Santa Antao, Cape Verde Mountains
Mountain trekking
This is the second largest island with spectacular landscapes,
especially after autumnal rains when the mountains become verdant.
Dominated by a high mountain range running diagonally in line with
the prevailing winds from northeast to southwest, it has a recently
dormant volcano Topo da Coroa, 1979 metres. This gives a warm, dry
climate in the south, cooler and more humid in the mountains and
on the North Coast. The needle –shaped mountains sprout eucalyptus,
cypress and pine trees, while the south has a few acacias, inhabited
by white ibis. The otherwise inaccessible mountains are laced by
footpaths that make hiking the main tourist activity. Farming persists
despite the obstacles, with sugar cane, sweet potatoes, yams, manioc,
bananas, coconuts, mango, papaya and almonds. Grogue, distilled
from sugar cane was originally introduced to supply the Royal Navy
and is still made here.
Santa Antao is the most striking of all Cape Verde islands - perfect
for hiking. From Porto Novo, where the ferry from Mindelo docks
there is a precipitous mountain road to Ribeira Grande. This was
settled in the 16th Century, and was the original capital, flanked
by two beautiful valleys.or prime trekking country. Ponta do Sol
is a quiet townwith a small port and some old colonial buildings.
The mountains provide fantastic hiking trails, but can also be
approached by roads with wonderful panoramic views. There is a large
rock at Janela, shrouded in mystery. It holds secrets that are not
yet understood. A large rock jutting from the trees on the valley
floor, iot has mysterious inscriptions probably posted by Chinese,
from a fleet which sailed around Africa from India. The language
of the carvings is Malayalam, from south India.
Sights of the mountains
S from Lancs found it a bit lonely
"Santo Antao there is nothing at Porto Novo. I hired a taxi
for an island tour. You can only get to this place by boat for I
think €7. I hired the taxi driver for the day and was supposed
to stay at this place for a night but when I arrived no thanks I
was not going to take the chance there is nothing to do when it
goes dark. I would go again just for a change,"
T from Hants liked it better
"Now for some colourful local transport as we headed to Santo
Antao on the ferry, where we hoped to do some walking. Only an hour
from Sao Vicente, Santo Antao can easily be visited and we had four
days to explore the beautiful scenery and excellent walks that we
had heard about. I loved Santo Antao with its striking scenery and
friendly people. For any walkers this is a must see island with
dramatic mountain and coastal scenery, little villages and terraced
fields of crops winding up the slopes."
E from London found the mountains impressive
"We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in Cape Verde. Our transfers
went without any hitches and your contact people were very pleasant
and helpful. Gersail Morais, who met us on Sao Vicente is a particularly
nice young man. We made the trip to Sao Antao which was wonderful,
awesome EVEN - a really enjoyable day."
N from Arizona braved the mountain road
"As you drive away from the Port town and into the mountains,
you climb higher and higher until you can see Mindelo from across
the channel. This side of the island is browner, and even looks
a little like the Rocky Mountains in Arizona. But the drive itself
is amazing. You continue to climb until you reach the clouds and
there is so much moisture in the air that it is practically raining.
You find yourself driving through the clouds and the air is thicker
than any other fog you have ever been through. But then you reach
a point where the clouds are below you and in fact only on one side
of the island, running like a waterfall over the mountains to the
other side. You now have to get out and climb a little ways on foot,
as the road has stopped, but the highest peak is still above you.
The air is crisp and there are pine trees everywhere. It reminds
you of camp and the smell of pine-filled mountains take you back
to your childhood when the biggest problem that faced you was the
fear of getting pulled out of bed to go ‘Polar-Bearing’
in the freezing-cold lake the next morning. Your current problems
have been left behind, under the clouds, and most certainly await
you when you return to reality. But for now, you are above them,
literally, and the world is serene, quiet, and the air is so crisp
you can feel yourself breathing for the first time in a long time.
You can see 360° around the entire island and on both sides,
the clouds are pouring over the mountains below you, moving quicker
than you ever imagined, and looking almost like a quiet version
of Niagara Falls. You sit at the top and simply breathe because
that is the only thing to do and the only thing you can actually
hear.
But it is getting late and there are other things to see. You climb
back down to the little town where you have parked your car. You
have rented a car because as those crazy kids are saying these days,
you are traveling like a ‘baller.’ It is easier to see
a place and go where you choose when you do not have to rely on
public transportation to squeeze you into a seat next to bunches
of bananas and people carrying chickens. So you go ‘baller’
style and discover that you can control the direction you are going;
an idea that has been a little lost lately. With your destination
town in front of you, you drive on, down the other side of the mountain
and through the clouds again. The road is not really a road, but
a one-lane cobblestone thrill ride that leaves you puzzled as to
how they ever cut through all the rock and mountain to construct
such a thing. The people here do not have Caterpillar machines or
fancy rock-carving technology; plus we are talking about roads that
were created years and years ago. So you drive carefully because
the cliffs on either side are at 90° angles to the road and
one wrong turn and the ribeira is the last thing you will ever see.
But being above the deep-cut rocks is all that has your attention
at the moment, and it reminds you a little of the spectacular nature
of the Grand Canyon. Sometimes, Nature surprises you in the most
astounding ways."
J from London liked the island scenery
"Our stay in Santa Antao was fantastic: what an amazing island,
the scenery and landscapes are stunning. The walks through the mountains
are definitely the only way to see the true beauty of the island
and the best way to meet some of the most genuine, friendly and
helpful local people that you could wish to meet. "
Mountain Hotels
