2001 circuit around the Cape Verde islands - second stop - Boavista island

Barrier of canes to avoid the advance of the sand at the entrance of Sal Rei village (the main village on the island)

Having  previously decided to alternate mountainous islands and flat ones, I headed to Boavista island, my second stop along the Cape Verde circuit.

I stayed downtown at a familiar like hotel where I was joined by two Italian couples, who along with me visited the whole island under the "supervision" of our local guide and driver.

Santa Mónica beach (Left) Ervatão beach signaling out Caretta Caretta turtle nests (Right)

I was deeply impressed by the 55 km of amazingly beautiful white sand beaches, some of which are breeding sites for loggerhead turtles. The warm waters of its outstretching beaches were (still are) of an "appealing" colour, even if to reach some of them one might have to walk for endless hours.

Of such a similar and unique beauty was Odjo d'Mar, a sweet water lake we stopped at one afternoon.

Odjo d'Mar (Left). Medicinal plant, whose glue like juice is used to imobilize limbs when fractured and broken or when there is no plaster available (Right)

Shipwreck of the Spanish freighter Santa Maria  (dating back to 1968) on Santa Maria beach (Left). Ruins of an ancient potery factory on the beach of Chaves (Right)

Several shipwrecks are to be found along the coast. It is said that the actual sinking of the ships was mainly due to the coast reefs, the strong currents, and the amount of iron of the cliff rocks having  played tricks on the ship compasses, though I have read  that a few of those "accidents" were deliberately provoked by Cape Verdean sailors on board of some of those ships (particularly during periods of  severe droughts and famine on the island) to generate a phenomenon known as "moia", which allowed those ashore to climb on board during the night, so as to steal necessary goods, the greatest of which was coal.

Whether these accounts are true or not, is irrelevant ... because there will always be an underlying mystery surrounding such events.

To come across some flowers of non-desert origin was almost magical, as I reached Fundo de Figueira village.

Ruins of the abandoned village Curral Velho (Left). Typical house in Fundo de Figueira village (Right)

Sand desert of Viana

The musical genre "Morna" was first heard here in the 19th century ... morna is a feeling of longing ... a lament ... a cry ... a touch of sadness ... a "sprinkle" of morabeza ... and this is how I felt on the eve of leaving Boavista behind on my way to São Vicente.