Brava, which means “wild” in Portuguese, is the smallest inhabited island in the Cape Verde archipelago. It is also the greenest and is often dubbed the “Island of Flowers.”
Furna, Brava Island, Cape Verde CC-by-SA F Mira
Virtually the whole island is a stratovolcano, and the island lies in
the lee of the massive volcano on Fogo. There are two smaller islands in the
north of Brava with 4 islets. The island
is a “Sotovento,” or Leeward island.
Due to precipitation from the trade
wind clouds, the island is often covered with a leeward cloud and the
vegetation is abundant. Agriculture is
the main economic activity here. With
the favorable environment, date and coconut palms, as well as oleanders,
hibiscus, bougainvillea and almond trees flourish here.
Nova Sintra is the main town on Brava and there are five villages to the north of the
mountain, including Furna, which has a commercial port, Fajã de Agua and Nossa
Senhora do Monte.
There was previously an airport on
Brava, inaugurated in 1992, but this was closed due to strong winds and the
service officially ended in 2004. These
days the island can be reached by the passenger/cargo ferry, the "Kriola," from
Praia and Fogo arriving in the town of Furna.
Taxis and buses are frequent in the area, especially when the ferry is
in port.
Nova Sintra - public domain
Nova Sintra is often described as
being the most beautiful city in the archipelago, with its attractive and
well-kept double story houses. Close to
the Praça Eugénio Tavares in
the center of town, it is possible to visit a Nazarene church as well as the
traditional, Portuguese colonial Igreja São João Baptista. From the town square it is easy to reach the
town’s market and of interest, when entering the town from the east, a stone
replica of the Columbus ship, Santa Maria, welcomes visitors.
Main Street of Furna - public domain
Furna is the home of the main harbor on
Brava and is located on the east coast of the island. As mentioned above, the ferry Kriola runs to
and from this port.
The valley of Faja de Agua CC-by-SA Holger Reineccius
Fajã
de Agua is a quaint and beautiful village on the northwestern coast of
the island, around four kilometers from the capital. The town is involved in fishing and
agriculture and there is a beautiful hiking path out to the pilgrimage church
of Nossa Senhora do Monte. One kilometer from the village there is a
natural swimming pool, pictured further down this page, and further to the south Porto do Portete
offers a dark sand beach, which is not quite as easy to access.
Faja de Agua village on
Brava island CC-by-SA Holger Reineccius
Natural swimming pool in Fajã de Agua CC-by-SA Torbenbrinker
Bay of Faja CC-by-SA Holger Reineccius
In
the heart of the island, Nossa Senhora do Monte is a small village, known as a
place of pilgrimage in the past. The
town is surrounded by mountains with Monte Fontainhas, Brava's tallest mountain reaching a height of 976 meters, close by. The town offers several shops and bars
in the main street as well as a Catholic pilgrimage church and Adventist
church. The village can be accessed
several times a day from Vila Nova Sintra by bus.
Brava is well-known in the traditional
morna circles of being home to the musician Eugénio
Tavares; his music was the traditional Cape Verdean morna
and he wrote in the local Creole. A statue has been erected in the main square
of Vila Nova Sintra (named after him as Praça Eugénio Tavares), and is surrounded by a lovely garden.
The video below gives a photo tour of
Brava, backed with the beautiful song, "Cabo verde tera estimada" by Cesaria Evora.
