Walk
for ten minutes out of town,
up a gorge and lush plantations
– maize, banana and
papaya surround you. Take
a drive through the agricultural
centre of the island and
you’ll pass delightful
villages and busy farming
communities working the
fertile land.
Sao
Nicolau is now also reached
by regular ferry arriving
twice weekly from Sao Vicente
to Tarrafal port.
Crossing the island you
will pass fairytale dragon
trees, an endangered species
and native to Sao Nicolau.
Following the fertile uplands
the landscape flattens,
becoming arid as you reach
Tarrafal lying on the coast
with a black sand beach.
The climate here is hotter,
drier and the landscape
volcanic.
The landscape of Sao Nicolau
bears the mark of a past
intense, volcanic activity.
The rugged features will
enchant both walkers and
trekkers looking for real
contact with nature. It
is the quietest island of
the archipelago with small,
traditional, rural communities
dotted around the coastline.
Vila de Ribeira Brava, the
capital town of the island,
is located in a deep valley
with an empty river bed
flanked by two mountain
ranges reaching a height
of 1,312m. The harbour town
of Tarrafal is located next
to the black sanded beach.
The bay of Tarrafal is rich
in high quality fish, sustenance
for the islanders. It also
attracts leisure fishing
enthusiasts, particularly
those seeking the much sought
after Blue Marlin.
