music, the group Cordas do Sol has been radiating melodic chords from Paúl to the whole world, having become a reference musical group in the panorama of Cape Verdean folk music.
The craftsmanship has tradition in the council of Paul where the paintings are made with the materials that nature makes available to the artisans, are already a brand image.
They are made from materials collected from agricultural land, tree trunks, stone, earth, banana leaves, pieces of coconut trees, sugar cane and reed flower small stones and other materials collected in nature and which, added to the genius of the artists, become "pure beauty" to the delight of nationals and tourists who demand the island of Santo Antão.
Material cultural attractions
Cidade das Pombas is located in Fajã das Pombas, in the mouth of Ribeira do Paúl. It has a population around 1,800 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Municipality of Paúl, there crossing the road that runs through the Ribeira do Paúl Valley with the coastal road that comes from the City of Ribeira Grande and that, via Pontinha da Janela follows along the east coast to Porto Novo.
City of Pombas
With a perfect combination of sea, green and mountains, the City of Pombas is considered the least mountainous area of the municipality, the most populated and whose main economic activities are agriculture and retail. In the city is concentrated all the public and private administrative machinery.
The City of Pombas has an enormous tourist potential that is still to be discovered, not only in the beauty of its nooks and crannies, but also in its architecture that results from a mixture of the contemporary and the old, represented by colonial houses.
“Fontes Pereira de Melo" Lighthouse
Fontes Pereira de Melo Lighthouse, also known as Ponta de Tumba or Tumbo Lighthouse, or Boi Lighthouse, is a lighthouse located at the northeast end of Santo Antão Island, near the village of Janela, a few kilometres southeast of the City of Pombas.
It is an octagonal white tower in plastered masonry, with a lantern and gallery, and 16 metres high. In annex there is a ground floor building for lighthouse keepers, abandoned and in poor condition.
Statue of Santo António das Pombas
The statue of Santo António das Pombas is on a hill near the City of Pombas, in a place that offers a 180º view over the Paúl Valley and the ocean.
Trapiche do Senhor Ildo Benrós
According to the owner, Mr. Ildo Benrós, descendant of Jews, this trapiche (sugar cane crushing machine) is about four hundred years old, and still works in full, maintaining the tradition of ox-drawn, as attested by an old photograph.
Tourist Resort 'Passagem
It is a tourist resort built in the late eighties and recently refurbished to suit the real needs of tourism development in the municipality.
It is very popular with people from various parts of the island and the neighbouring island of St. Vincent, as well as with tourists from France, Germany, England, among other nationalities.
The environment in Paul, as in other rural environments of the country, is marked by the predominance of rural culture, the absence of urban spaces and, of adequate systems of street and pavement.
Environmental sustainability "presupposes the use and management of environmental resources by man, ensuring that the needs of current generations are met without damaging the Earth's resources in such a way that future generations are prevented from satisfying them. The dynamic relationship between sustainable management of resources and sustainable development, that is, a model of economic and social development within environmental limits, considered capable of preserving the general balance, the value of the environment and of natural resources, ensuring their distribution and balanced use, is recognized".
Municipality of Porto Novo
The city of Porto Novo, formerly known as Carvoeiros, is the seat of the municipality of the same name. It is the largest urban centre of Santo Antão and contains the main port of the island.
10 HEALTHIER CITIES GOALS
CAPE VERDE AMBITION 2030
Creation
By Decree of 19 April 1912 the Council of Porto Novo was created for the first time. It did not function, possibly due to a lack of funds or for other reasons, namely political reasons, until in 1962 the Council of Porto Novo became a reality after becoming an Administrative Post in 1942.
It was divided into two administrative zones, with the placement of two Regedores in the parishes of São João Baptista with headquarters in Ribeira das Patas and Santo André with headquarters in Ribeira da Cruz
Geographical location
Located in the south of the island of Santo Antão, the municipality of Porto Novo is the largest municipality on the island with a total area of 557 square kilometres, corresponding to 2/3 (67%) of its surface.
This location favoured the rapid growth of the port of Carvoeiros, later called Porto Novo, in the first half of the 20th century, but with great dynamism in the last quarter of the 20th century, after the saturation of urban space in the villages of Ribeira Grande and Pombas on Paul.
Population
According to the 2010 census, the municipality had a population of 18,028 at the time, which represents the lowest population density on the island (31.7 inhabitants per km2).
To register, however, that Porto Novo is the only municipality of the island of Santo Antão that registered population growth between 2000 and 2010 (+0.5%), contrary to what happened in the municipalities of Paul (-1.8%) and Ribeira Grande (-1.3%).
The Municipality has 3.925 households, with an average of 4,6 people per household (slightly above the national average of 4,1). The percentage of urban population (52%) is lower than the national average (62%), despite the marked trend of migratory flows from the countryside to the city in recent years.
Agricultural activities, both irrigated and non-irrigated and due to adverse environmental conditions, generally show low productivity compared to the other regions of Santo Antão Island.
Livestock farming is currently one of the few potentialities in the municipality, particularly in the North, South, Lagoa and peripheral areas of the city of Porto Novo.
As far as fishing is concerned, and despite the existence of some potential, the lack of appropriate technologies for catching fish is one of the limiting factors in the use of this resource.
It has a great tourist potential, offering an attractive landscape richness with a game of contrasts between the green and lunar landscapes, the beaches and the nature of the mountains.
Agriculture
Despite the existence of good soils, the climatic conditions of Porto Novo do not favour a higher productivity of agricultural activities (both dry and irrigated). The most important crops are maize and beans on dry land and sugar cane and vegetables in irrigated areas.
Agriculture and livestock farming continue to be the most important economic activities in the municipality, despite the process of desertification to which it has been subjected for many decades.
Livestock
Livestock farming is an important sector for the municipality in view of the vast land and the great resistance of goats to the municipality's agro-ecological conditions. Cattle are practically everywhere, both in the urban perimeter and on dry and irrigated land. In irrigated areas, domestic breeding prevails in the stabling regime and the use of by-products of agricultural production for animal feed, complemented by the purchase of feed.
Industry
There is practically no industry in Porto Novo, only prospects of exploitation of the pozzolan that still exists in the municipal territory.
Trade
Official trade is currently facing a number of difficulties, including low stock rotation, low purchasing power of the population, parallel market competition, higher prices than the national average, poor financial availability of importers, lack of quality control and inefficiency in food supply.
Fishing
As is the case throughout the island of Santo Antão, the sector is dominated by traditional fishing. The fishing communities are centred both in the city of Porto Novo and in the bay of Monte Trigo, on the west coast of the island.
Fishing is almost all artisanal, with rudimentary techniques, except in some cases where considerable improvements have been made with the purchase of more modern fishing boats equipped with encircling nets.
The maritime link has mainly favoured domestic tourism based on the island of São Vicente, but with little purchasing power to unlock the tertiary economy of the island and especially the municipality of Porto Novo.
The tourist activity results from the quality of the environment, the richness of the cultural heritage, the gastronomy, the availability of areas with low population density; the development of large leisure areas, such as bathing, mountain camping and others.
Natural tourist attractions
The volcanic nature and the exuberance of the geological formations of the island and the municipality contribute to the existence of an opportunity for the development of scientific tourism in the geological mode.
Maciço Tope de Coroa
The massif of the Tope de Coroa, comprising the extinct volcano of the same name whose maximum altitude reaches 1979 metres, includes the Natural Park of the Tope de Coroa which holds a great variety of endemic taxa, of great scientific value and rare beauty.
Topo da Coroa is the highest point of Santo Antão and is situated 20 km west of Porto Novo and less than 4 km east of Monte Trigo. From 1300 m on the east side and 1650 m on the west side a very dense shrubby vegetation begins, composed mostly of Euphorbia tuckeyana which in the part of the plateau is accompanied in large numbers by species such as Diplotaxis antoniensis and Lavandula coronopifolia.
Pozolana do Porto Novo deposits
In the municipality of Porto Novo, as well as in the whole island of Santo Antão, basalts, phonolites, pyroclasts and a great wealth of pozzolan fruits dominate. The outcrops of pozzolan constituted a single layer throughout the island that due to erosion restricted its location near the city of Porto Novo.
Ribeira das Patas Valley
Located a few kilometres from the city of Porto Novo, it constitutes an agricultural ecosystem of great economic and landscape value, depositories of great biodiversity of the agricultural and livestock systems. It is a very important valley from an agricultural and livestock point of view, where the majority of the resident population is dedicated to agriculture and animal husbandry.
Alto Mira Valley
Located a long way from the city of Porto Novo, the Alto Mira Valley is also an important biotope in the municipality and the island of Santo Antão, with great potential in terms of agriculture and livestock.
It is one of the valleys with a tradition of vegetable cultivation that are exported to the neighbouring markets of Porto Novo and Mindelo.
Ribeira da Cruz
At a greater distance than Alto Mira - Porto Novo, is located the Ribeira da Cruz Valley, well known for its beauty, rich landscape, mountains, and many other attractions.
The agricultural landscape of Vale da Ribeira da Cruz is the main tourist resource that can attract many tourists. This is an important asset that can be exploited to develop quality tourism in the area. Vale da Ribeira da Cruz should undoubtedly belong to a touristic route of the Municipality, connecting it to the main tourist points of Santo Antão Island.
Martiene Valley
Located in the parish of Santo André, 40 kilometres from the city of Porto Novo, the town of Martiene is a rural area with great agricultural potential, if compared with the standards of the country.
With a beautiful panorama, Martiene is an essentially agricultural valley with tourist potential. Thus, besides presenting a mild and inviting climate for a walk to its interior.
The entire Martiene Valley is an agricultural ecosystem of great economic value and landscape, depository of great biodiversity of the agricultural and livestock system.
Tarrafal de Monte Trigo
The community of Tarrafal, a farming and fishing village, is located close to 30 km from Porto Novo.
The diversity of the landscape, the architectural heritage, the richness of the landscape, the sea and the mountains, constitute a varied range of tourist attractions that can attract family tourism to the town of Tarrafal de Monte Trigo. The sea and the agricultural landscape of Tarrafal de Monte Trigo are attractions for any demanding market where quality and tranquillity are the strategic positioning.
Vicinal paths circuits
Porto Novo has a network of beautiful side roads, of which we highlight as an example: Tarrafal de Monte Trigo - North Plateau - Chã de Morte (Ribeira das Patas) of great spectacularity.
The most interesting points during its route are the view over the beautiful valley of Tarrafal de Monte Trigo, the desert view of the North Plateau and the volcano of Topo de Coroa, and already in the area near Topo da Cruz the stunning view over the valleys of Alto Mira and Ribeira das Patas (CMPN, 2014).
Coastal natural resources
The city of Porto Novo has four bathing beaches that are very frequented by the population and visitors: Curraletes Beach, Armazém Beach, Caizinho Beach and Topo Beach. Being to detach that the first one gives name to the Festival "Curraletes" that carried through every year in the end of August and beginning of September marking thus, the commemorative dates of the creation of the City council of Porto Novo.
The main fishing spots are in the city of Porto Novo, Praia Formosa and Tarrafal and Monte Trigo. The extensive coastline and its adjacent strip of land, stretches from Praia de Curraletes to Tarrafal with few elevations; it constitutes a great future potential for the Municipality and for the Island and can accommodate the most diverse social, urbanistic, port, industrial, commercial and energy facilities.
Culture is created on the basis of experiences and content acquired over time and accumulated and selected by man as a way of guaranteeing his identity. The Municipality of Porto Novo is characterized by a great cultural richness of its own that manifests itself through music, dance, art, theatre and pilgrimage parties.
These reach their maximum expression in the municipal festival of São João on June 24th, which includes a great diversity of religious, cultural and sporting events. The syncretic character of these festivities included a combination of religion and profane dances.
Material cultural attractions
The cultural heritage built in the municipality of Porto is not exhausted in the churches and houses of the urban or rural bourgeoisie, but also covers the "poorest" typologies, carried out with local resources, as a way for society to respond to the primary needs of life. In this case, there are rural houses and support areas for domestic and agricultural activities.
The religious buildings make up much of the estate built in the municipality of Porto Novo, with the Mother Church, several chapels scattered throughout the localities and its cemetery.
We can also highlight the population centres with houses of traditional architecture, the trapiches, the infrastructures to support fishing and the traditional road network, as elements of the built heritage of the municipality.
City of Porto Novo
The city of Porto Novo, an important cultural attraction built, is located in an inlet limited to the southwest by Ponta Tarrafinho and to the Northeast by the dock that was located on the south coast of the island, one hour by ferry from the city of Mindelo.
It is a city with potential tourist attractions, first because it is the gateway to the island of Santo Antão through its recently expanded port and equipped with land-based infrastructure to support the unloading operations of cargo and visitors who want to know and enjoy the natural and cultural wonders of the island, and second because the city and its people are an important tourist hub that must be developed and adapted to the real needs of the tourist market that is intended to develop for the island of Santo Antão.
Immaterial cultural attractions
The most original and well-known tradition is the Sonjon, which is celebrated in the municipality of Porto Novo, in the month of June, with the main highlight on the 23rd and 24th of the same month. This tradition is known to be one of the festivities that attracts large numbers of people to the islands of Cape Verde.
Sonjon
Sonjon, as he is known in Saint Anthony, has a history that is known by Christians. It is said that the saint was very old, and one day he came in a boat that failed at sea and having survived, was found on a beach.
This commemoration, in the municipality of Porto Novo, involves going to Ribeira das Patas on 23 June to rescue the saint and return him on 25. Some pilgrims walk a total of more than 30 kilometres round trip, not caring about the wind or the scorching sun of the time, to accompany the saint's pilgrimage.
It is said that the tiredness this route can cause in pilgrims is not perceptible, given the dance of the kolá sanjon, the drum roll, and the coexistence between pilgrims being so exciting, that one is almost in a state of ecstasy.
Saint Andrew
It is also celebrated on November 30th, the feast of Santo André, in Ribeira da Cruz, which attracts many people from all over the municipality and various parts of the island of Santo Antão under a mosaic of rich traditions and culture.
Like other cities in the country, Porto Novo does not have a green belt. However, the City Council has made efforts in the creation of squares and squares inside the city and in the afforestation of the streets. There is a remarkable tree cover, mainly of American acacia, Prosopis juliflora, along the water lines.
The sloping topography of the city could create potential flood risks near the mouth of the streams in coastal buildings, or as a consequence of poor rainwater drainage. There is also the possibility of flooding during torrential rains and cyclones, but the urban structure of Porto Novo concentrates the constructions on the recesses, leaving the water lines, such as the Cruzinha and Desembarcadouro streams, free.
Another possible risk, with a record of historical cases, are pests and epidemics. The last major pests recorded in Cape Verde are associated with the invasion of the desert grasshopper (Schistocerca gregaria), which is a danger, especially for agriculture if the invasion coincides with the rainy season.
Municipality of São Vicente
São Vicente is the second most populated island of Cape Verde, located in the Barlavento group, northwest of the archipelago.
10 HEALTHIER CITIES GOALS
CAPE VERDE AMBITION 2030
The island of São Vicente was discovered on 22 January 1462 by the Portuguese navigator Diogo Afonso, and was practically uninhabited for over 300 years, serving only to raise cattle there.
In 1795 João Carlos da Fonseca Rosado (a rich merchant from Fogo) undertook the first organized attempt to settle the island of São Vicente. However, this experience failed miserably.
In 1812, there was a new attempt at settlement implemented by Governor Antonio Pusich. Gradually, the population increased. In 1819, the population of the island was around 115. One year later, it already had 295 souls. The initial settlement, which had received the name of Dom Rodrigo, progressed. Already in 1820, it became known as Vila Leopoldina.
Years later, in 1838, the name was changed to Mindelo. In 1848, its population is already 553 individuals. And finally, with the appearance of the first coal deposit, the population of Mindelo enters the path of progress and fortune, to impose itself, by right, as the most important cluster of the archipelago. From then on, English companies appeared at the catadoupe, supplying coal to the hundreds and hundreds of boats that frequented Porto Grande, making it one of the busiest ports in the world at that time.
Geographical location
São Vicente is located north of the archipelago of Cape Verde, between the islands of Santo Antão and São Nicolau, and is part of the Barlavento group. It is located between the parallels 16º 55'19'' and 16º 46'21'' north of the equator, and between the meridians 24º 51'58'' and 25º 0.5'40'' west of Greenwich. It has a maximum length of 24,250 metres in an east-west direction between the Viana tip in the east and the Machado tip in the west and a maximum width of 16,250 metres between the João de Évora tip in the north and the south. Its capital, the city of Mindelo, occupies an area of approximately 75 Km2.
The island of São Vicente extends over a territory of 227 Km2, with a single parish (Nossa Senhora da Luz). São Vicente is home to 76,140 inhabitants, which makes up a population density of 335.42 Hab/Km2.
Population
Data from the 2010 Census show that the resident population of São Vicente Island is 76,107 individuals, 38,347 (50.4%) of whom are men and 37,760 (49.68%) women distributed in 20,980 households. Of these, 62% are headed by men and 38% by women. The average of individuals per household is 3.6.
About 93% of the island's population lives in urban areas. The population is mostly young, with 65.7% of individuals under 30 years of age, slightly below the national average of 68.4%. The elderly population over 60 is equal to the national average of 8.6%.
The city of Mindelo corresponds statistically to the area of the same name and is divided into at least 31 places. Of the 19,962 households on the island of São Vicente, 92.6% are concentrated in the city of Mindelo, i.e. around 18,485 households. Each household comprises an average of 3.8 individuals. It should be mentioned that about 8,891 (i.e. 48.1%) of these households are run by female heads of household, 80.3% of all dwellings being the habitual residence of the respective owners.
The most important and dominant economic activities on the island are trade, fishing, livestock farming, industry, hotels and restaurants. After the island of Santiago, S. Vicente has a larger number of active companies, with a higher turnover and consequently the second largest contribution to the national gross domestic product.
Thus, in addition to local production, the island's supply is made up of products imported from abroad and from other islands, mainly Santo Antão, S. Nicolau, Santiago and Fogo.
Agriculture
Locally practised agriculture is very scarce for the needs of the population and is essentially reduced to vegetable production and maize cultivation, which is practised in the rainy season and in the vast majority of cases without any result.
Livestock farming
As for livestock farming, cattle farming (almost negligible), goat farming, pig farming and poultry farming are the most important aspects of St Vincent's economy, both in terms of family and industrial holdings, which satisfactorily meet the island's consumption needs and those of others, particularly St Anthony and St Nicholas.
Industry
The municipality has the most developed industrial sector in Cape Verde. Several industrial products are manufactured locally, namely bakery, biscuits, pasta, soft drinks, cereal and coffee grinding, soap, hotel industry, metallurgic industry, shipbuilding, construction, etc.
The island of São Vicente is home to many companies with a structural weight in the economy of the whole country (e.g. ENAPOR, ENACOL, VIVO ENERGY, CABNAVE, ELECTRA, MOAVE) which, in addition to guaranteeing permanent employment to many Vincentians, contribute significantly to Cape Verde's GDP.
Trade
St. Vincent's economy has always been based on commercial activity, thanks to its excellent natural harbour, served by a dock. Also, in the socio-economic context, the importance of remittances sent by emigrants in the formation of families' income should be stressed. In addition to local production, the island's supply is made up of products imported from abroad and from other islands, mainly Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Santiago and Fogo.
Fishing
Fishing is one of the municipality's most important activities, both in terms of contribution to Gross Domestic Product and job creation.
As far as small-scale fishing is concerned, official statistics show an annual average catch equivalent to 1,200 tonnes and an average productivity per fisherman of around 1.9 tonnes over the last five years.
Both artisanal and industrial fisheries play an important role in the island's economy through supply for consumption and as an employer.
Hotels and Tourism are beginning to show signs that they can be, in a very short period of time, economic activities that can generate great income.
Natural tourist attractions
Despite its small size, the island of São Vicente has mountains and trails that may constitute important natural tourist resources, namely Monte Verde, the highest point of the island, which is a protected area and also the valleys of Mato Inglês, Baleia and others that provide excellent views and paths for hiking and trekking.
Porto Grande Bay
The Bay of Porto Grande, which was elected to the Club of the 21 Most Beautiful Bays in the World, with its natural harbour, is also an important tourist attraction. A great icon of Porto Grande Bay is its Monte Cara, famous for remembering a human face that dominates the whole bay and is visible everywhere in Mindelo City, looking like a guardian of it.
Being an island characterized by a great diversity of landscapes, with a very jagged coastline and a very diversified orography, the landscape must be assumed and managed as a natural environmental resource. This diversity of landscapes is the result of natural phenomena and processes which are at the root of the origin and evolution of islands (volcanism, erosion, sedimentation) and of those which have shaped the prevailing climate conditions and which have enabled human life to be established (sun, wind, rain, vegetation).
Monte Verde Natural Park
The Monte Verde Natural Park has an area of about 312 hectares and is part of a mountainous enclosure, which has the remains of a primitive bordeira, whose culminating points are Monte Verde and Madeiral, with about 744 and 680 meters respectively. Its top platform, inclined to NE, provides a favourable environment for the incidence of humidity, a factor responsible for the existence of a landscape that contrasts with the aridity of the other areas of the Island.
The specificity of São Vicente Island in terms of biological diversity is confined to the richness in species of flora and fauna of the Monte Verde and Ribeira Vinha Natural Park.
Monte Verde is an important natural observatory of reference for the practice of mountain tourism. From the top of Monte Verde it is possible to have spectacular views of the whole island of São Vicente and the bay of Porto Grande with its city of Mindelo. There is also a privileged view of the majestic island of Santo Antão and on the other side of the island of Santa Luzia, of the islets Branco and Raso and on the lighter days of the island of São Nicolau.
Ribeira de Vinha
The Ribeira de Vinha is located between 30 and 130 metres in the arid zone. It is a stream with a valley, essentially sandy from upstream to downstream. The soils of the Ribeira de Vinha are of medium texture, with good internal drainage and influenced, downstream, by the saline water table, due to the action of the tides. The Ribeira de Vinha Valley is essentially occupied by the forest stand Prosopis juliflora (American Acacia - introduced species) and Tamarix senegalensis (tarafe).
Being a predominantly agricultural area, the Ribeira de Vinha owes its name to the homonymous stream that runs there in rainy times, and most of the properties that appear in it are vegetable gardens. As it is located in a fertile area in water tables, it has several wells and tanks, but most of them have dried up with the frequent droughts that plagued the archipelago in its recent history.
Lameirão Zone
The Lameirão area is located west of Monte Verde and east of Mindelo and is crossed by the road between the city and the Bay of Gatas. In the area are old vegetable gardens, many of them abandoned due to drought, and still some palm trees. The area of Lameirão consists of the following places: Lameirão, Mato Inglês and Pé de Verde.
Ribeira de Julião
The Ribeira de Julião is located shortly after the exit of Mindelo, flanking the road that connects this town to the village of Calhau. It is an area that has known great expansion in recent times, with several new buildings, and may become in the future a suburb of Mindelo.
The Ribeira de Julião is famous for the festivities of São João, when large crowds converge from all over the island for the festivities near the church of the place, on the day of São João, June 24. During this pilgrimage party the traditional Colá San Jon dance is danced, where following the rhythm of the drums the pairs perform a sensual dance that involves the umbigada, or frontal clash of the bass belly of the dancers.
Ribeira do Calhau
Ribeira de Calhau is located at the eastern end of the island, right in front of the uninhabited neighbouring island of Santa Luzia, which is almost always visible. The valley, which has several small farms of small producers, flows into Baía do Calhau, where there is a fishing village with the same name, today surrounded by several summer houses.
Salamansa
Salamansa is a fishing village in the north of São Vicente Island, more precisely in the northeast of Mindelo. The village is by the sea, in a beautiful bay that lies in the canal that separates São Vicente from the island of Santo Antão, which can be seen just ahead.
The bay has a long and beautiful white sand beach, very pleasant for bathers and water sports enthusiasts, with special emphasis on windsurfing and kite-surfing.
In this area is celebrated every year the Feast of Santa Cruz on May 3, attracting many people from the city of Mindelo due to the colourful party with lots of music and many stalls set up on the beautiful beach selling food and drinks. Drums are played and the Colá dance is performed by the folk, just like the other pilgrimage festivals on the island, which were brought by the migrant populations from the different islands, particularly from the island of Santo Antão, in this case Salamansa.
This is where the historical and cultural enigma, the controversial "Concheiro de Salamansa", is to be found, and it has been the subject of extensive scientific discussion. The archaeological excavations of the "Concheiro de Salamansa", on the island of São Vicente, is an archaeological resort, where there is evidence of human presence, perhaps before the arrival of the Portuguese in the archipelago in 1460.
Bay of Gatas
Near the village of Salamansa is the famous Baía das Gatas (Bay of Fats), the name of a beautiful natural bay, a small town less than 10 km east of Mindelo. The name of this bay derives from the abundance in its waters of a species of shark called Cat Shark. It is a huge natural pool, as the exit to the sea is closed by rocks that make a barrier.
The Bay of Fats lends its locality and name to the famous Festival of the Bay of Fats which, due to its cultural and economic importance, is discussed later in this document.
Aldeia de S. Pedro
São Pedro is a fishing village 7 km southwest of Mindelo City and near the International Airport "Cesária Évora". The valley of São Pedro flows into a beautiful beach of white sand and turquoise waters, in the bay of the same name where the village is located on the left hand side of those coming from Mindelo. The landscape is arid and majestic and the constant winds make it an internationally renowned windsurfing beach. The village is small and picturesque, with colourful houses. Practically only fishermen inhabit it.
Monte Cara
Monte Cara is a 490 metre high elevation, west of the bay of Porto Grande, opposite the city of Mindelo, the island's capital.
Monte Cara, which owes its name to the fact that its cutout reminds us of a human face looking at the sky, is the ex-libris of the city of Mindelo. It has also been called Mount Washington or Head of Washington, as it is said by the American sailors of the whaling boats that sought the Porto Grande in the 19th century in search of a crew and which gave rise to the emigration of Cape Verdeans who settled in the New Bedford whaling port in the New England area. There is a legend told by the oldest Portuguese that when they arrived on the island they identified the face as being of D. Afonso Henriques.
Monte Cara was elected in 2013 with one of the seven wonders of Cape Verde.
Mindelo Bay (Porto Grande Bay)
The coastal area of Mindelo Bay is located between Ponta de João Ribeiro in the NE and Ponta do Morro Branco in SW. The excellent natural conditions of this bay made it in the past considered one of the safest deep water ports in the world, having due to its strategic location in the Atlantic Ocean become one of the three busiest ports on the planet in the 19th century.
Recently the bay was elected as one of the most beautiful bays by joining the exclusive Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World.
Porto Grande continues to be Cape Verde's largest and best port, maintaining its tradition of serving the international navy and increasingly establishing itself as an important port of call for cruise ships from the mid-Atlantic that also serves international fishing fleets that come to tranship their catches, supply and recruit crew.
Coastline and beaches of São Vicente
The diversity of the coastline is also related to the geomorphological, geophysical, pedological and orographic nature of the beaches and slopes, highly conditioned by dominant physical and oceanographic phenomena - wind speed and direction, sea currents, swell and tides.
Thus, the coastal edge of the island is made up of rocky cliffs, black or white sand beaches, pebble or gravel beaches, rocky, stony and sandy bays, dune areas and river valley areas (DGMP, 1998a).
The coastline of the island of S. Vicente is currently characterised and assumed, strategically, as a resource, constituting one of the greatest potential for economic development of the country with emphasis on tourism, aquaculture and fishing, maritime, port and industrial activities (water and salt production).
Similarly, the various beaches in the coastal areas, namely Mindelo Bay, S. Pedro Bay, Gatas Bay, Salamansa, Jon d' Évora Bay, Flamingo Bay, Calhau, Zaragarça, Topinho, Palha Carga and Calheta, are potential centres for the development of sun & beach tourism, sport fishing and marine ecotourism.
Laginha Beach
Praia da Laginha is a beautiful beach with white sand and a penetrating blue that is situated right in the City of Mindelo. It is a great asset for the city. Its marginal invites every day, especially in the late afternoon, to great walks and physical exercise in the improvised "fitness machines" on the beach.
Right by the beach there are several bars and restaurants that serve both residents and tourists. There are places to practice football and volleyball and various water sports.
Cova d'Inglesa Beach
This is another beach in the city. It has little sand and is very frequented by the population of the nearby areas that even make a festival between the months of July and August.
In the summer months there are tents that serve food and drinks. It is mainly formed by natural pools that require some attention. It is located at the entrance of the city and has Lazareto Beach right next to it, all part of Porto Grande Bay.
Galé and Lazareto Beaches
They belong to the set of beaches that make up the Bay of Porto Grande and have in the background the Monte Cara. They form a contiguous and extensive set of white sand that serves the few bathers who frequent them. They are more frequented in the summer months and serve the small town of Lazareto which is located nearby.
Fateja Beach
This beach is located behind Monte Cara. It is mostly rocky, with a sand that appears only in a few months of the year. It is a beautiful beach, a magnificent place with natural beauties that provide a relaxed landscape and a natural pool for a swim after the walk.
There is no access road by car and this can only be reached by walking up Monte Cara, or alternatively by sea in recreational boats or fishing boats.
São Pedro Beach
São Pedro beach is an extensive beach with turquoise blue waters considered one of the best for surfing, windsurfing and bodyboarding but it is not recommended for people who do not know how to swim well because of its strong bump, which is particularly strong in the summer months.
The landscape is arid and majestic, due to its strong waves, constant winds and high tides is the beach chosen by many world champions for the practice of the above mentioned disciplines. São Pedro is a small and picturesque fishing village with colourful houses, 7 km southwest of Mindelo City.
Flamengo Beach
An uninhabited beach at the end of a valley parallel to São Pedro, with a mountain separating them but with different accesses. You reach the valley of Flamengo on a dirt road which is not difficult to reach after leaving the São Pedro road on the left in the wind farm area.
With crystal clear water and fine sand it is very inviting to bathe. The sea has waves but is not very frequented by lovers of wave sports.
Palha Carga Beach
It is a beautiful beach that can be reached after walking through the equally beautiful valley of Palha Carga, which is flanked by hills of beautiful cuttings. The beach has a large extension of white and black sand and a blue sea that is only recommended for good swimmers because of the waves, currents and lack of lifeguards.
Sandy Beach/Boca de Lapa
Boca de Lapa beach is located in the south of the island and was named "Sandy Beach" by surfers. This is where the "Open Sandy" is held, one of the biggest races of the national surf and bodyboard circuit in Cape Verde. There is already a large participation of athletes from other countries but the competition has not yet been included in the International Circuit.
The sea is not very propitious to the practice of swimming due to its strong bursts and even at the foot of rocks, but good for the practice of wave sports. The beach has a narrow sandy beach and because it is considered far from the city it is not frequented by the general public.
Tupim Beach
Right next to Sandy Beach, with the same conditions and using the same access road but with much less sand. Mostly frequented by lovers of wave sports, surf and bodyboard.
Saragarça Beach
It is located in the south of the island and together with Sandy Beach and Tupim make a set of beaches that are the eye girl of surf, windsurf, bodyboard and kitesurf lovers.
Bay of Pebble
The Bay of Calhau is opposite the deserted island of Santa Luzia which on days of good visibility can be seen clearly. Only 20 minutes from the city centre, it is ideal for surfing and fishing and between Praia Grande and Saragarça beach.
4 km south of Calhau is the crater of Viana volcano, extinct and north of the town there are also other cones of extinct volcanoes. There is a natural swimming pool which is right at the foot of the volcano which has already had human intervention to better serve the bathers.
Praia Grande
Praia Grande is located between Calhau and Praia do Norte (or North Bay), in the northeast of the island and east of Monte Verde. It can be reached there through the new road from Calhau or the road from Baía das Gatas/Norte de Baía. Its white sand stretching along the coast contrasts with the adjacent volcanic rocks making an idyllic landscape for its visitors and tourists. Very frequented because of its waves that encourage the practice of surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and bodybord.
North Beach of Baía das Gatas
Praia do Norte is a beach located in the village called Norte da Baía, between Praia Grande and Baía das Gatas and northeast of Monte Verde. It is very frequented by lovers of angling who will spend the weekend there. The sea is not very safe because it has many currents but it allows bathers small incursions because it is not very deep, although it is not advisable.
Bay of Fats
Baía das Gatas is the name of a beautiful natural bay, which has a small town with summer houses and is less than 10 km east of the town of Mindelo. The name of this bay derives from the abundance in its waters of a species of shark called Cat Shark.
The Bay of Fantas has a huge natural pool, as the exit to the sea is closed by natural reefs that make a barrier, which makes it the safest beach in the country. Experts also consider it the area of the country best suited for learning various water sports such as windsurfing, sailing, motorboating, scuba diving, etc.. Baía das Gatas has beautiful coral reefs, ideal for observation diving, besides underwater hunting.
On the beach it happens every year in August, the first music festival of the archipelago known internationally for being also the biggest and that lasts for 3 days and 3 nights, attracting people from all the islands and the Cape Verdean diaspora and some tourists.
Salamansa
Salamansa is a beautiful bay of clear and warm waters with a beautiful and extensive deserted beach that lies in the canal that separates São Vicente from the island of Santo Antão. The village of Salamansa is located north of the island on the way to Baía das Gatas is a small fishing village, simple and hospitable people.
There is a school and development for Kitesurfing equipment rental and the beach is also good for windsurfing and body boarding. The access to the beach is made by the road Mindelo/Baia das Gatas and then the road that goes to the fishing village.
João D'Évora
A white, deserted beach in the north of the island; it is situated about 4 km from Mindelo, and protected from the winds by the surrounding mountains. It is an isolated and unguarded beach with a reputation of being dangerous but with great conditions for leisure and sea bathing.
The island of São Vicente is considered the cultural capital of Cape Verde. The island offers a wide range of cultural products that constitute a unique and genuine attraction, with emphasis on New Year's Eve, Carnival, Theatre and Music Festivals and Pilgrimage Festivals.
The city of Mindelo has a good number of restaurants that offer the national gastronomy and still offers an intense nightlife, with lots of music and entertainment spaces. The city has many galleries of plastic artists, painters and sculptors, as well as shops selling handicraft souvenirs, traditional clothes, drinks, sweets, etc.
Material cultural attractions
The City of Mindelo is the seat of the Municipality of São Vicente, and is the second largest city in Cape Verde. It occupies a total area of 67 km² northwest of the island, in the Bay of Porto Grande, a natural harbour formed by the underwater crater of a volcano about 4 km in diameter. The Ilhéu dos Pássaros (Bird Island), which is 82 metres high and hosts a small lighthouse, signals the other end of the crater.
Mindelo is the result of two great colonial influences, the Portuguese and the British, which announce themselves around every corner in its streets and in the architecture of its beautiful buildings.
The highlights are the Governor's Palace, the Town Hall, the Pracinha da Igreja - the cradle of the city, from which the first houses were built and the first streets were drawn - the Marginal Avenue with the replica of the Tower of Belém de Lisboa, the Fortim d'el-Rei which is the oldest building in Mindelo, with a superb panoramic view over the city and the bay, and the Alfândega Velha, today Mindelo Cultural Centre, the only place established as a guardian of the rich testimonies of Cape Verdean art.
In relation to Fortim d'el Rei, due to the historical landmark it represents, it is worth mentioning that it was erected in 1852, with the function of defending Porto Grande and the city.
Torre de Belém (Replica), Old Captaincy of Ports
The construction of the Replica of the Tower of Belém, former seat of the Captaincy of Porto Grande, began in 1918 and finished in 1921, but the annexes were only completed in 1937 and served as a dwelling for the Captain Major. It was built in imitation of the Torre de Belém in Lisbon, by the sea, in a three-storey tower with a square base, in brick and stone masonry, and with an observatory on the roof.
It is decorated with Manueline symbols, watch towers and battlements in mass, imitating the Tower of Belém. It is inserted in a walled set that, in the part facing the Rua da Praia, also presents characteristics of the Manueline style and in the interior, there is a patio, covered with roof tiles.
Municipal Library, Alliance Française do Mindelo
The buildings of the Municipal Library and the French Alliance of Mindelo occupy the land where there was once only one house, a house that already existed in a plan of 1858 and belonged to the first president of the Municipal Commission of Mindelo, even before the creation of the City Council.
Built around what was then the central square, the Dom Luiz Square, the house was surrounded by trees and patios. In 1860 it was acquired by the government, to house the Council Administration, the Treasury Department, the Post Office, the Ports Captaincy and the Delegation of the Health Board in different years. The building was bought by the Companhia de São Vicente Cabo Verde (coal company), which did major renovation work and installed its offices there. To take advantage of all the land and where there used to be a house, it was transformed into a block with different buildings.
After independence it became the headquarters of the PAIGC party and the offices of the African Youth Amilcar Cabral were also installed there. Today, the buildings are occupied by the Municipal Library, the French Consulate and the Alliance Française do Mindelo (1997) which opened its first Cape Verde Centre in São Vicente in 1977 (the French Cultural Centre of Cape Verde).
Alfândega Velha, Mindelo Cultural Centre
Designed and directed by the Captain of the Januário Corrêa de Almeida Army, also a Civil Engineer, this building was built in 1858-1861 and enlarged in 1880-1882. It is part of the group of the oldest buildings in the city, having worked there as an old customs house. It is a ground floor construction, erected over the bay. It has a central body finished by a pediment, which shows a delicate architectural design, with the use of white stone and classic-style span frames.
It functioned as a Customs House until 1976, then it housed for some time the Insurance Institute and the Notary and in 1983 it became the Ethnological Museum. It was restored in 1997 and today houses the Delegation of the Ministry of Culture, with a theatre where every year in September the Mindelact International Theatre Festival, the March Month of Theatre and other music and dance activities throughout the year are held; there are also exhibition halls where several national and international artists have passed through. The exhibition of films and book releases are also on the centre's programme. It was restored again in 2011 by the Ministry of Culture.
Capitania of Ports, Naval Command, RTC
Located on Avenida Amílcar Cabral (Avenida Marginal para a população) the building was built between 1961-1967 and is attributed to the architect Lucínio Cruz. The Capitania building, as it was called, was one of the first to be made on the island in the new construction style of modern architecture, the isolated block model, based on pilotis (structure based on pillars). Made with a soft curvature to accompany the shape of the marginal and with four floors, this building was a pride for both the Government and the Naval Command.
After the independence the School Delegation (left years later) and the Radio (today RTC) started working in the building.
English Consulate
It belongs to the oldest buildings in the city, having belonged to John Miller, representative of the Visger & Miller Company (1853). The house became known as the English Consulate because John Miller was English Consul several times 1870-75, 1877-80 and 1885-94 and the consulate operated in his home. Its date of construction is not known but the first time it was mentioned/referenced in an Official Bulletin was in 1874, so it is speculated to be before 1870.
It was sold to the State of Cape Verde after the independence that intended to install there the School of Crafts, first called the Cooperative Resistance and then the National Centre of Crafts (CNA). It kept that function until the Centre was transferred to the new building in Praça Nova.
Porto Grande dock (1959-1961)
Its construction began in 1960 after much insistence by the Cape Verdean MP, Dr Adriano Duarte Silva, who for years defended the construction of the port before the Portuguese authorities.
The port was inaugurated on 3 May 1961 and modernised in 1997 with the construction of the container yard and the cabotage terminal and improvement of the fishing quay.
It consists of three F-shaped piers joined by the access wharf and has one fishing wharf and five covered goods warehouses. It maintains the focus on three business areas, Cruise Tourism, Container Transhipment and International Fishing Vessel Traffic.
Fortim D'el Rei
Built between 1852 and 1853 because of the need to protect the bay from the coal trade. Made in a very sober architecture, the Fortim consists of a ground structure, approximately quadrangular in shape, with a central patio and with internal rooms surrounded by a balcony and terrace.
It is the oldest building in the city, but it was subject to several repairs and extensions depending on the functions they decided to assign it at the time.
Immaterial cultural attractions
Carnival
Of the various cultural manifestations that take place in Mindelo, Carnival is, without a shadow of a doubt, the one that involves the greatest number of people. It involves in a general way, all the popular plastic artists and the most gifted seamstresses of the city, being the confection all national. Beside the great floats, products of an imagination provided with dreams, the traditional comedians parade, which the people very inappropriately call "spontaneous" or "animation groups".
Bay of Fats Festival
Since 1984, the Baía das Gatas Music Festival (Image 5147) has been held annually on the first full moon weekend of August. It started as a gathering of friends who gathered on the beach of Baía das Gatas to compose and play music.
It grew from year to year, until it became a musical event of international reference, an authentic meeting of people, cultures and voices from all quarters of the world, because every year musicians from all over the world arrive for this great music festival where obviously African rhythms predominate. Besides the performance of national and foreign artists and bands, there are also water sports and a varied cultural program. The festival is so crowded that all available rooms are completely full and the flights to São Vicente are totally saturated.
The environment in São Vicente is marked by the predominance of urban culture, with a system of streets, pavement and asphalt considered relatively good.
On the borders of the growth of the city of Mindelo, there are many shacks, improvised buildings built with materials. This type of precarious housing is also found in areas already more consolidated in urban terms.
Through the National Association of Capeverdean Municipalities (ANMCV), and in a partnership platform with the Central Government and the International Cooperation, the Municipality of São Vicente has adopted a Municipal Environmental Plan, as an important instrument of promotion and environmental protection in the Municipality and at the country level, which has contributed for the promotion of the integrated and sustainable development, the equality of opportunities and social equity in an environment for all, in a perspective of sustainable development, i.e. "in a development model, which allows the current generations to satisfy their needs, without putting at risk the possibility of other generations to satisfy their needs.
Municipality of Ribeira Brava
The town of Ribeira Brava, also popularly known (in Creole) as Stanxa (from the Portuguese Estância), is the seat of the municipality of the same name.
10 HEALTHIER CITIES GOALS
CAPE VERDE AMBITION 2030
The Municipality of Ribeira Brava was formed from the split of the old municipality of São Nicolau into two new municipalities. The municipality of Ribeira Brava consists of two parishes: Nossa Senhora do Rosário and Nossa Senhora da Lapa.
The seat of the municipality is Ribeira Brava, a village/city with narrow streets and where, due to its architecture and symbolism, the Mother Church and the Seminary-Liceu, the latter opened in 1866.
For many years it was the centre of Cape Verdean intellectuality, and also the birthplace of the literary movement "Claridade", a landmark for Cape Verdean literature, founded by names such as Baltazar Lopes, Manuel Lopes, João Lopes and Jorge Barbosa in 1936, it stands out as an important focus of culture that influenced several generations of Cape Verdean intellectuals.
Creation
The Municipality of Ribeira Brava, was created through Law No. 67/VI/2005 of May 9, when the island of São Nicolau became administratively divided into two Counties.
Geographic location
The island of São Nicolau is located approximately in the centre of the archipelago of Cape Verde and is part of the group of Barlavento islands. It is situated between the parallels 16º 40, 16º 29 N and the meridians 24º 00 and 24º 30W.
It occupies an area of 343 km², having 45 km in the longest (E-W direction) and the maximum width of 25 km (N-S direction), being considered the fifth largest island in the country. On favourable days, at the summit of Monte Gordo, in the heart of São Nicolau, you can see the entire Cape Verdean archipelago.
Population
According to INE in 2010, the municipality had a population of 7596 inhabitants, 3893 male and 3703 female. And according to projections from the same source for 2017, the municipality had a population of 7,135, of which 3,755 were male and 3,380 female.
The economy of Ribeira Brava is essentially characterised by structural dysfunctions which are closely linked to the scarcity of natural resources, the absence of a definition of the island's real vocation in terms of development, the low concentration of capital, the lack of qualified human resources which is closely linked to its condition as a peripheral island and the migratory and immigration phenomenon.
The island's productive sector is heavily dominated by the primary sector, with agriculture, fishing and livestock farming playing a major role, although in terms of job distribution the tertiary sector ranks first, with around 48%.
Agriculture
The municipality continues to have a strong agricultural, dry and irrigated vocation. Of the significant cultivable areas, the majority are located on hillsides and small plots of land in finds and riverbeds.
Irrigated crops are characterised by their small area, as well as their dispersion in horticultural areas. The valley of Fajã is where this type of agriculture is practised with greater expression at the level of the Municipality, together with small farms along the valley of Ribeira Brava, Camarões and Ribeira Funda.
In irrigation, sugar cane (which generally occupies about 2/3 of the cultivated area), bananas, root vegetables and tubers are grown. The main rainfed crops produced on the island are maize, beans and tubers. A better organisation of this form of agriculture depends on the use of the soil according to its natural vocation.
Livestock
Livestock farming is a sector with a strong tradition in the municipality and is closely linked to the agricultural sector. It is characterised by family farming and is an important complement to household income.
Breeders are also mostly farmers, raising goats/sheep and pigs extensively, using local breeds with high rusticity and low productivity.
Industry
Existing industrial activities in the municipality are basically limited to small carpentry and carpentry units, mechanical repairs and bakery.
With the exception of the production of brandy, there is no tradition in the municipality, so it is necessary to promote actions aimed at making these activities more dynamic.
There is some increase in civil construction activity, although it is carried out autonomously, except for the large companies that occasionally set up to work on large public works.
Trade
The commerce sector is characterised by the existence of small commercial houses, retail, restaurant services, bars, etc.
Fishing
The distribution of the population in the municipality was strongly influenced by geographical or economic factors. As the fishing activity is a form of subsistence, it makes us find concentrations of the population in some areas of the coast of Ribeira Brava, as well as in areas where there are conditions for the practice of agriculture.
Fishing has traditionally played an important role in the socio-economic development of São Nicolau, not only because of the number of people who depend on it, but also because of its contribution in enriching the diet of the population.
The main fishing communities in the municipality are Preguiça (a community relatively close to the city of Ribeira Brava) and Carriçal which is also one of the strong fishing communities on the island.
The Municipality of Rª Brava de S. Nicolau has great tourist potential in the most varied areas. It refers, for example, to mountain tourism, rural, historical and cultural tourism. A visit to the Municipality is an attractive component for tourists who may find an alternative to complement the experience of other flatter islands.
In Ribeira Brava it is possible to rest, relax and contemplate nature (sunset) in its wild beauty and calm, with all the security and tranquility, as well as enjoy walks, with the aim of exploring unpopulated lands, caves, beautiful landscapes, with mountains and valleys, a flora and fauna with rare species and a rich historical heritage.
In this particular, the Monte Gordo Natural Park, one of the seven wonders of Cape Verde, stands out.
Natural Tourist Attractions
Far from being a municipality with a bathing vocation, based on the sun/beach dualism, Ribeira Brava does not cease, however, to have excellent natural attractions, such as its mild temperature, its beautiful relaxing landscapes, with mountains and valleys for hiking, a flora and fauna with rare species and in some places, the sea with fishing and black sand beaches.
In Ribeira Brava it is possible to rest, relax under the sun and refresh yourself in the still little polluted waters of the sea. The walks, with the aim of exploring unpopulated lands or contemplating nature (sunset) in its beauty and wild calm, can be done with all safety and tranquility.
On the other hand, and for those looking for more radical holidays, Ribeira Brava offers possibilities to practice sports such as "delta flights", mountaineering, sport fishing (blue marlin fishing, rare swordfish and others of large size) and underwater, all terrain motoring among others, all opportunities to regain contact with nature.
In the Municipality of Ribeira Brava, there are imposing valleys flanked by mountainous reliefs as the Ribeira Brava, Fajã and Queimadas valleys and also the Covoada valley, this one of difficult access and that constitutes an interesting challenge for hiking lovers, because the mountain ascent route that separates the Covoada valley from the verdant Fajã valley, offering a stunning view of both.
Natural Park of Monte Gordo (Ribeira Brava Municipality)
The Monte Gordo Natural Park, particularly the area within the Municipality of Ribeira Brava, is endowed with a relatively large variety, rare habitat types, among which a vast extension of Tortolho (Euphorbia tuckeyana), Dragoeiro (Dracaena draco), considered an endemic species of Cape Verde, as well as Macela do Gordo (Napliu smithii), an endemic species, found only in this Nature Reserve.
The nature reserve has been visited by several scientific groups that come from various parts of the world to observe endemic plants and birds.
Due to its scientific importance and tourist highlight, the PNMG was chosen as one of the seven wonders of Cape Verde.
"Monte Casador”
“Monte Casador" is located between the towns of Água das Patas and the mythical Cachaço "Monte Casador" which, through the game of pebbles, has the magical power to guess the fate of the girls, in relation to their luck of getting married or not, keeping itself well present in the popular imagination.
Ribeira Brava Valley
It owes its name to the impetuous appearance of its stream in rainy seasons. A majestic valley of rare beauty that has its highest point on Monte Cintinha and the lowest point on the beach named 'Prainha'.
Queimadas and Fajã Valleys
Vale de Queimadas begins in a coastal area near the town of Carvoeiros and has its highest point in the mountainous belt that encompasses Monte Cintinha. The valley is divided into Queimadas-de-baixo and Queimadas-decima. It is a narrow valley, but very beautiful and easily accessible. It has a green landscape due to the agriculture practiced there and a harmonious set of houses on both sides of the mountains that surround it.
The Fajã Valley begins in a coastal area called Estância-de-Baixo and has its highest point the Cachaço area. It is divided into Fajã-de-Baixo, Fajã-de-Cima, Canto-de-Fajã and Lombo Pelado.
Monte Alto das Cabaças Natural Reserve
Monte do Alto das Cabaças is considered one of the largest centres of concentration of native flora species and natural vegetation in the Municipality of Ribeira Brava along with the Natural Park of Monte Verde and Vale de Fajã.
Inserted in the sub-humid zone, Alto das Cabaças is part of the second ridge of the island that goes from east to west. With its 656 m, it constitutes the highest elevation in the east. The steep slopes constitute, due to their insertion between the mountain ranges of east and west, a barrier for the intersection of the wet winds from the sea. This results in a large amount of hidden precipitation which benefits the local vegetation.
Coastal areas
Most coastal areas fall sharply over the sea, sometimes forming impressive cliffs and constantly beaten by the sea. But there are also very beautiful black sandy beaches although somewhat dangerous in terms of swimming, namely the beaches 'Prainha', Curral Velho, Preguiça, Carriçal, among others.
On the other hand, the black sand beaches are rich in titanium and iodine and are sought after by those suffering from arthritis and rheumatic diseases. This sand offers the antidote to the stress of the most agitated daily life. The inhabitants of these beaches with their know-how use seaweed and the warmth of the sand to apply relaxing massages to those interested in relieving pain and tiredness.
Vicinal paths
Besides the main road network, paved on asphalt or pavements, the Municipality of Ribeira Brava is well served in terms of body roads, side roads that depart from all places and can ensure safe access to the most remote locations. From the valleys of mountainous reliefs, such as the valleys of Covoada, to the valleys of Fajã, Queimadas and Ribeira Brava, with a unique landscape of enormous grandeur and beauty, where the coexistence of man and nature is combined in a harmonious symbiosis.
The municipality's culture is very rich and reflects a set of traditions, manifestations and peculiar ways of making certain arts and the production of objects of ethnographic value, in the form of everyday utensils of great educational value, cultural legacies that have managed to survive through the generations. In this particular, music, dance and literature can be highlighted.
Ribeira Brava has an extraordinary past in terms of cultural traditions, with emphasis on traditional festivals and pilgrimage (characterized by a perfect symbiosis between the religious and the profane), Carnival, traditional baptism and marriage, gastronomy, oral traditions, etc.
Material Cultural Attractions (natural and built heritage).
The Council has a very rich historical and cultural potential. In terms of built heritage, it stands out:
The architectural structure
Organized around different urban axes that cause admiration to the outsider who visits the City of Ribeira Brava. The Town Hall Building and the "Cónego Bouças" Square are architectural references in the City of Ribeira Brava. The narrow streets maintain the morphological and typological characteristics representative of a time and a past, from the point of view of the urbanistic tradition that has affirmed itself in Cape Verde.
The Mother Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário
Built in June 1804, in the main square of the town by Friar Silvestre de Maria Santíssima, it is a magnificent temple, both in its grandeur and structure, containing a collection of sacred art that includes a chalice of solid gold from the time of King Manuel, artistically carved from the base to the stem;
Former High School Weekly
The first Catholic education institution built by the Portuguese in Africa. São José Chapel - São Nicolau, head of the Barlavento region since 1851, allied to the great tradition of teaching, either by incitement of private individuals or by the government that supported three primary schools there, in 1867 receives the first Seminary - Liceu de Cabo Verde, under the protection of São José and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, patroness of the kingdoms and domains of Portugal.
Central School (now Municipal Library)
Dating back to 1947, the Central School, now the Municipal Library, reveals itself to be an imposing work, with a façade typical of the Estado Novo, showing the conception of a beautiful and harmonious city.
The building is strongly linked to education in Cape Verde, whose first attempts to establish education in the country in the 18th century coincided with the signing of the permit that elevated Ribeira Brava to the category of village.
The Terreiro
It is a small quadrilateral situated in the historical centre, it houses the most important monuments of the city, including the Mother Church, it represents the place of centrality and convergence, the meeting place for elders, children's games and lovers' couples.
The Orphanage Queen Saint Isabel
It was a purely religious institution. It took in female children who were entrusted to the care of the Religious of God's Love.
It was installed in Caleijão, in the building that was the former residence of the bishops. It was founded in 1943 and during its existence, until the seventies, it played an extraordinary role among the population in civic and Christian education as well as in morals and good customs. In its golden days, the Orphanage was seen as a source of women's education where girls learned the art of well-being, doing well and serving well.
Old Fort of the Royal Prince of Laziness
Porto da Lapa (first landing point on the island) - history tells us and records confirm that in the year 1500, on the twenty-second day of March, the navy of Pedro Álvares Cabral's captaincy passed off this island of São Nicolau on the route to discover the lands of Vera Cruz. The pattern of the henriquino type is located in the port of Preguiça, the main anchorage of the time that made possible the supply of water and living.
The statue of Dr. Júlio José Dias
Dr. Júlio Dias offered his own house for the Seminary-Lecture, which would later be conveniently expanded, since the church's objectives could be frustrated by a lack of suitable property for the purpose. This benefactor, both as a citizen and as a professional, whose bust is still placed in the City of Ribeira Brava, was the first Cape Verdean doctor, whose studies were made in Paris at the Sorbonne faculty and concluded in 1830.
Statue of Dr. Baltazar Lopes da Silva
Designed between 2006 and 2007 and deployed in the post office square on 23 April 2007, this intellectual sanicolauense stands out.
Baltasar Lopes da Silva was born in the village of Caleijão on the island of São Nicolau in Cape Verde on 23 April 1907. He finished his secondary studies in São Vicente and travelled to Portugal to study at the University of Lisbon, where he graduated in Law and Romanic Philology. After university, Baltasar Lopes returned to Cape Verde where he taught at the Liceu Gil Eanes in São Vicente.
Immaterial Cultural Attractions
The Municipality of Ribeira Brava has an extraordinary past in terms of cultural traditions, with emphasis on traditional festivals and pilgrimage (characterized by a perfect symbiosis between the religious and the profane), Carnival, traditional baptism and marriage, gastronomy, oral traditions, etc.
The Council embodies within it a whole set of traditions, cultural manifestations and peculiar ways of making certain arts and the production of objects of ethnographic value, in the form of everyday utensils of great educational value, cultural legacies that have managed to survive through the generations. This gives it the status of perpetuator of testimonies and feelings of belonging to the culture of Cape Verde, so it stands out as a true space of education, recreation and cultural sharing and preservation of the local collective memory of the Cape Verdean nation.
Traditional Festivities
The pilgrimages take place throughout most of the year, and provide occasions and meeting places for people from a region who come to live together, revive or renew knowledge, learn news from outside, build relationships and even business, thus strengthening the ties that shape the communities.
We highlight the pilgrimages of Our Lady of the Rosary, held in October in the city of Ribeira Brava; of Our Lady of Lapa, which takes place on 8 September in the town of Queimadas, and, one of the most popular of the island, not only for the religious aspects but also for the playful activities that integrate it, of Our Lady of Cintinha, which takes place in the town of Cachaço, on a Sunday in May. The programme always includes a religious part (with Mass, procession and sermon), followed by entertainment, lively revelry with fireworks and groggy.
“S. Pedro - 29th June - After Carnival, São Pedro is the biggest popular festival in Ribeira Brava. Celebrated in the headquarters of the municipality, with many activities, with emphasis on the 28th of June where the "saltá lumnar", the intense and cadenciado rufar of the tamboreiros, with organized groups of the City and the Valley of Ribeira Brava, accompanied by the coladeiras, in an intense rhythm and much animation.
On the 29th of June, the Passagem square, in the middle of the river that crosses the city, people coming from all over the island anxiously wait for the horse race, a strong dish of the day. In the morning Mass is celebrated in the main church, dedicated to St. Peter. The drumming intensifies in the afternoon, with the descent in parade of the famous and traditional boat from the area of Chãzinha, accompanied by the tamboreiros and the coladeiras.
The "Saltá Lumnar" - Usually on the eve of the traditional festivities, in the evening, tradition calls for a big bonfire and many young people take the opportunity to jump over the bonfire, known as "saltá lumnar", accompanied by the intense and cadenced drum roll and the sensual and rhythmic "colá sanjon".
It is in this environment that the "colá" - typical dance unfolds, at an exciting rhythm of drums, in the midst of a deafening noise of whistles and delirious cries, men and women, in pairs, run to each other, arm in arm, to clash the lower abdomen and the thighs of one against the other. After the shock, they move apart to continue in a shuttle that lasts until they are tired.
Carnival
The Carnival of Ribeira Brava is very much celebrated and unanimously accepted as the second most important in the country, right after that of the neighbouring island of São Vicente; the centre of the small town of Ribeira Brava becomes a footbridge of colourful floats and lots of music, from sambas with a Brazilian flavour to local carnival rhythms, which give a special glow to this festival, which makes the island an obligatory stop during that period.
Handicraft
Ribeira Brava's handicraft is one of the best known Cape Verdean handicrafts: lace production and embroidery, basketry, wooden miniatures, bijouterie, among others.
However, the handicraft that most characterises this municipality and the island of São Nicolau is basketry. In Ribeira Brava and São Nicolau there are several types of basketry objects, which essentially consist of a cross of strips, coconut leaves, wicker sticks, "cariço" sticks, sticks from some shrubs such as: gardener, "barnedeira", marmeleiro, etc. confectioning household utensils of various uses such as bullet, canasta, shoemaker, "try" bullet, etc, works that are resistant in time and that are maintained manually and artisanally. The mats are made of coconut leaves, dry ribs of banana leaves and there is also an aquatic plant called "guava" that reaches two metres or more in height, whose leaves extract strips to make mats.
Gastronomy
The "Modje de Capóde" (a broth of capped kid and vegetables such as cassava, green banana, potato, pumpkin, yam, all cut into cubes), the "rolão" (medium-sized grated corn) and the "friginato" (prepared with offal and pork) are very particular to this island.
Cassava, whose cultivation was increased in 1810 as one of the resources against hunger, occupies a considerable area in relation to the total of other traditional cultures.
The production of Farinha de Pau (manioc flour) is an important milestone of the Sao Nicolau culture, which has lasted for generations and during the months of March and June the milling is assumed as a family tradition.
Music
The song "Sodade", celebrated by Cesária Évora, was written in the 50s of last century, which tries to transmit the longings of those who left the island in search of a better life, following the great droughts and famines, to the fields of São Tomé, is undoubtedly the pearl of the music of São Nicolau and Ribeira Brava in particular. The warmth, the glue, the contradiction, the mazurka and the polka are the most important manifestations.
Concern for the environment has also become more important here, as the negative environmental impacts, resulting from local environmental degradation, on people's conditions and quality of life have been recognised.
Studies by INGRH indicate that only 13% (or 118 million m3) of the rainfall that falls on the archipelago recharges the aquifers, while 87% is lost through runoff and evapo-transpiration. This circumstance is aggravated here by the orographic conditions, and by the erosion that takes place in the high areas, which facilitates the disintegration of inert material, which, deposited in the beds of the streams, is dragged in large quantities by the floods.
Environmental management at the local level is carried out by the municipality through the environmental and sanitation services, aided by a set of rules and plans governing in accordance with national environmental laws.
Municipality of Tarrafal de São Nicolau
Tarrafal de São Nicolau was created in 2005, when the old Council of São Nicolau was divided in two, the southwest part being called the Council of Tarrafal de São Nicolau, and the northeast part being called the Council of Ribeira Brava.
10 HEALTHIER CITIES GOALS
CAPE VERDE AMBITION 2030
The municipality of Tarrafal de São Nicolau has been the target of rapid structural changes as a function of the dynamics of growth, especially after its elevation to the category of municipality, determined by the growing demand for goods, services and employment, aggravated by the demands for basic infrastructures, necessary for the well-being of the population, namely with regard to education, health, housing, transport, sanitation and leisure.
Housing
The housing situation in the municipality is relatively comfortable; more than 90% of the dwellings are individual houses, with a percentage above 70% occupying their own residence. In general, in some of the city's neighbourhoods, there were still substandard dwellings.
The rapid growth of Tarrafal led to the depletion of plots of land for construction, which led the municipality to request the government to allocate land for urban expansion, in which urbanistic projects were developed to meet the growing demands in the process of alienation. (Data profile 2012)
Water
Regarding water supply, the population does not lack water in general (according to the water board report 87.2% of the population is served for water supply) with a capacity of 22l/hab/day. The distribution is done through the system of fountain fountains and self tanks.
Sanitation
As far as sanitation is concerned, it is clear that a functional but basic system exists, despite the efforts made in recent times to improve the situation.
The São Nicolau Health Station, located in the town of Ribeira Brava, covers the entire population of the island including that of the Municipality of Tarrafal. The health posts provide curative health care, provide health care under the reproductive health programme and are under the responsibility of the resident nurse.
Education
The Municipality of Tarrafal de São Nicolau has a well organized local educational structure, based on a network of schools spread throughout almost all the localities of the Municipality, guaranteeing the larger population and better access to education and as such to knowledge and knowledge.
Poverty
Since 2008, the economic crisis has diversified poverty and accentuated social inequalities, as many families have been left without jobs and consequently without the means to survive. Although limited by financial difficulties, the Chamber has directed its actions towards the most affected populations, guaranteeing them access to basic needs, namely health, education and vocational training.
It has been promoting actions to inform, raise awareness and assist target families, but also to train and empower young people and women heads of households, guiding them to the labour market, or else to create self-employment, with a view to their inclusion in the social and economic dynamics of the island.
Tarrafal's headquarters emerged and developed around the fishing activity and the tuna canning industry, although other sectors gained expression;
Its economy is characterized essentially by structural dysfunctions associated with the scarcity of natural resources, the low concentration of capital, the lack of qualified human resources, closely related to its condition as a small, new municipality, inserted in an island considered peripheral and to the migratory phenomenon.
Its main vocations, identified as fishing and tourism and farming, are unexploited.
The Council's production is strongly dominated by the primary sector, with agriculture, fishing and livestock assuming prominent roles. With the exception of industrial activity, which is basically restricted to the conservation of fish, all the others are exploited in a family subsistence regime and characterised by marked weaknesses.
Agriculture
Despite the cyclical and prolonged droughts that have devastated the island of São Nicolau, and consequently the Municipality of Tarrafal, it still has a strong agricultural vocation. It is considered that about 28% of its inhabitants, corresponding to the rural population, dedicate themselves or depend essentially on this activity to survive. Of the cultivable areas, a significant majority are located on hillsides, and small plots of land are found in riverbeds.
Although this is self-sufficient agriculture, two types of farming continue to be practised on the island: irrigated and dry farming.
Irrigated crops are characterised by their small area and their dispersion in horticultural areas. Vale de Fragata/Ribeira Prata is where this type of agriculture is practised with the greatest expression in the municipality, together with small farms in Espigão (Hortelã), Palhal and Ribeira dos Calhaus, and a small perimeter in the city of Tarrafal.
Industry
Existing industrial activities in the Municipality are basically limited to a fish processing unit, in the town of Tarrafal, and to small carpentry and carpentry units, mechanical repairs and bakery.
There has been some increase in civil construction activity, although this has been carried out autonomously, except for the large companies that occasionally set up to work on large public works;
Commerce
It is worth mentioning the existence of insignificant commercial activities, especially small commercial houses, mini-markets, retail, catering services, etc.
Fishing
The distribution of the population on the island was strongly influenced by geographical but also economic factors.
Fishing being an economic activity, it has certainly contributed to the settlement of the population on the Tarrafal coast.
Among the activities that have been assuming an increasing role in the socio-economic development of the municipality, fishing stands out, not only for the number of people it employs directly and indirectly, but also for its contribution to the enrichment of the population's diet.
The SUCLA fish canning factory is located in the city of Tarrafal. It is practiced the Artisanal and Semi-Industrial Fishing, essentially by artisan methods.
The Municipality of Tarrafal de São Nicolau has great touristic potential in the most varied areas, although little explored. For example, the beauty and diversity of its landscapes, the medicinal qualities of the sands, the sport fishing and nautical sports and the Natural Park of Monte Gordo.
Natural Tourist Attractions
The island of São Nicolau and specifically the Municipality of Tarrafal, constitutes a unique natural heritage, with characteristics that are well differentiated from the other islands of the archipelago.
The climatic spectrum gives it its own biodiversity, in which the largest part of the Monte Gordo Natural Park, the Fragata and Ribeira Prata valleys, stands out. The preservation of important components of the biological diversity of the municipality must be considered in order to take better advantage of the potential identified, with mountain tourism, ecotourism and scientific tourism appearing as the activities that could potentially take better advantage of this resource.
Monte Gordo Natural Park
Monte Gordo Natural Park represents the most representative sample of the mountain wetland ecosystems of São Nicolau Island and one of the most important dryland agriculture ecosystems in Cape Verde. It covers from the arid bioclimatic strata in the southern part of Monte Gordo and the sub-humid ones in the north-northeast to the summit of the same that is at 1312 meters of altitude.
The Monte Gordo Natural Park, as well as the area inside the Municipality of Tarrafal, is endowed with a relatively large variety, of rare habitat types, among which a vast extension of Tortolho (Euphorbia tuckeyana), Dragoeiro (Dracaena draco), considered an endemic species of Cape Verde, as well as Macela do Gordo (Napliu smithii), an endemic species, found only in this Natural Reserve.
The current vegetation of the Park is dominated mainly by trees such as Pinus sp., Eucalyptus sp. and Cupressus sp., especially in the N-NE slope. Small areas are occupied by other forest species, namely Acacia sp. and Grevillea robusta, mainly on the S-SW slopes.
Finally, the high diversity and natural complexity of the area should be highlighted, resulting from the countless combinations between relief types, altitudes, topographic characteristics, rocky substrate, soils and natural vegetation cover.
Carbeirinho
Carbeirinho, located in the area of Praia Branca, is the result of the whims of nature and the beauty of this place is so rare that it was elected one of the 7 wonders of Cape Verde.
Carbeirinho is one of the main leisure spots and characterized by its large cave that serves as shelter to those who want to enjoy one of the most beautiful maritime landscapes of the island of São Nicolau.
It can be considered a whim of nature, a masterpiece sculpted by the constant action of the elements on the landscape, but whatever the design that dictated its formation, man is grateful and bows before so much and so unusual natural beauty.
Valley of Ribeira Prata
It is a valley of mountainous reliefs with unique characteristics, possessing a landscape of enormous grandeur and beauty, where the coexistence of man and nature combines in a harmonious symbiosis. It is in these mountains where the famous 'Rocha Scribida' is supposed to have been written by pirates. It is a must visit by visitors because of its beauty and grandeur
Tarrafal Bay
Tarrafal Bay is located on the west coast of the island and is bordered by Ponta da Pedra Vermelha to the northwest and Ponta Cacimba to the southeast. The main centre of the town of Tarrafal is located near the coast, near Ponta do Tarrafal, a rocky, low point situated in the transition of the coast which runs from southeast to south.
The coastline of the bay is formed by stretches of different natures, with black sand beaches, pebble strips and rocky stretches.
Coastal areas
Coastal areas, although little exploited, have great tourism potential in a wide variety of fields. For example, the beauty and diversity of its coastal landscapes, namely the beaches of Barril, Praia da Luz, Praia de Francês, Baia de Papagaio, Praia Debaixo de Rocha, Baia de Focado.
The beaches of this region are known for the medicinal qualities of their sands, and there is an ancient tradition of people moving from other islands to carry out treatments there, especially those suffering from rheumatic diseases.
The region also has a great potential in other nautical sports, with special emphasis on observation diving and underwater hunting, which can be practised all along the coastline and also in the neighbouring islets Raso and Branco.
The municipality of Tarrafal de São Nicolau has a great cultural wealth, both material and immaterial.
Material Cultural Attractions (natural and built heritage)
City of Tarrafal
This city developed following the construction of the fishing port and trade in the mid-1980s. Nowadays, this port has supplanted the one of Preguiça in Ribeira Brava and it is the implementation site of the biggest employer of the county, which is the SUCLA Fish Conserving Factory.
Farol do Baril and former Portuguese prison colony
Documents referenced by João Lopes Filho show that in 1841 there were ports of lesser importance, such as the Bay of Baril The Baril Lighthouse was used to support the interinsular fleet, but above all the sailboats that were linked to Santa Luzia.
The prison colony of Tarrafal de São Nicolau appeared after 1931. The failed Revolution on April 4 of that year in Madeira would dictate the deportation of insurgents to Cape Verde and the town of Tarrafal on the island of São Nicolau was the chosen one.
Immaterial Cultural Attractions
The Council has a great cultural richness in terms of manifestations linked to the arts - music, traditional dances and handicraft. Important figures of national culture such as the musician Paulino Vieira and the writer Leopoldina Barreto are from this county.
There are many cultural traditions, with emphasis on traditional festivals and pilgrimage (characterized by a perfect symbiosis between religious and profane), gastronomy, oral traditions, etc..
The municipality of Tarrafal de São Nicolau embodies a whole set of traditions, cultural manifestations and peculiar ways of making certain arts and the production of objects of ethnographic value, in the form of everyday utensils of great educational value, that is, there is a set of cultural heritages that have managed to survive through the generations.
Traditional Festivities
The pilgrimages take place throughout most of the year, and provide occasions and meeting places for people from all over the region who come to live together.
The pilgrimages of St. Francis of Assisi are held on the 1st Sunday of October in the city of Tarrafal, the most popular in the municipality, not only because of the religious aspects but also because of the recreational activities that are part of it. The programme always includes a religious part (with mass, procession and sermon), followed by diversions, baths in the sea, animated revelry with rockets and groggy.
In the municipality of Tarrafal, the festivals of São João, São Pedro are still a reason for a lively and crowded festival, with emphasis on the famous festival of S. João in the village of Praia Branca.
Handicraft
In the Municipality of Tarrafal de São Nicolau there are several types of basketry objects (mainly in the areas of Fragata and Ribeira Prata), which essentially consist of a cross of strips, coconut leaves, wicker sticks, "canes of cariço", sticks of some shrubs such as: jardineira, "barnedeira", marmeleiro, etc. Confectioning household utensils of various uses such as bullet, canasta, cobbler, "try" bullet, etc., works that are resistant in time and that are maintained manually and artisanally.
In addition to the above mentioned products, we can highlight works in coconut. There are also some handicrafts in stone, such as hand mills, pestle, which are intended for common use.
Gastronomy
The gastronomy of Tarrafal as well as the whole Island of São Nicolau is rich in tradition. Its speciality is "Modje São Nicolau", a broth of capped kid and vegetables (manioc, green banana, potatoes, pumpkin, yam, all cut in cubes). This dish is widely used at wedding parties, where it is accompanied with "sherry" made from corn. Dishes such as "Cachupa Rica", considered the national dish, "Caldo de Peixe", "Xerém", "Cuscuz", "Ralon" "Papas de milho crusído serviras com leite", "Milho em Grão" and "Farinha de Pau" (manioc flour), as well as several fish dishes always fresh and tasty, without forgetting the seafood and canned tuna which is of great quality.
In restaurants and bars small portions of seafood known as "bafas" are served, often as starters or snacks.
Traditional sweets such as guava, papaya, coconut, sweet potato, pumpkin, milk, among others, deserve special mention. The cakes have an important space, as does the white goat cheese.
Music
The song "Sodade", celebrated by Cesária Évora, written in the 50's of the last century, which tries to transmit the longings of those who left the island in search of a better life, following the great droughts and famines, to the fields of São Tomé, is without a doubt the pearl of the music of the Municipality of Tarrafal and São Nicolau in general. The warm, the glue, the contradiction, the mazurka and the polka are also musical genres very appreciated and danced in the municipality for several generations.
Environmental management at the local level is carried out by the municipality through the environmental and sanitation services, assisted by a set of rules and plans governing in accordance with national environmental laws.
The Municipal Environmental Plan, drawn up under the II National Action Plan for the Environment (PANA II), appears as a document of extreme importance in environmental management at the municipal level along with the Code of Municipal Postures, the Municipal Master Plan that determines the vocation of the soils and their usefulness, the Plan for the Collection and Treatment of Solid Waste and the Master Plan for Waste Water (in search of financing).
Municipality of Sal
The island of Sal was discovered by the Portuguese in 1460. The beginning of its settlement, which lacks a concrete date, was carried out by inhabitants coming from the islands of S. Nicolau and Boa Vista, who were mainly engaged in fishing and pastoral activities.
10 HEALTHIER CITIES GOALS
CAPE VERDE AMBITION 2030
The island of Sal, due to its aridity, has remained depopulated for centuries, serving only as a habitat for animals and housing for the slaves who explored the salt pans. The effective settlement of the island was promoted at the end of the 18th century by Manuel António Martins, who appointed its administrator and started the exploitation and export of salt. The trade of this raw material started to be developed in the 18th century, but it was only in the middle of the 19th century, with its intensive exploitation for export (Brazil and Africa), that its settlement was determined.
However, its effective prosperity began in 1939 with the construction, by Italian initiative, of the Amilcar Cabral International Airport (AIAC) - renamed after independence. Initially, it was designed to refuel long-distance aircraft and then used as an infrastructure for the tourist development of the island.
The island is made up of four main conurbations, the most populated being the town of Espargos, the administrative, political and commercial centre of the municipality and where the AIAC, the first in the country, is located. The name of this city is due to a plateau which, in times when it rained with some regularity, was covered with small thickets of asparagus squarrosus.
Creation
The island was discovered on December 3, 1460, at that time it was called "Lhana" (due to its flat relief), but a few years later, after the beginning of salt exploitation, it was called "Sal".
The island of Sal was elevated to the category of Municipality in 1935, due to the increase of the population separating it in this way from the former Boa Vista Municipality.
Geographic location
The island of Sal is located between the parallels 16º 36' N and 16º 31' N and the meridians 22º 53' W and 23º 00' W of Greenwich, occupying an area of 216 km2 (5.5% of the national territory) of elongated physiognomy, with the longest length ranging from the tips of the North and the Bell, to the South, measuring 29,770m, and the greatest width of 11,800m between the Rabo de Junco and the Ilhéus de Chano.
The island of Sal is located in the extreme northeast of the archipelago, with Boa Vista to the south and São Nicolau to the west. The island, as well as the archipelago, is included in the region of sub-Saharan Africa, known as Sahel, characterized by arid climatic conditions, irregular rainfall, scarce and scarce vegetation cover and an irrelevant hydrographic network. The fauna is composed of some species of birds, insects, reptiles, fish and turtles.
Population
According to the 2010 census data, the island of Sal has a total population of 25 970 inhabitants, most of which is concentrated in the urban environment, representing 92.5%. The population is mostly young and of working age. The male gender predominates with 53.9% followed by the female with 46.1%.
The social structure is made up of people from different parts of Cape Verde, who have brought with them cultural specificities of the island of origin. Thus, the Salense culture is the result of this caldeamento, where influences from tourism and Euro-African migration will also be associated, part of it to work in the construction of tourist developments, the road network and other infrastructures. The population dynamics of the island of Sal shows an average annual growth rate of 5.5%, one of the highest in the country, covering 5.2% of the population of the archipelago.
According to data from 2017, the population projection was 36769, of which 19563 were male and 17205 female.
Since the 19th century the economy of the island of Sal has been geared to the exploitation and export of salt, largely contributing to the settlement of the population on this island, but it has declined.
Agriculture
Due to climatic and soil conditions, agriculture has little expression in the local economy. The potential for groundwater resources is weak, coupled with poor water quality, so there can be no talk of properly irrigated agriculture using these resources.
Livestock
Livestock farming, like agriculture, has a low profile in Salt, being limited to pig farming. However, their weight as a complementary sector to the family economy is undeniable.
Industry
The extraction of Sal was, in the past, the main economic activity on the island and is closely related to the process of settlement of the island. With the decline of the salt mines, this sector currently has little expression in the economy.
New activities have emerged, however, giving a new economic dynamic to the island, such as services and construction, associated with the main economic activities: the international airport and tourism.
The industrial units are essentially small, linked to the bakery sector, carpentry, furniture and car repairs.
Fishing
Fishing has already become the main sector of economic activity after the salt industry. Today, it is situated far away from transport (airport), trade and tourism.
Although the island has great fishing potential, several factors have hampered its development, such as the low level of staff qualifications in processing, conservation and hygiene techniques, weak incentives for investment and artisanal fishermen, insufficient support infrastructure (ice production, degradation of the fishing wharf, among others).
The fisheries sector is made up of a catch segment using mainly artisanal boats, a canning segment and a processing segment for the export of fresh or frozen fish and crustaceans.
Tourism is undoubtedly the main driver of development, inducing a huge volume of investments in this sector. It can be said that tourism on the island of Sal had its beginning still in the 1960s, after the construction of the international airport.
The history of tourism on the island is also related to the arrival of the Belgian couple Gaspard Vynckier and Marguerite Massart in 1963.
They, attracted by the climate and for health reasons, decided to build a holiday home in the village of Santa Maria. Later, this house started to welcome the crews of several airlines that were calling at Sal. The house became, some years later, the first hotel unit in Santa Maria, later named Hotel Morabeza.
The construction of the first international airport in the country (the only one until November 2005) allowed the island of Sal to be positioned historically as the first tourist destination in Cape Verde, boosting the construction of hotel infrastructures and the development of medium and large sized real estate projects that already cover a considerable part of the island, especially in the surroundings of Santa Maria.
The island of Sal is characterized by extensive beaches of white sand and crystal clear waters, associated with climatic conditions (sun, wind, currents and strong swells). These natural conditions are excellent resources for the practice of sun and beach tourism and water sports (surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, diving, swimming, sport fishing and boat trips). Apart from these, it also has potential to develop other types of tourism, namely ecotourism (fauna observation) and business and event tourism (fairs, congresses).
Natural tourist attractions
The island of Sal from an early age began to show signs of developing tourist activity, through the construction of the airport and the holiday house (now Hotel Morabeza). These and other infrastructures have led to the exploitation of the island's resources, namely the natural ones. These resources due to the tourist flow that they attract were real tourist attractions, allowing to classify the island as one of the main tourist destinations of the country.
Environmental Protection Areas
The environmental protection areas of the island of Sal are part of the national network of protected areas and have been classified as such in order to conserve their natural and cultural resources, since they are home to the largest populations of endemic flora and fauna species. These areas have geological, geomorphological and aesthetic values that need to be preserved and some of them are still specific habitats of animal species of great socio-economic importance and threatened with extinction.
In many of the island's protected areas, tourism activities take place, such as excursions, diving, water sports, sea turtle and whale watching, among others, which lack planning and proper monitoring in order to ensure their sustainability.
Description of the Protected Areas:
Serra Negra Nature Reserve
It is located in the southeast part of the island, more precisely between Ponta de Fragata and Ponta do Morrinho Vermelho. This reserve has beaches with high ecological value due to the presence of fauna species, with special importance for the Caretta caretta turtle. The coast has rocky areas with an accumulation of rhodoliths, fragments of corals and shells, alternating areas of intermarine waterholes and areas of sandy beaches.
Costa da Fragata Nature Reserve
It is located in the southeast part of the island of Sal, presenting a dune system with high ecological value and an important marine ecosystem. It is an extensive sandy beach, about 4.7 km long, bordered by a dune cord, parallel to the coast, followed by an extensive salt flat partially covered by sand. It is also the source of sand that keeps the beaches of Santa Maria and Ponta Preta dynamic. In order to control the possible effects on the natural values of the Reserve, especially on the turtle habitat and on the circulation of sand from which the dune system feeds this area, a Peripheral Marine Protection Zone is included, which encompasses a 300-metre long marine fringe along the coast.
Ponta do Sinó Nature Reserve
The nature reserve is an area that covers part of the south-western tip of the island of Sal, from Ponta do Sinó to Baía do Algodoeiro, occupying a coastal area formed by dunes, salt lands and beaches. Its declaration as a natural reserve is due to the conservation of the beaches, due to its ecological value related to the biological cycle of the turtles and the ecosystem of the salt lands to receive local and migratory avifauna, as well as the geomorphologic and landscape value of the dune system.
Baía da Murdeira Marine Nature Reserve
It is a large semi-circular bay open to the southwest of the island, from Rabo de Junco peak and Ponta de Rife and has a Damping Zone along its entire coastline, with a thickness of 150 meters.
Its protection is due to the richness of its underwater ecosystems, with a high proportion of endemic and unique elements, as well as to the feeding and nesting beaches of some species of sea turtles and for being part of the habitat of some unique sea birds, such as winches (Padion haliaetus), Blacktail (Phaeton aethereus) and also for the seasonal presence of the rorqual whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), an endangered species, whose conservation is of great importance worldwide.
Rabo de Junco Nature Reserve
It is located in the western sector of the island, flanking the northern side of the Murdeira Bay Reserve and is conformed by an alignment of two elevations, the peak of Rabo de Junco and the Rochinha de Rabo de Junco, north of the previous one.
Its classification is due to the presence and nesting of emblematic species of the archipelago, which makes the Reserve a key place for the conservation of birds. In addition, it stands out for its landscape values and the morphological and geological uniqueness of Pico de Rabo de Junco.
Monte Grande Protected Landscape
It constitutes the highest topographic relief of the island, with 406 metres above sea level. The foundation for its protection is justified by the geological value of its recent materials, with pillow-lavas sectors on the coast. Although there are more formations of this type on the island of Sal Este due to its extension and characteristics, it deserves special attention, given the existence of some floristic endemisms and protected birds.
Buracona-Regona Protected Landscape
It includes part of the north-western coast of the island of Sal, from the north of Palmeira to Ponta Preta, incorporating a mountainous relief, Monte Leste, which reaches 269 metres from sea level and stands out for rising abruptly over the surrounding plains. Its declaration as Protected Landscape is based on the protection of a sector of the island coast, very representative from the geological and landscape point of view, due to the presence of unique volcanic forms such as padded lavas and volcanic pipes.
Protected Landscape Salinas de Santa Maria
It is located north of the Santa Maria nucleus and is totally surrounded by the Costa da Fragata Nature Reserve. Although they are in a good state of conservation, they are not currently being exploited, occasionally being used for local consumption.
Protected Landscape Salinas de Pedra de Lume and Cagarral
It is located to the south of the Monte Grande massif and forms, together with the former, the only mountain chain in the north eastern sector of the island of Sal. The Pedra Lume caldera is one of the island's most recent volcanic manifestations, having developed in its crater an exceptional saline exploitation of enormous interest in previous historical periods. The main foundation of its protection is the preservation of both natural and cultural elements, related to the existence of an interesting volcanic caldera and to the exploitation of salts, having formed a landscape of singular beauty and cultural value.
Morrinho de Açúcar Natural Monument
The protection of this space is due to the beauty, uniqueness and representativeness of a geological element of high visual incidence, for being a volcanic chimney anchored in the middle of an extensive plain and representative of the volcanic nature of the island, for being the remains of a phonolitic chimney. It is currently in an advanced state of degradation.
Salinas
The island of Sal has two salt pans: Pedra de Lume and Santa Maria, which have had an important role in the settlement and economic growth of the island. Of these two, Pedra Lume stands out more for its history, culture, traces and also for being a tourist attraction of excellence, a unique landscape in the island and the country.
Salinas de Santa Maria
The salt pans of Portinho were built in 1834 by Manuel António Martins. Initially he drained the waters to build the marinas that were fed by wind pumps. Later, he imported from England a railroad (the first in West Africa) to transport the salt to the port of embarkation, by means of wagons powered by sail.
Fire-stone salt pans
The Pedra de Lume salt pans are located on the east coast of the island and are characterised by a number of marinas in a pyroclastic caldera of an extinct volcano, due to the slow infiltration of sea water which, together with the climatic conditions, allowed the formation of an evaporation basin, giving rise to the salt pans.
Natural Pool and Cave
Buracona is a natural pool of crystalline water formed by some larger concavities in the rocks and by the bursting of the waves that fill it and renew the waters. In this area it is recommended to be more cautious with some points due to the strength of the waves. The natural pool is located right next to the blue eye, the latter staying slightly above (at the top).
It is through the natural cave that you can see the blue eye specially visualized between 10:30 and 13:30 mn, time when the sunlight penetrates the water vertically, producing a crystalline reflection of rare luminosity. These constitute one of the most visited tourist attractions of the island. A catering establishment serves tourists and visitors who demand this resource.
Marine Fauna
The marine fauna on the island is diverse, consisting of corals, whales, sharks, fish and other species, especially sea turtles, known worldwide, which are on the verge of extinction due to their capture.
Sea Turtle Watching
The turtles that look for the beaches of Cape Verde are the ones that were born here, that is, they are endemic species, so they constitute a natural heritage. Although there are records of the common turtle (Caretta caretta) throughout the archipelago, the islands of Sal, Boavista and Maio welcome this species annually, and in greater numbers.
The species Caretta Caretta visits the island every year between June and September, using essentially the beaches of Ponta Preta, Baía de Algodoeiro, Serra Negra, Calheta Funda, Parda and Baía da Murdeira.
Beaches
Because it is essentially flat, the island is surrounded by white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, assuming the status of one of the main sun and beach destinations in the country.
Santa Maria Beach
It is a beach 7 km long with white sand and crystal clear turquoise water. Its magnificent potential for bathing tourism, water sports and diving has enchanted many national and foreign visitors, who pass through this island.
Along its shore you will find hotels, restaurants, bars and water sports companies, thus playing an important role in the local tourism development. And on this beach that takes place annually the Festival of Santa Maria, an event inseparable from the festivities of the day of the Municipality (Nossa Senhora das Dores). The beach was distinguished as one of the seven wonders of Cape Verde.
Ponta Preta Beach
It is a beach adorned by fine white sand dunes, suitable for long walks and the practice of surfing, windsurfing, bodyboarding and kitesurfing. One of the stages of the International Windsurfing Championship was held there. From June to September is one of the privileged areas of the Caretta Caretta turtle spawning.
Pedra de Lume Beach
It is a beach much sought after by residents of the town of Espargos and the town of the same name, for bathing, as it is the closest. Every year, a mini music festival is held there, at the time of the celebration of the festivities of Our Lady of Pity (15 August).
Calheta Funda Beach
It is a small, shallow bay with a calm sea which can be reached from a dirt road which connects it to the main road. In summer it is very frequented by the local population for walks and camping, appearing as an area for turtles to lay their eggs.
Manuel António de Sousa Beach
Highly sought after by water sports practitioners (windsurfing and kitesurfing) and by swimmers
Besides the beaches described above, there are others, less explored in terms of tourism, namely: beaches of Igrejinha, Monte Grande, Água Doce, Canoa, Palmeira, Cascalho, Fontona, Leme Bedje, Quintalona/Porto Antigo, among others.
The island of Sal is considered one of the most multicultural islands of the archipelago, as it receives people from different parts of the country who have taken with them specific characteristics of their islands of origin. In addition to these, Euro-African migration has also had some impact on Sal's culture, especially in Santa Maria.
Material Cultural Tourist Attractions
There are some historic buildings although many of them need conservation for their historical and cultural value. Among them, they stand out:
Chapel of Our Lady of Pity (Pedra de Lume)
It is an ex-libris of this locality, since its construction dates from 1853 by descendants of Manuel António Martins. This church still retains the traces of old, having undergone few changes to its original architecture. This building, as it is one of the oldest built patrimonies, is of historical and patrimonial importance, as it is the first landmark of Christianity on the island.
Church of Nossa Senhora das Dores (Santa Maria)
The land for the construction of this church was offered by the widow of Manuel António Martins on March 8, 1851 and in a solemn ceremony the first stone for its construction was laid. With the construction of this church, Sal started to have its own parish called Nossa Senhora das Dores, then disconnecting from the parish of São Roque na Boavista.
Cable car
Given the difficulties in transporting salt, which had persisted since the time of adviser Martins, the French company Salins du Cap Vert, which had acquired the saltworks in 1919, promoted the import and assembly of a cable car that extended over one kilometre and had the capacity to transport around 25 tonnes of salt per hour.
Casa Viana
Located in front of the pontoon, it is an emblematic monument of the island, as it characterizes one of the architectural elements of the industrial complex of salt exploitation in Santa Maria, an important economic activity at the time.
In this house worked the office of the Companhia de Fomento and from there the transport of salt was controlled. It came from the shed and passed under the tunnel right in the centre of the house and went straight to the pontoon by means of a railway line.
Manuel António Martins' house
This house belonged to the Martins family, it was the first house on the island in the second decade of the 19th century.
Ca Faru
This name is given to the houses of Pedra de Lume, built to shelter the workers of the Salinas in the 19th century, being the best built belonging to the bosses.
Typical Houses of the Village of Palmeira
They were built to shelter former fishermen who settled there in search of fish and turtles. Palmeira is still a fishing village, keeping the houses the same architectural style, with quiet streets that invite to a walk.
Pontão
It is an ex-libris of the city, since the creation of the village of Santa Maria, it served as an outlet for the salt produced in the salt flats to other islands and to the outside.
Ponta de Sinó Lighthouse
Located 300 meters inland from Ponta do Sinó, at the southern end of the island, in Santa Maria. Built in 1892, it has a quadrangular tower with an outer staircase leading to the lantern, measuring 9 metres high and 11 metres high.
Ponta Norte Lighthouse (Lighthouse of Fiúra or Reguinho de Fiúra Lighthouse)
It is located in the north of the island, near the town of Reguinho de Fiúra. The oldest lighthouse was built in 1897 and was originally made of cast iron, with a lighthouse keeper's house attached, measuring 13 metres high, but it no longer exists. In ancient times it was the most important lighthouse of the island that guided the boats that crossed those waters.
In addition to these estates, one can also mention: the Municipal Market, the port of Pedra Lume, the Chapel of São José (Palmeira), the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, the Chapel of São Pedro, the Chapel of Santa Cruz (Espargos and Santa Maria) and the Chapel of São João (Espargos). The religious side of the pilgrimage festivities takes place in these chapels, namely Saint Peter, Saint Cross and Saint John.
Culture Centre
In the eighties the space was home to various services such as Finance, Customs and the Post Office. It was inaugurated in May 1999, with a conference room, a computer room, a library, a Portuguese language room and a backyard used for small artistic demonstrations such as capoeira. In this space playful, cultural and recreational activities are promoted. It is located in the city of Santa Maria.
Living House of Culture - Funaná "Living Museum
The House of Culture, initially a catering establishment, was associated with the promotion of Cape Verdean culture in the fields of music, gastronomy, tradition and history of Cape Verde.
Tututa School of Music and Arts (EMAT)
Located in Largo Milénio, city of Espargos, it was opened in 2006, having welcomed hundreds of trainees, namely children, young people and under-age people. Its mission is to initiate individuals into the various arts, such as guitar, piano and ballet classes. The name given to this school by the City Hall of Sal in honour of Mrs. Epifânia de Freitas Silva Ramos (Dona Tututa) also hosts several socio-cultural activities
Immaterial Cultural Tourist Attractions
Typical Gastronomy
Cape Verde is a country rich in gastronomy (using agricultural products, such as seafood) and the island of Sal is one of the most touristic islands in the country and should be able to take advantage of this wealth. In the catering establishments you can find a diversity of offers starting with typical dishes such as feijoada, fish broth and cachupa (corn, beans, pork and vegetables). Besides these, the island of Sal stands out for its seafood dishes, fish (tuna, mountains, grouper) and especially seafood (lobster, barnacle, shrimp, octopus, percebes).
Music
Music is one of the most striking features of Cape Verdean culture. As mentioned, one of the great music festivals of the country takes place every year on this island: Santa Maria Festival, in addition to other events of a musical nature and mini festivals. All the musical rhythms played in Cape Verde can be appreciated on the island as well as foreign rhythms.
Municipal Band of Sal
This band was born in 1999 as a result of the offer of some wind instruments by the Grotamar Chamber, Italy, to Sal's sister company. The support of the City Hall of Sal was determinant for its creation, either in the training of the members, or in the various facilities and supports. The band was consolidated in 2001 and the classes took place in the Amphitheatre José Cabral and in the basement of the bandstand of Praça Abílio Duarte. They performed for the first time to the public in 2001, on the occasion of the inauguration of the mentioned square, framed in the festivities of the Municipality of Sal.
Handicraft/Souvenirs
The local handicraft is considered an activity with little expression on the island, however there are places where one works in its confection, exhibition and sale.
Potential Tourist Attractions of the Island
The following sites are potential natural tourism resources that can be used to shape new attractions and contribute to the diversification of tourism offer. Some of them, due to their attractiveness, receive visitors, although in a smaller quantity compared to the main attractions of the island.
Parda Bay
This is a popular spot for tourists to see the sharks that constantly ravage its coast. The access road to the bay is of land and sand.
Algodoeiro Bay
It is located near the little chapel of Fatima. It is possible to observe and appreciate a beautiful oasis, although it does not have very dense vegetation, made up of date palms (phoenix atlantic), tarafe (tamarix canariensis) and American acacia (prosopis julliflora), which provide a refreshing shade, after a dive or an underwater fishing session.
Fontona
The Ribeira da Fontona is located at the western end of the island, close to the Palm tree, and is one of the main forested areas of the island, much sought after for picnics and leisure activities. The religious festival of Santa na is held here every year at the end of July. At present it is practically abandoned.
Good Land
Situated north of Espargos, the name of this town is due to its sandy soil and a clayey subsoil suitable for the practice of agriculture. Rainwater accumulates there from nearby towns.
“Mirage” area
It is located after Terra Boa, in the northern part of the island, in an arid, dry and muddy area. It is visited practically every day by tourists, because of a natural phenomenon that can be seen at a certain distance, in this space. The ultraviolet rays, when touching the ground that is cold, cause an optical/ mirror illusion, that is, the rays stay a little above the ground, giving an illusion of having "water or a lake" in this area. This is an attraction of easy access, however the path on dirt is in bad condition due to the intense circulation of heavy vehicles. A bar/craft shop was built in this area.
Miradouro
This belvedere is located in the town of Espargos and is commonly known as Radar or Rotcha. It contains the communication equipment of the Cape Verde Telecom and ASA companies, under military surveillance. Given the panoramic view over almost the whole island and on clear days you can see the island of Boa Vista is a popular tourist spot.
Cotton Bay Nursery
Located just after the chapel of Our Lady of Fatima and just before the tourist village of Santa Maria. It was built in 2007 and produces a variety of indoor and outdoor ornamental plants as well as fruit trees. On site a greenhouse system is used which reduces the harmful action of ultraviolet rays on the plants and for good management of water resources, they use the drip irrigation system.
Green Straw
It is located near Murdeira. Its name is due to the fact that in the region, in times when it rained with some regularity, it was covered with undergrowth that served as pasture for the cattle. The Ribeira de Palha Verde was once an authentic oasis with some remains such as Tamarix canariensis (Tarafe), Phoenix (Tamareira) and Prosopis juliflora (American acacia).
Environmental management at the local level is carried out by the municipality through the environmental and sanitation services, assisted by a set of rules and plans governing in accordance with national environmental laws.
The preservation of the environment, people's quality of life and the island's overall and tourist development are closely linked, so the conservation and development of Sal's ecosystems and the enhancement of natural resources must be a priority and be translated into a horizontal and transversal political orientation, in consultation with national and sectoral policies and in a constant and permanent dialogue with civil society.
Municipality of Boavista
Boa Vista (also written Boavista) is an island of the Barlavento group of Cape Verde. Of all the 10 islands in the archipelago, it is the easternmost, only 455 km from the African coast.
10 HEALTHIER CITIES GOALS
CAPE VERDE AMBITION 2030
Housing
In terms of social housing, the Municipality, through the technical service responsible for the materialisation of housing policies, has mobilised resources to face up to City Planning, with the concession of support for the improvement of degraded houses belonging to the most disadvantaged families, and in self-construction, always starting from the initiative of the families themselves.
Water
Water and Energy services are provided by the company Água e Energia da Boavista (AEB) which holds the monopoly for the production and distribution of water and energy on the island.
AEB produces and distributes water and energy for both hotels and the population, with the exception of the towns of Bofareira and Povoação Velha, where the production and distribution of electrical energy remains under the responsibility of the City Council.
Health
The island has some weaknesses in the health system, both in terms of infrastructure and human resources. There is no hospital, but there is an infrastructure, a health centre, a health post, five basic health units, two pharmacies, one private and the other public, and two private clinics which help to provide services to tourists.
Education
Thus, in addition to the attributions in the construction, management and maintenance of pre-school and basic education infrastructures, it has been promoting an educational policy that guarantees equal opportunities in access to and success at school, through social action measures for the most needy pupils, namely in the support of transport and school materials and in the concession of vacancies and scholarships for secondary, higher and professional training.
According to the results of the 2010 Census, Boavista has the best literacy rates in the country with 90.3% of the population aged 15 and over literate, 92.3% among men and 87% among women. As far as the level of education is concerned, the vast majority of the population has the basic level (47.6%). About 35% have secondary level and about 5% have post-secondary level.
Poverty
Boavista has always been the Council least affected by poverty, being the second with the lowest incidence of poverty after Sal.
As at the national level, relative poverty in Boavista has been decreasing. In summary, the analysis of the Council's poverty profile shows that the incidence decreases from 14.9% in 2001/2002 to 8.0% in 2007, at a slower pace than at the national level which decreases from 36.7% to 26.6% over the same period.
In the past the island of Boavista was dependent on farming and fishing. The island's economy was based on livestock farming, the fish canning industry, collection activities such as collecting and selling salt, heather and purge, the artisanal clay processing industry, the limestone extraction industry, artisanal lime making and pottery, and subsistence farming. Over the years many of these activities ceased to exist and the population affected by successive drought crises began to leave the island.
The "discovery" of the island as a strong tourist attraction drives a new dynamic in the economic development of the island. Today the Tourism sector is the strategic sector that energises the island's economy with positive consequences for the construction sector, in particular the tourist real estate, hotel and catering, transport and trade sectors, among other related activities. The opening of the international airport complements the increase for a greater development of the tourism sector at a national level, in particular Boavista.
Tourism is currently the most dynamic sector in the economic and social growth of the island and the country, in that it contributes considerably to the inflow of foreign currency, as well as to the promotion of employment and, for Boavista in particular, tourism represents one of the main axes of sustained economic development.
Because of the number of activities it involves, directly or indirectly, tourism has had a notable impact on the availability of job offers with consequences for the exponential growth of the population, making the island the potential recipient both of internal migrants from other islands in search of work and better living conditions, and of immigrants, foreign investors.
The tourist offer of Boavista Island is based fundamentally on natural resources where the sun and beaches, the extensive coastlines of white sand, the favourable climatic conditions, with a pleasant temperature and constant sunshine all year round are attractions for most tourists.
With the opening of the international airport, Boavista becomes the largest recipient of tourists in Cape Verde, with about 46,880 entries in the 3rd quarter of 2011, representing 41.4% of the entries in this period.
Natural Tourism Resources
Environmental Protection Areas
Boavista Island has 14 Protected Areas (PA), out of the 47 declared in Cape Verde through Decree-Law nº3/2003 of 24 February 2003. According to the same decree, PA is defined as the clearly defined geographical areas, recognized, used and managed by effective legal means to achieve nature conservation, together with the services and cultural values associated with the ecosystem. Regarding the PA of the island, it is worth mentioning the accomplishment of tourist activities, namely; excursions, diving, sea turtle and bird watching.
Natural Park of the North
It represents the most extensive of the island, covering an important marine area along its entire three nautical miles coastal zone. The basis for its declaration was to monitor the conservation of natural values (presence of areas for the nesting of turtles, presence of birdlife of interest, mainly birds of prey and steppes, and geomorphological and landscape features).
Ponta do Sol Nature Reserve
It is located in the northwest of the island, from Praia de Ervatão, north of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, to the Ribeira de Poderoso area, including the cliffs of Praia de Ervatão and part of the upper platform of Chã de Ervatão, the mountainous sector of Pico Vigia and Curral Preto, the wide coastal platform (low island) at the beginning of the mountainous massif and the cliffs and fossil dunes present from Farol de Ponta do Sol to near the Ribeira de Poderoso.
Turtle Nature Reserve
Located in the eastern and southern part of the island, from the base of Morro Negro to Praia de Cruzinha Brito. It covers an important marine area along the entire coastal area which corresponds to three nautical miles. The protection objectives are the conservation of the beaches as nesting areas for turtles, wetlands and salt lands important for wading and migrating birds and the sea bird colonies of Ponta do Roque and the cliffs of Morro Negro.
Moro de Areia Nature Reserve
It is located southwest of the island, from Chaves beach to the coast of Santa Monica. The aim is to preserve the ecological processes derived from the sandy dynamics and to conserve habitats of interest for endemic and relevant species of the archipelago, such as the jaguar's tail, winch, turtles, cat shark and numerous invertebrates.
Ilhéus Baluarte Nature Reserve
It is located in the northeast of the island, facing the coasts of Ponta do Rife, between the old salt pans and Porto Ferreira. It is an elongated islet in an east-west direction, with an altitude of less than 5 metres above sea level, of basaltic nature, with a flat and rocky surface.
Ilhéus dos Pássaros Nature Reserve
It is located in the northwest of the island, in front of the Bay of Cats. It is one of the smallest islets due to its superficial extension and low altitude over the sea level, it is a flat islet covered with sedimentary and sandy material. It is connected to the main island by a string of reefs and rocks of volcanic nature. The protection objectives are the presence and nesting of emblematic birds at a national and world level such as the Pedreiro-azul (Pelagodroma marina) and Pedreirinho (Oceanodroma castro).
Ilhéus do Curral Velho Nature Reserve
It is located south of the island, in front of Curral Velho Beach, northeast of Ponta do Pesqueiro Grande. It is a small islet that does not exceed 5 meters of maximum altitude above sea level, composed mainly of limestone material very fragmented by marine action, presenting morphological characteristics coastal as hollow spaces and natural cavities better known as "taffoni". The foundations of protection are the presence and nesting of emblematic birds at a global and national level such as the Frigategate (Fregata magnificens), Alcatraz (Sula leucogaster), the CapeVerde Shearwater (Calonectris edwardsii), the Blacktail (Phaethon aethereus) or the Stone (Oceanodroma castro).
Monte Santo António Natural Monument
The rocky massif that forms the Monte de Santo António is one of the highest altitudes on the island, and together with Rocha de Estância and Monte Estância forms one of the three most unique orographic formations for its rocky fortress morphology with its almost circular base raised over an extensive plain.
Natural Monument Ilhéu de Sal Rei
Located in the northwest of the island, opposite the City of Sal Rei, it is the longest islet on the surface of those surrounding the island, and the highest at 27 metres. Unlike the others, here basalt materials emerge and there are few limestone formations, with sandy beaches in the more sheltered areas. The fundamentals of protection are the presence of important natural values such as the existing species of flora and fauna and the historical-cultural value provided by the ancient fort of the Duke of Bragança.
Monte Estância Natural Monument
It is located in the south-eastern part of the island, a few kilometres off the coast of João Barrosa. Its protection objectives are its geomorphological and landscape values due to its visual incidence and its peculiar flora and fauna, floristic endemisms and protected birds.
Rocha Estancia Natural Monument
The rocky massif that forms Rocha Estância is one of the island's most outstanding reliefs, at an altitude of 357 metres, limited by the following streams: Ribeira Baixa, Ribeira Doutor and Ribeira Fonte. The purpose of the protection is to preserve its geomorphological values, presents endemic flora and fauna and the landscape value of its relief.
Curral Velho Protected Landscape
It forms one of the most homogenous landscape spaces on the island. It is composed of a wide plain limited to the Ribeira do Meio basin, which opens between two rocky scarps. The object of protection is the preservation of the landscape identity, the natural characteristics of its geology and geomorphology (sands, limestone, beaches and salt marshes) and the human landscape formed by traditional corrals and population nuclei.
Beaches
Being one of the flat islands of the archipelago, most of its coast is made up of extensive white sandy beaches and turquoise waters, which is undoubtedly a set of natural attractions for the tourist destination Boavista.
Cruz Beach
Praia de Cruz is located on the northwest coast of the island, near the city of Sal Rei. Next to its sandy beach are a hotel and a number of housing infrastructures. It has been the stage for the Praia de Cruz Festival, an annual music festival, privileging Cape Verdean musicians and having as background the awakening of consciences for the protection of turtles that spawn on the island.
Estoril Beach
Located near the city of Sal Rei, a few minutes from the centre, it is an extensive beach with winds that provides good conditions for the practice of some water sports, especially kitesurfing and windsurfing that is gaining expression on the island. The beach has a set of infrastructures in all its shore, namely; restaurants, bars, nautical sports clubs and a kitesurf school.
Chaves Beach
Located in the Chaves area, and the closest beaches to the city is the most extensive. Nearby there are three major tourist infrastructures, the Royal Decameron Hotel, the Iberostar Hotel and the Parque das Dunas Village, with a range of beach equipment to provide the comfort of clients on the beach.
Varandinha Beach
Varandinha is situated in the southwest of the island, it is a paradise beach, being cut by rocks that divide its extensive sand into smaller sands. It is recognised for the good conditions it offers for water sports such as surfing and Sand Board. Among the rocky formations that it exhibits next to the sand, there is a natural cave, overlooking the sea, known as Bracona.
Santa Mónica Beach
Santa Mónica beach is located in the extreme southwest of the island and is considered a beach of great beauty, presenting a very extensive sand, very exposed and without any shadows, and an almost wild atmosphere, resulting from its isolation.
Praia da Talanta - Shipwrecked Cargueiro in September 1968
A few more beaches can be listed: Praia David; Praia Farrapa; Praia do Curralinho; Praia de Curral Mateus; Praia de Lacacão; Praia de Curral Velho; Praia de Ervatão; Praia Mosquito; Praia Agostinho; Praia da Lancha; Praia de Derrubado and Praia de João Barbosa.
Viana Desert
The Viana desert, one of the seven natural wonders of Cape Verde, is a place of unparalleled beauty, full of whitish sand dunes formed by sands carried by winds from the Sahara desert.
Sea turtle watching
Cape Verde sea turtles are considered one of the island's main natural resources. At a national level the island represents the largest population of the caretta-caretta species which nests on the island's beaches and the second most important in the Atlantic.
Whale watching
The archipelago of Cape Verde represents one of the whale breeding sites in the North Atlantic Ocean, concentrating the only breeding stock of this species in the more eastern waters of this ocean. March and April are the months most likely to see these large cetaceans near the west and southwest coast of Boavista.
Observation of corals
Corals represent another natural resource with the potential to become a tourism product. On the island there are coral communities that usually inhabit shallow sheltered bays that are interesting for the diversity of marine species they host and for the presence of endemism.
Mobile dunes
The organogenic sands dragged by the winds and the marine currents reach the northern coast of the island, giving rise to extensive interior surfaces, where they accumulate and originate in dune fields, continuously fed and modified by the movement of the winds.
Sand Hill
It is a veritable desert by the sea, in an impressive scenery, where you can see a sand with the blue of the Atlantic as a backdrop and also an area of environmental protection.
The municipality of Boa Vista has a great cultural wealth, both material and immaterial.
Material Cultural Resources
Religious heritage
The importance of the island's religious heritage is reflected in the existence of various Catholic Churches and chapels, the result of various historical periods. As are the cases of the Church of São Roque, the Church of Santa Isabel and the Chapels of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, and Santo António.
Ruins
Former Ceramic Factory
The old ceramic factory situated on a private property on Chaves beach was very important for the island's economy in the past.
Ruins of the Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima
The Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima is located near the city of Sal Rei, in one of the most arid areas of the island, near the sea and a beach, on a high point.
Ruins of the Church of São Roque
Dating back to 1806, it is today Boavista's oldest sacred building. Today the Church of St. Roque, once the Mother Church of Rabil, is closed and in an initial state of degradation.
Ruins of the Fort Duke of Bragança
Built in 1818 on the islet of Sal Rei to ensure greater security against possible pirate attacks. Even today, some remains of the wall and rusty cannons remain.
Jewish Cemetery
Located near the beach of Cruz, it is a testimony to the ancient presence of a Jewish community living on the island. The cemetery, which has been in an advanced state of degradation for many years, has recently received restoration work in order to maintain and preserve its historical value.
Lighthouse of Morro Negro
The Morro Negro Lighthouse, located in the southeast of the island and a built heritage, represents an important tourist resource, although in an initial phase of degradation.
Immaterial Cultural Resources
Typical Gastronomy
As far as typical gastronomy is concerned, the island stands out for its diversity of fish and seafood dishes. It is also known for its famous goat cheese and "botchada", even if they are made in a traditional way.
Music and Dance
The island, despite its small demographic size, occupies a prominent position in local and national cultural production. It is considered by many scholars to be the cradle of Morna, one of the traditional musical genres and most representative of Cape Verdean identity and culture.
Praia de Cruz Festival
The Praia da Cruz festival is held annually on one of the weekends of the month of August lasting two (2) days. Counting with a range of local, national and international artists.
Morna Festival
The festival's main focus is the promotion of traditional Cape Verdean music, especially warm music, where they seek artistic participation from all the islands of the archipelago.
Handicraft Fair
Held monthly by the City Hall in Sal Rei Square, lasting one day and which in addition to crafts has as its components the music and local cuisine with the purpose of promoting local handicrafts and Boavista culture.
Environmental management at the local level is carried out by the municipality through the environmental and sanitation services, assisted by a set of rules and plans governing in accordance with national environmental laws.
As environmental and natural conditions are the main factor for tourism development and also a factor for the degradation of the environment itself, Cape Verde created in 1991 the Law establishing the bases for tourism development, and in 1993, after the creation of the National Institute of Tourism, published the Legislative Decree creating the Special Tourism Areas: Integral Tourism Development Areas (ZDTI) and the Reserve and Protection Areas (ZRPT).
Boavista Island is one of the few islands in Cape Verde that has a vast area covered with dunes and extensive beaches that constitute priceless natural and landscape values.
The white sandy beaches that occupy an extension of more than 50 km contribute strongly to URBANOS the natural and landscape valuation of the island. The island also has a great diversity of ecosystems with high value for nature conservation, to be highlighted: the existence of numerous islets (Baluarte, Curral Velho, Pássaros) being part of the migratory bird route and serving as nesting sites for endangered and rare species in the world; large stretches of beaches that encourage sea turtles to lay their eggs; large areas of limestone crust and the existence of various wetlands.