Maio: Sleepy tranquility in Cape Verde

Maio (May in English) is located south of the island of Boa Vista and to the east of Santiago.  The easternmost Sotavento (Leeward) island of Cape Verde, Maio is known for its sandy beaches, a beautiful forest and sleepy tranquility, away from the madding crowds.

 

Quaint and quiet towns are dotted around the island, with narrow streets of colorful buildings and homes, offering a sense of sheer tranquility.  Maio is a peaceful and beautiful place where time seems to stand still. 

A little more lively is the capital of the island, Vila do Maio, which is situated right on the ocean in the southwest of the island.  

Popular places to visit include the Praça Fina, a plaza in the center of town which serves as the meeting place for the locals during the evenings.   

Close by is a market hall offering groceries for sale.

Running west from Vila do Maio, the Praia da Vila is worth a visit and to the east, Praia Ponta Preta, excellent for swimming.

Up in the forested area in the west of the island can be found the towns of Morrinho and Calheta.  Morrinho appears to be pretty much deserted and many of its houses are vacant.  However, Calheta is a pretty little town with colorful houses.

Close by, the town of Morro is nestled in a grove of coconut palms and offers a lovely swimming beach with fine sand.  This beach is popular with the turtles during the summer as they lay their eggs and visitors are asked to respect them and keep their distance from the nests of eggs, as the turtles can easily become unsettled and desert their nests.

Landscapes on the island vary from desert-like terrain, to salt marshes, to hilly landscapes.   

There are limestone valleys and acacia forests, forming the largest continuous woodland region of the Cape Verde archipelago.

Birders will enjoy seeing a variety of feathered friends, including cream-colored coursers, ospreys, bar-tailed larks, as well as sea swallows and waders, down in the saline pools close to Vila do Maio.

Accessing the island is not the easiest, as Maio only has air connections with Praia, and flights do not run on a regular basis.  While the harbor on the island is large enough to handle ships, there are also few maritime connections for tourists.  Due to this, plan well if you intend to visit Maio during your stay in Cape Verde.

Enjoy scenes from Maio in the video included below:

Photos:

• Floral landscape on Maio CC-by-SA Francisco Deusvando
• Aerial view of Maio in the public domain
• Vila do Maio and beach CC-by-SA SkipperPat
• Vila do Maio boat, doorway and street view CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Pedro Hormigo