After a flight of only 6 hours we arrived on the island of Boavista in Cape Verde. We stayed for a week at a bed and breakfast which is located only 20 meters from the beach and 200 meters from the center of Sal Rei. Arrived at the bed and breakfast I find exactly what I had expected in advance; a very nice small house near the white beach and turquoise sea. The owner of the cottage offers two beautiful rooms with bath. The furnishings in the house are handmade and fit into the style of the house.
Relaxing on the beach
Day 1, 2 and 3 we relax on the beach at Tortuga. The wonderful sandy white beach meets a turquoise sea that invited me several times to swim. I continue photographing local life in Sal Rei and arrange a guide whom I later want to join in a trekking tour across the island during this holiday. Day 2 we end up in a restaurant in the main square of Sal Rei where I have eaten a great tasty fish for only 10 euros. Highly recommended!
Exploring the island
The next few days (days 4, 5, 6 and 7) we explote the island on foot, accompanied by a guide (first day) and then also explore it even by car. The guide takes us through a path of Sal Rei that, along the sea, runs until the Navy Club. The first thing we see are the graves of the relatives of Ben Oliel, a Moroccan Jewish family that was expelled in the mid-nineteenth century from Morocco and settled at Boavista. He was the most wealthy and influential person of the island at that time. We walk on and continue along beautiful stretches of water until we reach a church. And then we continue towards the beach of Boa Esperanca, where the wreck of the Santa Maria (a cargo ship stranded in 1968) and the sea give us an impressive view. We continue our hike through the canyon to walk then along the remnants of the Clotide forest. This was once a lush forest of acacia and palm trees. We end the walk with some 8 kilometers along a scenic road back towards the town of Sal Rei. We are quite tired, but the diversity of the landscape continues to give back a lot of energy.
The 5th day my wife and I hike without a guide. We have some reference points from the previous day, as it is important not to get lost. After walking a while along picturesque streets we come to the “Ribeira” where palm trees, acacias and various crops form a small green oasis. We climb a long staircase that leads us to the village of Estancia de Baixo. This is a wonderfull quiet village with colored houses. Then we walk on and pass a part of the Viana desert. What an impressive landscape! To rest after all the miles we walked we have lunch in the town of Rabil. This is one of the larger towns of Boavista. We end our day at the beach of Chaves, which I find a very beautiful beach witat thislocation. I have my snorkel gear with me, I have with me, so the end of the afternoon flies by. 
Climbing small mountains and beautiful beaches
The next day we are going to explore the interior and other parts of Boavista. We have rented a car and drive to the Rocha Estancia mountains. These are actually more high hills compared to the mountains that we know in the Alps in Europe. It is beautiful green here and there is a beautiful white church. As we are near other beautiful beaches, we take the time to swim here. The first beach is Varandinha which is and desert-like and bright white. The second beach is Ponta Preta that apparently is one of the most beautiful in the world. I think they are both gorgeous! We continue along the abandoned fishing village of Curral Velho in the direction of Pico Estancia. This is with only 400 meters the highest mountain of the island. We climb the mountain on foot, the walk takes about 50 minutes but we take our time. The view at the top makes the long walk worthwhile. We take some pictures of the sunset and then go to our cottage for a quiet evening.
Picturesque villages Boavista
The last full day in Cape Verde, we visit the small villages in northern Boavista. the villages such as Joao Galego, Cabeço dos Tafares and Fundo das Figueras are worth visiting. Here you find a good atmosphere and authenticity. The cottages are pastel colored and surrounded by trees and other greenery. Near one of the villages we walk towards a canyon where we again enjoy a beautiful landscape and view. We finished the afternoon at the lighthouse and then drive back to our house to enjoy for a while the wonderful sea and the sun.
Background travelogue
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