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Santo Antao Island Tourist Information

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Santo Antao Island

Santo Antão (Portugues for Saint Anthony), is the westernmost and largest of the Barlavento islands of Cape Verde. The nearest main island is São Vicente to the southeast, separated by a channel named Canal de São Vicente. It is the westernmost large island in Cape Verde and the continent of Africa, and the second largest in Cape Verde. The island, entirely made up of volcanic material, was discovered in 1462 by Diogo Afonso, but was not given its current name until around the 1500s. First inhabited in 1548, it is divided into north and south by a mountain range long considered impenetrable but now crossed by a road. The island's main town is Ribeira Grande on the north coast, home to an airport, while its ferry port is Porto Novo on the south coast. A part of the island in the southeast receives arid climate, the northwest receives relatively normal precipitation. Its valleys are suffering heavy erosion. Many of its volcanoes are young especially its calderas. Its mountains composes of basalt. Other mountains includes Pico da Cruz. The tallest mountain is Topo de Coroa reaching a height of 1,979 m. The second tallest is Pico da Cruz at 1,585 m. Fishing and paper production are the main industry on the island. The main source of agriculture are sugar cane, yams, cassava, bananas, mangoes, grain and fishing. The main product on the island is a kind of rum and is known as Grogue. Tourism is becoming one of the most dominant industry on the island. The island is the most touristic island in Cape Verde. The island is very pretty and people are very polite and are well-educated. Bathing and fishing are in the area of Tarrafal de Monte Trigo.

The mountain is of volcanic origin and features a caldeira of around 800 m in diameter and approximately 100 in elevation. The mountain are made up of rocks with soil colours being tan and light brown. The mountain contains rugged and treacherous slopes and ledges in its valleys, a few areas are not as treacherous. The mountain features grasslands and bushes along with unvegetated parts especially at the peak and forests and bushes in sporadic parts of the peak. Unpaved and earthened roads encircles the mountain and are not frequently used. Rugged and treacherous valleys covers the area around the mountain. The island's easternmost lighthouse is to the east by the cliffy coastline and is accessed with a road in poor condition encircling the eastern half of the island and linking with Paul and Porto Novo. It is accessed with a road linking to the LBRA 2? (Porto Novo-Ribeira Grande Road) and famously, the caldeira has farmlands which features banana plantations and other crops including cattle, fruits and vegetables including tomatoes and others. It is the few caldeiras ever to contain farmlands, the second is being Chã das Caldeiras which is smaller but the caldeira is larger. The mountain offers a panoramic view of most of the island except for a part of the central part which is blocked by a few mountains and the western parts, it also offer views of much of the island of São Vicente except for the southeastern and the southern portions and on clearer days it can also see Santa Luzia as well as the islets of Branco and Razo, it also offers a view of the Atlantic Ocean.

History

In the 17th century, people from the nearby islands of Santiago and Fogo along with people from northern Portugal arrived in today's Vila da Ribeira Grande in the northern part of the island. Later, wine and coffee became the most important exports on the island which made up the island's history.

Towns

Alto Mira, Chã das Furnas, Coculi, Corvo, Cruzinha, Curral da Russa, Eito, Eito de Baixo, Espongeiro, Fontainhas, Formiguinhas, Janela, Lomba dos Pombas, Lombo de Santo, Lourenço, Monte Trigo, Nossa Senhora do Rosário, Nossa Senhora do Livramento, Paul, Passo, Pombas, Ponta do Sol, Porto Novo, Ribeira da Cruz, Ribeira das Bras, Ribeira Grande, Santo António das Pombas - parish, Santo Crucifixo - parish, São João Baptista - parish, São Pedro Apóstolo - parish, Sinagoga and Tarrafal de Monte Trigo.

Cape Verde Photo Galleries

Sal Island Photo Gallery            Santiago Island Photo Gallery            Fogo Island Photo Gallery

Boa Vista Island Photo Gallery            Sao Vicente Island Photo Gallery            Maio Island Photo Gallery

Santo Antao Island Photo Gallery            Sao Nicalau Island Photo Gallery            Brava Photo Gallery