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I booked a half-day ‘around the island’ tour through the Colonial Guesthouse, and it was a great experience.
We were driving in an open jeep, more or less following the coastline around the Cha Das Caldeira volcanic crater. We passed small local villages, farmhouses, remains of old lava streams, and several spots with a good view of Pico de Fogo.
Our driver made a couple of stops during the tour. First at a viewpoint just outside Mosterios (in the north) and from there was a great view of the sea and Mosterios town. The area around Mosterios was the more tropical part of the island of Fogo, and here we also visited a small farm. The owner (and cousin of the driver?) showed us around and told us a little about the crop (coffee, bananas and vegetables).
A great way to kill a few hours before our flight back to Praia.
Written Oct 16, 2011
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Cha Das Caldeira is the main reason why most people visit the Fogo Island, and it is an amazing place with a beautiful landscape and the volcano Pico de Fogo as the absolute highlight. The crater is also home of two small communities, Portela and Bangaeira, and they are well worth a visit: Houses made of lava, roads made of lava, a quite famous wine production, and an interesting history and culture.
I visited Cha Das Caldeira on a daytrip from Sao Filipe. We saw the volcano from a distance, walked the lava fields (there was lava everywhere!), visited one of the wine producers, tasted the ‘Cha’ wine, and had a walk through the communities. One thing I noticed was a kind of traffic light where the colors indicated the current status of the volcano (green when we visited)…
It is possible to climb the top of Pico de Fogo (the highest spot in Cape Verde, about 2.830 meters above sea level) or the Dois de Abril peak, but this should only be done with a local guide. We had a good lunch at “Casa Marisa”, which is also one of a few options if you want to spend the night at Cha Das Caldeira.
This is a must-do on the Fogo Island!
Updated Oct 16, 2011
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The old centre of Sao Filipe, called Bila Baxo, is a nice place for a walk. Cobbled streets and old colonial houses, many of them are recently renovated and very beautiful. Take a stroll down the promenade along the seafront - here are a couple of small squares decorated with monuments of old (unknown for me) Portuguese heroes. From the promenade are also great views of the sea, the cliffs, the black sand at the beach, and of Fogo’s neighbouring island, Brava.
In the centre of town you’ll also find the most important catholic church of the town. It is Nossa Senhora da Conceição which was built at the end of the 19th century. I didn't go inside so can't give any information about the interior…
You can also walk by the old fortress Fortim Carlota. It original dates from 1667, but only a part of the fortress remains today. The building was used as a prison until 2005. I was told that the prison was closed down because the inmates used to shout at the people walking by, but don't know if it is true…
Written Oct 16, 2011
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Casa da Memoria is a small museum in the centre of Sao Filipe. It is housed in a former merchant's house which was built in 1820.
The museum shows exhibitions about the local history and culture: A couple of rooms were filled with old furniture, decorative objects, and household objects. In a small courtyard was a small traditional Fogo house, it is called a Funco and was built of volcanic stones. In the courtyard there was also planted a few local plants and flowers. A different section of the museum contains a library with more than 400 books and documents about the history of Fogo and Cape Verde in general.
I spent some time watching a documentary about the volcano eruption in April 1995. Quite interesting, but don’t know if it is part of the permanent exhibition.
Updated Oct 16, 2011
Website: www.casadamemoria.com.cv/english.html
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Casa da Memoria is a small museum in the centre of Sao Filipe. It is housed in a former merchant's house which was built in 1820.The museum shows exhibitions...
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