Santo Antao and a very different caldera

April 18 

Overnight we traveled 252 km (as a crow flies) to Porto Novo on the south side of Santo Antao, the northwestern most island in Cape Verde.  As with Fogo, the island is volcanic and the southern part is much drier than the northern. In the southern areas, steep hillsides are terraced to catch the precious winter rains and to enable strips of beans, maize and sweet potatoes to grow.

 The volcanoes on Santo Antao haven’t erupted in thousands of years, which makes an enormous difference. We hiked (really hiked, which felt marvelous) around and within a caldera where the hillsides were forested and the floor was covered with garden plots. During the hike we spotted several kinds of birds, a couple being Cape Verde endemics, and various endemic plants… and a skink. We learned and witnessed that goats need to be tethered so they do not destroy the endemic vegetation.  We sampled local goat cheese and rum punch, and were back on the ship in time for a late lunch. 

Our drive to the caldera took us up a 22 mile long cobblestone road that snaked up through the slopes. The road connects Porto Novo to the capital city of Ribiera Grande, and also enables easier transportation to the central portions of the island.  It was built by hand (clearing, grading, even cutting and finishing each basalt paving stone) by thousands of workers over an 18 year period (1960-1978)… a true feat of engineering with retaining walls and water culverts over each crevasse.  

While the views today were impressive, on a clear day they must be stunning. For the third day we have been plagued by dust clouds blown in from the Sahara, making views appear hazy. This happens about five times per year but is quite unpredictable. The Sahara winds have also contributed to unusually warm weather. Normal highs are in the 80’s along the coast of the islands. Yesterday at Fogo and today at Santo Antao the high was 97 at sea level. We were lucky that our excursions took us into the cooler mountains. 

Santo Antao felt more prosperous than the previous two islands, with better education and housing support for the population. Students have to go off island for university, but a primary school is established everywhere there are at least five children. 90% of the population has electricity and public water, even in the remote agricultural areas. 

This afternoon we pulled away from the pier to head toward the Canary Islands. For those of us with simple motorboats that can go forward, backward and turn with a rudder, it is impressive to watch this ship moved smoothly sideways off the pier.  Side thrusters are an amazing invention! The ship also has stabilizers to reduce the roll in rough seas, and can dynamically hold the ship exactly in one location while stopped in open water. This final feature was certainly convenient when we went  for our ocean swim a few days ago.  As we left the dock, a large green sea turtle swam past our port bow. 

Pictured:  skink, Santo Antao landscapes