Walk for ten minutes out of town, up a gorge and lush plantations – maize, banana and papaya surround you. Take a drive through the agricultural centre of the island and you’ll pass delightful villages and busy farming communities working the fertile land.
Crossing the island you will pass fairytale dragon trees, an endangered species and native to Sao Nicolau. Following the fertile uplands the landscape flattens, becoming arid as you reach Tarrafal lying on the coast with a black sand beach. The climate here is hotter, drier and the landscape volcanic.
The landscape of Sao Nicolau bears the mark of a past intense, volcanic activity. The rugged features will enchant both walkers and trekkers looking for real contact with nature. It is the quietest island of the archipelago with small, traditional, rural communities dotted around the coastline. Vila de Ribeira Brava, the capital town of the island, is located in a deep valley with an empty river bed flanked by two mountain ranges reaching a height of 1,312m. The harbour town of Tarrafal is located next to the black sanded beach. The bay of Tarrafal is rich in high quality fish, sustenance for the islanders. It also attracts leisure fishing enthusiasts, particularly those seeking the much sought after Blue Marlin.
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