|
|
Cape Verde - Island of Santo Antao |
| |
 |
| |
This is the second largest of the islands. The dramatic mountain range that divides the island of Santo Antao into two, with peaks rearing up to 4,921ft ( 1,500m ), make it attractive for trekking, particularly through the tropical vegetation of the deep green valleys which encase the 16th-century town of Povoacao.
This mountain range means that the climate is dry in the south, cool in the centre and humid in the northeast and quite naturally the vegetation varies dramatically between regions. The higher areas are covered with trees like eucalyptus, cypress and pine while the south is the opposite with dry arid land and herbaceous vegetation.
Santo Antao can be reached by ferry from the port of Mindelo on the more populated island of Sao Vicente, arriving at Santo Antao's small port of Porto Novo.
In contrast to the mountainous interior, the island's coast is rugged and bare, but sugar cane, bananas and coffee are grown by the locals. Sugar cane is the raw material for the famed Cape Verde rum, called " grogue ", which is produced here. A walk around the main town of Ponta do Sol is recommended to enjoy the vista
of some old colonial buildings, and the main site of historic interest is a mysterious
inscribed rock near Janela dating from the 1400s, when the islands were believed
to be uninhabited and undiscovered.
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
