| Brava (Cape Verde) | |
 | |
Location  | |
| State | Cape Verde |
|---|---|
| Region | Leeward Islands |
| Surface | 64 km² |
| Inhabitants | 7.000 |
Brava is one of the islands of Cape Verde
To know
Brava is the southernmost island, as well as the smallest, among those inhabited, of Cape Verde.
The closure, since 2004, of its small airport has definitively blocked, or at least made it difficult, the access of tourism to its coasts.
The island does not offer beaches because its indented coastline has not allowed its natural development. It is therefore a destination for those who want total tranquility and distance from the tourist villages. For those who want to enjoy the last truly Cape Verdean locations. For those who want to go to bed early in the evening and go to bed just to the sound of the sea. The growing tourist development of the archipelago will surely force Brava to reopen the airport, condemning it, more or less quickly, to the same fate as the Italian colonies of Ilha do Sal is Boa Vista.
Call "the island of flowers", here plant species grow that on the other islands are non-existent thanks to the relative, but always little, rainfall. The inhabitants themselves have this passion and many balconies or terraces are adorned with splendid bougainvillea and other decorative plants. Another appellation given to the place is that of "island that trembles" earned thanks to the numerous earthquakes indicative of the not at all dormant volcanic activity.
Geographical notes
Brava is the southernmost volcanic island of the archipelago of Cape Verde. It is the smallest inhabited island of the Leeward islands. Brava has no historical and documented eruptions, but its volcanic and young morphology and the fact that earthquakes still occur gives it an easy future predisposition for possible eruptions. Brava, together with Sant Antao, it is without an active airport. In fact, in 1982, the airport was seriously damaged by a tropical storm. In 2004 the airport was closed.
The peaks of the island do not go beyond 400 m.
Background
The first to settle on its soil were, from 1540, the inhabitants of Fogo and later, in 1675, still the same ones due to a terrifying eruption of Mount Fogo. Grown mainly thanks to whaling, now the island has a subsistence primarily agricultural and linked to fishing. The main town on the island is Nova de Vila Sintra.
Spoken languages
The official language is the Portuguese. Creole (a mixture of Portuguese and African words) is widely used, and many of the island's inhabitants also speak English. This is due to the fact that part of the Brava community emigrated to America in the past centuries to work in the whaling industry.
Territories and tourist destinations
Brava (Cape Verde): full screen map.Urban centers
- Cachaço
- Baixo camp
- Cova Joana
- Fajã de Agua
- Furna
- Lime Doce
- Mato Grande
- Nova Sintra do Monte
- Santa Bárbara
- Tantum
- Vila Nova Sintra
How to get
By plane
Until 1982 the island had an airport but this was severely damaged by a tropical storm. Since then, the structure has been opened and closed repeatedly several times but since 2004 it has been abandoned and in complete decay.
The island is therefore only reachable from Fogo in about 1 hour by ferry boat. The crossing is often quite eventful as the maritime conditions are often very bad. Sometimes it is also possible to reach the island from Santiago but, from both origins, the connections by sea are somewhat uncertain.
To access it, therefore, you must also consider staying in Fogo or Santiago for several days while waiting for a ferry.
How to get around
The island lends itself to being visited mainly on foot. Its small overall surface makes it easy to visit without resorting to long journeys by minibus or pick-up.
What see
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Brava (Cape Verde)
Commons contains images or other files on Brava (Cape Verde)
