A particularly good tour for those who want to see one of the most spectacular sights in Cape Verde, the live volcano on Fogo.While on Sal, you visit the Pedra de Lume salt flats, which still produce salt, but not in the abundant amounts of its heyday 150 years ago. On your journey around the island you stop off for a quick visit of Espargos, Porto de Palmeira and hope to see a mirage in the middle of the desert. Santiago is a very different island to Sal and is one of the most balanced islands in terms of its geology. The craggy mountainous interior is evened out by green valleys, southern plantations and a few beautiful beaches. You drive around the whole island stopping off to explore some noteworthy sights. You spend time in Cidade Velha which was the old capital of Santiago until 1770. Today, the villagers live amongst the ruins of the numerous churches with the great hill fort behind them. The drive through the centre of the island is spectacular, with jagged cliff tops and views into valleys on either side of the road and when the weather is clear the island of Maio is visible. Fogo rises sharply from the ocean and its name comes from the word 'fire'. The main reason for coming to Fogo is to visit Cha das Caldeiras, the crater of the active volcano and you spend a whole day exploring inside. Since 1785, all eruptions have been inside the crater and the floor is a very fertile place. The population living inside the crater are descendants of the Frenchman who introduced the Fogo vines here in the 19th century and it is not uncommon to see fair skin, blue eyes and blonde hair. |
