Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde

Boa Vista Island: Atlantic waves, Dunas do Sara


Ghost of "Cape Santa Maria"
The waves from the Atlantic collide with the freighter "Cabo Santa Maria" and proceed to the sandy beach at Atlanta Beach.
Pissed off
Herd of goats approach a water tank where they are supposed to quench their thirst.
chimney of keys
Two bathers run towards the chimney of Chaves, the apex of an old brick and tile factory.
Coconut Duo
Two coconut trees stand out from the sandy soil around the ruins of Curral Velho.
Sal Rei Gym
Workers on the island of Boa Vista work out in a makeshift gym in Sal Rei.
Sal Rei II Gym
Resident of Sal Rei strengthens his body on a wall of an abandoned building in Sal Rei.
in the shadow of god
Resident passes in front of the church of Santa Isabel, in Sal Rei.
bunny smile
A girl from Sal Rei interrupts the games with her friends to laugh for the camera.
dry mountain
Elevation of the interior of the island of Boa Vista, sculpted by the trade winds.
Palmeira
Shade of one of the palm trees that dot the dunes next to the Chaves chimney.
Fish Bowl of Sal Rei
Fishmonger of Sal Rei, keeps a bucket overflowing with freshly caught fish.
soft fish fry
Fishmongers coexist at the entrance of the Sal Rei municipal fishmonger.
Rough sea in Chaves
Bathers face powerful waves on the vast Praia de Chaves.
An old mural adds color to the city of Sal Rei, the capital of the island of Boa Vista.
Old Corral saline
One of the salt pans that justified the formation of the village of Curral Velho, now in ruins.
Cape Verdean sewing
Seamstress from Sal Rei finishes a blue dress on an old sewing machine.
marine games
Three friends play at the low tide of Praia d'Diante Beach.
the old corral
Ruins and thorny shrubs of the old village of Curral Velho.
island-boa-vista-cape-verde-salt-sara-sandboard-dunes-chaves
Two friends arrive at the top of a dune at Praia de Chaves, about to sandboard it.
urban boat
Boat and hammocks rest against a house in Sal Rei, the capital of the island of Boa Vista.
Boa Vista is not only the Cape Verdean island closest to the African coast and its vast desert. After a few hours of discovery, it convinces us that it is a piece of the Sahara adrift in the North Atlantic.

We walk along the seafront of the large beach of Chaves, on the lookout for the incursions of the waves above.

The trades that generate them blow loudly. In alliance, the wind and waves punish the sandy coast of the west of the island. They keep the beach flag red and a few sunbathers standing at the back.

We see their shapes along the endless bay. It is sprinkled right down to the foot of the sand mountain range that isolates the beach from the ocher expanse of the interior.

The sea water is at 23º. On a day of good oceanic mood, the baths and dives of the figures would give the lifeguard something to do

In those conditions, the detached man remained half-sunken in his wooden tower. He just peeked from time to time if some deranged soul challenged the Atlantic.

Praia de Chaves, Ilha da Boa Vista, Cape Verde, Sal, Evoking the Sahara

Bathers face powerful waves on the vast Praia de Chaves.

The Emblematic Chimney (of the Beach) of Chaves

We continue north, towards the old chimney of Chaves. We let her guide us like a brick beacon. Since long since deactivated and bequeathed to the dunes that surround it, this chimney, however unlikely it may seem, had its era of smoky glory.

In the early XNUMXth century, investors found the surrounding clayey soil to be ideal for producing bricks and tiles. And that they could then sell them in the nearest countries, in Guineas, in Senegal. The manufacturing unit was developed.

It even gave work to dozens of Cape Verdean employees, some of whom migrated from other islands. Without warning, in 1928, the factory closed its doors.

Over time, at the whim of the wind, sand and bushes invaded the lower section of the ovens. Not long after a hundred years, the chimney resists against the mostly blue sky.

Chaves chimney, Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal evoking the Sahara

Two bathers run towards the chimney of Chaves, the apex of an old brick and tile factory.

It became a brand image of the island of Boa Vista. In those parts, only the palm trees of the Pérola de Chaves restaurant challenge its supremacy.

Step by step, we arrive at the small oasis valley in which this business is installed. Sitting on white chairs, some families relax in a sunny conviviality.

Nearby, two friends armed with sandboards, they have fun sliding down the dune, starting from the slippery summit where a Cape Verdean flag waves.

Sandboarding, Praia de Chaves, Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal, Evocar o Sara

Two friends arrive at the top of a dune at Praia de Chaves, about to sandboard it.

We also went up. From there, we contemplate the vastness of the beach and the 8km semi-desert that still separated us from Sal Rei, the capital of Boa Vista.

Half-round in Plenas Dunas da Boa Vista, in search of the capital Sal Rei

Convinced that, on foot, it would take too long, we returned to the starting point. In Cabeçadas, we take a ride to the city.

We arrived in Sal Rei at around three-thirty in the afternoon. The heat of the plunging sun was fading. This made it easier for us not only to walk around but also to take photographs.

We leave the ride in the middle of Avenida dos Pescadores, a few meters from the Wakan Bar, which serves as an unusual separator.

We take a look at Praia d'Diante. We travel it to the opposite end. by the house tut dret, we are surprised by the athletic frenzy of an outdoor gym.

The floor is the sand of the beach. The wall of an abandoned and ruined house was equipped with iron bars. Right there, with no great conditions but no excuses, five or six men were strengthening their muscles. We got into conversation.

Exercise, Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Salt Evoking the Sahara

Workers on the island of Boa Vista work out in a makeshift gym in Sal Rei.

We realized at a glance that they were almost all, if not all, immigrants from Guinea Bissau. They worked as security guards at the various resorts spread along the coast of Boa Vista. Thus, it was possible to perceive the zeal with which they gave themselves to the push-ups, elevations and similar exercises.

In the cove by d'Diante, the fishing boats swayed to and fro, depending on the sway of the protected sea, much more tamed than that of Praia de Chaves.

Two fishermen get into one of them and set sail. On land, the people of the humble neighborhood that occupied the rocky ledge filled with slimes that separated Praia Diante from the adjacent bay did for their lives. Or entertained the time.

The Peaceful Life of the Capital Sal Rei

Two buddies were playing a game of goldfish, on a tiny board of this African game. A smiling owner was cleaning her Kapadocia bar for the night that was soon to be announced. Three young friends, armed with handmade surfboards, were playing in the swimming pools and puddles bequeathed by the low tide.

We return to the urban heart of Sal Rei. We wander through the houses on the ground floor, surrendered to the decadent beauty of its pastels that have long to be repainted. We stopped in front of one of those unpretentious buildings.

For once, we barely see the facade. A Cape Verdean and African craft store had taken over. One of his employees sewed on a machine worthy of a museum.

Seamstress in Sal Rei, Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal, Evoking the Sahara

Seamstress from Sal Rei finishes a blue dress on an old sewing machine.

A race, flag and map of Cape Verde, acted as a skirt for the table on which the machine was placed. With a tape measure around her neck, the lady gave us a big smile and delicious moments of chatter, stolen from the sewing of the finished blue dress.

We continued, with the islet of Sal Rei always ahead. Until we bumped into an extension of Amílcar Cabral Avenue, which was no longer named. And with the city's municipal fishmonger.

At the entrance, a group of fishmongers dressed in scarves and gaudy capulanas were arguing with great excitement.

That night, the teenage daughter of one of them had not slept at home. Unprecedented for the mother, more than a case, her absence was a drama whose approach and resolution her colleagues insisted on pointing out.

Peixeiras, Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal, Evoking the Sahara

Fishmongers coexist at the entrance of the Sal Rei municipal fishmonger.

Despite the commotion, we threw another joke and fell into its goto. Thereafter, the discussion alternated with combined poses, mouths and remarks that made us blush.

Discovering the Boa Vista Island Desert

We were a mere 16º above the equator. Night fell in a flash. With the next few days to plan, forced to dispatch some “office work” that was accumulating, we anticipated the return to the hotel.

We did it in a jeep Jimmy that we had pre-rented, we thought it was up to exploring the island.

The next morning, we left Cabeçadas as early as we could. We point to the south of the island and its Santa Monica beach. We had also thought of going through Varandinha.

An unexpected fluvial phenomenon distracted us from the plans and held us in the red desert south of Viana and Ribeira do Rabil.

Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal, Evoking the Sahara

Elevation of the interior of the island of Boa Vista, sculpted by the trade winds.

We drove through this dusty waste, concentrating on keeping to what we thought was the road. Without warning, a stream came from the opposite direction. He walked along it unhurriedly, with forked advances, not always synchronized.

That road creek left us stunned. As they explained to us later, it happened because the strengthened winter trades diverted water from the Ribeira do Rabil. They made it flow, like spontaneous rivers, through the deepest furrows of the desert.

Confirming where it came from would require a detour of many kilometers. Accordingly, we have resumed Kurral Bédju's original destination.

We pass by the ultimate resort with a southern Maghreb look. Soon, by a huge herd of goats eager to drink from a nearby pool.

Goats, Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal, Evoking the Sahara

Herd of goats approach a water tank where they are supposed to quench their thirst.

Old Corral da Boa Vista. Legacy of a Village that Ruined

From this threshold of asphalt and civilization bubist, we got into one of the most stony roads on the island. Fifteen minutes of jolts later, once again on the verge of the Atlantic, we found the ruins we were looking for, also stony, sterilized by the inclement sun.

Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal, Evoking the Sahara

Ruins and thorny shrubs of the old village of Curral Velho.

They were, above all, walls and walls, with the company of thorny bushes.

The Old Curral looked out over a salt pond. On a dry and inhospitable island like Boa Vista, it was this same lake and its salt that justified the human presence in those inhospitable confines.

Similar to what happened in the neighboring island of Sal, in addition to fish, the natives of Curral Velho had salt, there for sowing.

Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal, Evoking the Sahara

One of the salt pans that justified the formation of the village of Curral Velho, now in ruins.

Well, more than fish, salt was rare. And valuable.

Its export to the coast of mainland Africa and to other islands in Cape Verde generated a livelihood that compensated for the hardship of subsisting in that harsh hell.

At the height of summer, the temperature hovered around 40º. At any time of the year, ensuring clean water was a daunting challenge. As if that wasn't enough, even elementary, from the XNUMXth century onwards, the village was the victim of pirate incursions into Boa Vista.

The islanders have reorganized. They built Fort Duque de Bragança on the islet of Sal Rei and moved to an area under their protection, the area of ​​the contemporary city of Sal Rei.

With island of sal and other places competing to provide much more salt, Curral Velho was abandoned to the sun, to time, and to the birds and turtles that proliferate in the sand-palm groves of the surrounding Protected Landscape.

Coconut trees, Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Salt Evoking the Sahara

Two coconut trees stand out from the sandy soil around the ruins of Curral Velho.

Povoação Velha and the Old Desert of Viana

On the way back, we detour to Povoação Velha. More than Curral Velho, this is the town in the genesis of the history of Boa Vista. We found only a few rows of low houses, white, blue, arranged at the foot of hills forgotten by erosion.

They are separated by a wide paved road that, despite the dryness, the residents try to endow with verdant palm trees.

Whatever you find, despite its insignificance, this was the first town in Boa Vista and was also its capital. Until 1810, the year in which the newly fortified Sal Rei took the lead.

We return to the jeep. We left there oriented. We stop to admire the dunes of the small Viana Desert, which is said to be 1km wide by 5km long.

In practice, this mini-desert is a stronghold in which the sands blown from the Sahara by trade unions are concentrated, in the form of successive dunes.

In the good manner of Sara, it houses its own date palms and some of the countless acacias that color Boa Vista green. The coconut community, on the other hand, would hardly be seen in the great original desert.

Palmeira, Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal, Evoking the Sahara

Shade of one of the palm trees that dot the dunes next to the Chaves chimney.

Instead of stopping at Sal Rei, we continued to Atalanta beach.

With a 10km extension, facing north, exposed to all winds, trades and less constant, hit by storms and endless waves, at Atalanta beach we unveil the wildest side of Boa Vista. In such a rude and savage way that he claimed and showed his visitors who had arrived by land one of his nautical victims.

Atlanta Beach and the Ghostly Wreck of the freighter “Cabo de Santa Maria”

We park Jimmy. We walked outside the beach.

After almost an hour, we glimpsed the objective of the walk, an ornate, rusty and ghostly wreckage of a ship that the waves seemed to pass through.

On September 1, 1968, the Spanish freighter “Cape Santa Maria” ran aground, right there, everything seems like forever.

In the image of the Chaves chimney, it became a symbol of Boa Vista.

Even if your ultimate nautical trip and the wreck remain shrouded in controversy.

Cargo Cabo Santa Maria, Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal, Evoking the Sahara

The waves from the Atlantic collide with the freighter “Cabo Santa Maria” and proceed to the sandy beach at Atlanta Beach.

The most popular version is that the “Cape Santa Maria” traveled from Genoa towards the port of Santos – where most of the cargo sent by Spain would be located – and to Argentina.

It is also said that the freighter carried four bells destined for a cathedral in Brasilia.

The main reason for the sinking remains to be determined. It is known that shortly after leaving Tenerife, the crew was confronted by a tropical storm and cyclonic trade winds.

It was not considered a sufficient reason for such a large and well-equipped freighter to end up running aground. Over time, many other suspicions of incompetence and carelessness have been raised.

What is known for sure is that, on the morning of Sunday, September 1, 1968, the inhabitants of Boa Vista came across the stranded ship and generated a continuous stream of unloading the cargo. For almost a year, the “Cape Santa Maria” gave work to many residents.

Even considering that the most voluminous and valuable cargo was kept, it is said that, like Bread for a Nautical God, almost all the olives, oil, melons, Jerez wine, flour and many other foods ended up on the table of the good sighted people.

Chã das Caldeiras, Fogo Island Cape Verde

A "French" Clan at the Mercy of Fire

In 1870, a Count born in Grenoble on his way to Brazilian exile, made a stopover in Cape Verde where native beauties tied him to the island of Fogo. Two of his children settled in the middle of the volcano's crater and continued to raise offspring there. Not even the destruction caused by the recent eruptions deters the prolific Montrond from the “county” they founded in Chã das Caldeiras.    
Cidade Velha, Cape Verde

Cidade Velha: the Ancient of the Tropico-Colonial Cities

It was the first settlement founded by Europeans below the Tropic of Cancer. In crucial times for Portuguese expansion to Africa and South America and for the slave trade that accompanied it, Cidade Velha became a poignant but unavoidable legacy of Cape Verdean origins.

island of salt, Cape Verde

The Salt of the Island of Sal

At the approach of the XNUMXth century, Sal remained lacking in drinking water and practically uninhabited. Until the extraction and export of the abundant salt there encouraged a progressive population. Today, salt and salt pans add another flavor to the most visited island in Cape Verde.
White Desert, Egypt

The Egyptian Shortcut to Mars

At a time when conquering the solar system's neighbor has become an obsession, an eastern section of the Sahara Desert is home to a vast related landscape. Instead of the estimated 150 to 300 days to reach Mars, we took off from Cairo and, in just over three hours, we took our first steps into the Oasis of Bahariya. All around, almost everything makes us feel about the longed-for Red Planet.
Amboseli National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, Normatior Hill
Safari
Amboseli National Park, Kenya

A Gift from the Kilimanjaro

The first European to venture into these Masai haunts was stunned by what he found. And even today, large herds of elephants and other herbivores roam the pastures irrigated by the snow of Africa's biggest mountain.
Aurora lights up the Pisang Valley, Nepal.
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 3rd- Upper Banana, Nepal

An Unexpected Snowy Aurora

At the first glimmers of light, the sight of the white mantle that had covered the village during the night dazzles us. With one of the toughest walks on the Annapurna Circuit ahead of us, we postponed the match as much as possible. Annoyed, we left Upper Pisang towards Escort when the last snow faded.
Sheets of Bahia, Eternal Diamonds, Brazil
Architecture & Design
Sheets of Bahia, Brazil

Lençóis da Bahia: not Even Diamonds Are Forever

In the XNUMXth century, Lençóis became the world's largest supplier of diamonds. But the gem trade did not last as expected. Today, the colonial architecture that he inherited is his most precious possession.
Full Dog Mushing
Adventure
Seward, Alaska

The Alaskan Dog Mushing Summer

It's almost 30 degrees and the glaciers are melting. In Alaska, entrepreneurs have little time to get rich. Until the end of August, dog mushing cannot stop.
Ceremonies and Festivities
Military

Defenders of Their Homelands

Even in times of peace, we detect military personnel everywhere. On duty, in cities, they fulfill routine missions that require rigor and patience.
Vegetables, Little India, Sari Singapore, Singapore
Cities
Little India, Singapore

The Sari Singapore of Little India

There are thousands of inhabitants instead of the 1.3 billion of the mother country, but Little India, a neighborhood in tiny Singapore, does not lack soul. No soul, no smell of Bollywood curry and music.
Obese resident of Tupola Tapaau, a small island in Western Samoa.
Meal
Tonga, Western Samoa, Polynesia

XXL Pacific

For centuries, the natives of the Polynesian islands subsisted on land and sea. Until the intrusion of colonial powers and the subsequent introduction of fatty pieces of meat, fast food and sugary drinks have spawned a plague of diabetes and obesity. Today, while much of Tonga's national GDP, Western Samoa and neighbors is wasted on these “western poisons”, fishermen barely manage to sell their fish.
Culture
Dali, China

Chinese Style Flash Mob

The time is set and the place is known. When the music starts playing, a crowd follows the choreography harmoniously until time runs out and everyone returns to their lives.
Reindeer Racing, Kings Cup, Inari, Finland
Sport
Inari, Finland

The Wackiest Race on the Top of the World

Finland's Lapps have been competing in the tow of their reindeer for centuries. In the final of the Kings Cup - Porokuninkuusajot - , they face each other at great speed, well above the Arctic Circle and well below zero.
The Toy Train story
Traveling
Siliguri a Darjeeling, India

The Himalayan Toy Train Still Running

Neither the steep slope of some stretches nor the modernity stop it. From Siliguri, in the tropical foothills of the great Asian mountain range, the Darjeeling, with its peaks in sight, the most famous of the Indian Toy Trains has ensured for 117 years, day after day, an arduous dream journey. Traveling through the area, we climb aboard and let ourselves be enchanted.
Horseshoe Bend
Ethnic
Navajo nation, USA

The Navajo Nation Lands

From Kayenta to Page, passing through Marble Canyon, we explore the southern Colorado Plateau. Dramatic and desert, the scenery of this indigenous domain, cut out in Arizona, reveals itself to be splendid.
View of Fa Island, Tonga, Last Polynesian Monarchy
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Got2Globe Portfolio

Exotic Signs of Life

Gothic couple
History

Matarraña to Alcanar, Spain (España)

A Medieval Spain

Traveling through the lands of Aragon and Valencia, we come across towers and detached battlements of houses that fill the slopes. Mile after kilometer, these visions prove to be as anachronistic as they are fascinating.

Christian believers leaving a church, Upolu, Western Samoa
Islands
Upolu, Samoa  

The Broken Heart of Polynesia

The imagery of the paradisiacal South Pacific is unquestionable in Samoa, but its tropical beauty does not pay the bills for either the nation or the inhabitants. Anyone who visits this archipelago finds a people divided between subjecting themselves to tradition and the financial stagnation or uprooting themselves in countries with broader horizons.
Northern Lights, Laponia, Rovaniemi, Finland, Fire Fox
Winter White
Lapland, Finland

In Search of the Fire Fox

Unique to the heights of the Earth are the northern or southern auroras, light phenomena generated by solar explosions. You Sami natives from Lapland they believed it to be a fiery fox that spread sparkles in the sky. Whatever they are, not even the nearly 30 degrees below zero that were felt in the far north of Finland could deter us from admiring them.
silhouette and poem, Cora coralina, Goias Velho, Brazil
Literature
Goiás Velho, Brazil

The Life and Work of a Marginal Writer

Born in Goiás, Ana Lins Bretas spent most of her life far from her castrating family and the city. Returning to its origins, it continued to portray the prejudiced mentality of the Brazilian countryside
Aurora, Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Madeira Island, Portugal
Nature
Pico do Arieiro - Pico Ruivo, Madeira, Portugal

Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Above a Sea of ​​Clouds

The journey begins with a resplendent dawn at 1818 m, high above the sea of ​​clouds that snuggles the Atlantic. This is followed by a winding, ups and downs walk that ends on the lush insular summit of Pico Ruivo, 1861 meters away.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Masada fortress, Israel
Natural Parks
Massada, Israel

Massada: The Ultimate Jewish Fortress

In AD 73, after months of siege, a Roman legion found that the resisters at the top of Masada had committed suicide. Once again Jewish, this fortress is now the supreme symbol of Zionist determination
Pilgrims at the top, Mount Sinai, Egypt
UNESCO World Heritage
Mount Sinai, Egypt

Strength in the Legs, Faith in God

Moses received the Ten Commandments on the summit of Mount Sinai and revealed them to the people of Israel. Today, hundreds of pilgrims climb, every night, the 4000 steps of that painful but mystical ascent.
Era Susi towed by dog, Oulanka, Finland
Characters
PN Oulanka, Finland

A Slightly Lonesome Wolf

Jukka “Era-Susi” Nordman has created one of the largest packs of sled dogs in the world. He became one of Finland's most iconic characters but remains faithful to his nickname: Wilderness Wolf.
Swimming, Western Australia, Aussie Style, Sun rising in the eyes
Beaches
Busselton, Australia

2000 meters in Aussie Style

In 1853, Busselton was equipped with one of the longest pontoons in the world. World. When the structure collapsed, the residents decided to turn the problem around. Since 1996 they have been doing it every year. Swimming.
Candia, Tooth of Buddha, Ceylon, lake
Religion
Kandy, Sri Lanka

The Dental Root of Sinhalese Buddhism

Located in the mountainous heart of Sri Lanka, at the end of the XNUMXth century, Kandy became the capital of the last kingdom of old Ceylon and resisted successive colonial conquest attempts. The city also preserved and exhibited a sacred tooth of the Buddha and, thus, became Ceylon's Buddhist center.
End of the World Train, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
On Rails
Ushuaia, Argentina

Last Station: End of the World

Until 1947, the Tren del Fin del Mundo made countless trips for the inmates of the Ushuaia prison to cut firewood. Today, passengers are different, but no other train goes further south.
Society
Margilan, Uzbekistan

An Uzbekistan's Breadwinner

In one of the many bakeries in Margilan, worn out by the intense heat of the tandyr oven, the baker Maruf'Jon works half-baked like the distinctive traditional breads sold throughout Uzbekistan
Ditching, Alaska Fashion Life, Talkeetna
Daily life
Talkeetna, Alaska

Talkeetna's Alaska-Style Life

Once a mere mining outpost, Talkeetna rejuvenated in 1950 to serve Mt. McKinley climbers. The town is by far the most alternative and most captivating town between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Tombolo and Punta Catedral, Manuel António National Park, Costa Rica
Wildlife
PN Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Costa Rica's Little-Big National Park

The reasons for the under 28 are well known national parks Costa Ricans have become the most popular. The fauna and flora of PN Manuel António proliferate in a tiny and eccentric patch of jungle. As if that wasn't enough, it is limited to four of the best typical beaches.
Bungee jumping, Queenstown, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, the Queen of Extreme Sports

In the century. XVIII, the Kiwi government proclaimed a mining village on the South Island "fit for a queen".Today's extreme scenery and activities reinforce the majestic status of ever-challenging Queenstown.