Few hours by plane to reach this island located in front of Senegal, still little known to mass tourism. We are in Africa, but not that of Safaris, infinite deserts, tribes. A different Africa, the one that is part of the so-called “Macaronesia”. A magical place infact, in ancient times, Cape Verde islands were considered the remains of Atlantis. For Greeks and Romans they were the home of gods, monsters and mythical creatures.
History and nature
It is almost certain that the first to land on these islands was Alvise Cadamosto, a Venetian navigator and slave trader, who explored the Atlantic and the African coasts on behalf of the Prince of Portugal, Henry of Aviz, known as “Henry the Navigator”.
Boa Vista is a rugged and arid island, beaten by the roaring ocean waves, swept by winds that make it the ideal spot for all lovers of surfing and kite surfing. Bathing is not always possible because of this reason, but beaches are stunning. Moreover, some are white, such as Praia de Chaves, located in the western part of the island, near Rabil village.
There is almost nothing here, only infinity in front of you and few sea turtles peeping out of the water. If turtles are your passion, they nest mainly at Ervatão beach. It’s in a large bay in the southeast of the island, where egg laying is controlled from March to October by locals!
Africa: where time stands still
The island is not heavily populated. There are few, microscopic villages connected by improvised roads, where time seems to have stopped, life flows slowly and sleepily, the inhabitants (especially the children!) look at the tourists with curiosity and a little astonishment.
This is the case of Fundo Das Figueiras, a village with many small colored houses. There you can find a “little restaurant” that serves typical local dishes such as the “gizado”. It is a stew of meat (pork or beef cut into cubes), first marinated, then cooked with vegetables (white and sweet potatoes, cassava roots and green plantains).
Speaking about food…
Soups are very common. The canja is with rice and chicken, the caldo de peixe, made with fish (cod or sea bass), potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, onions and shallots. And the octopus stew with tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, onion and chilli.
The national dish is the cachupa. The cachupinha is with boiled corn, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes and herbs, while the cachupa rica has meat, such as chicken, pork or beef ribs, spicy sausage, bacon. The leftover cachupa is then fried for breakfast with the addition of eggs or salami.
These delicacies – we haven’t tasted them all, but the ones we have tried are really delicious! – are accompanied by the grogue, the national liqueur distilled from sugar cane. You can drink it pure, or with fruit flavors. If you add honey, coconut or other flavorings to the grogue, you’ll obtain the ponche (or pontchi), a liqueur with a more delicate taste. The middle ground is the coupada, a blend of grogue and ponche.
Strongly not recommended for abstainers, the alcohol content is exorbitant! For them better try the Strela, the local beer!
End of part one: follow us to discover more about Boa Vista!