The island is also a gastronomical heaven, specialising in delicious desserts made from papaya, coco and orange, fresh goat's cheese and the aptly-named 'grogue', a type of rum made from sugar cane.
Santo Antão is the island to visit for mountaineering and trekking. One of the most beautiful places is Cova in the area of Ribeira Grande, an ancient volcano crater where today agricultural farmers work. Serious trekkers can descend the crater, settle down there for the night and the following morning climb the mountain to arrive at the beauty spot of Paul's valley.
At the top of the mountain, at the small village of Corda, a microclimate enables a pine forest to flourish. Stay in a small friendly hotel, enjoy nature at its best and breathe in the wonderful aroma of the pines.
Other places to visit on Santo Antão are Lajedos, a centre for traditional handicrafts, and Porto Novo with its ferry port connecting to neighbouring island São Vicente.
The people of Santo Antão are very hospitable and welcome visitors to join them as they gather at the small refreshing waterfalls dotted all over the island to drink a glass of grogue.
They live in the valleys and mountains and cultivate the land for a living. Planting and harvesting can be challenging but the farmers have created an oasis amongst the arid mountain terrain.
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