Ponta do Sol
Cape Verde · Santo Antão · 20 m
Description
Ponta do Sol is the northern tip of Santo Antão and the base for the finest coastal walking in Cape Verde, a small town of coloured houses around a harbour with an unusable airstrip cut into the cliff above it. The trail south to Fontainhas and Cruzinha runs along a cobbled path cut into vertical rock hundreds of metres above the sea, passing villages that cling to spurs with no road to them at all. Santo Antão has no airport, so everyone arrives by the ferry from Mindelo. The cliff path is exposed in places and is not a route for the unsteady.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 6 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – June or September – December
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Cliff path to Fontainhas and Corvo
- Fontainhas village on its spur
- Coastal trail on to Cruzinha
- Ponta do Sol harbour and the tidal pool
- Coloured houses and the old airstrip
- Ribeira Grande and the coast road
- Grogue distilleries in the valleys
- Sunset from the cliff edge
- Fresh tuna and lobster at the harbour