Brava - Cape Verde's Magical Island

Nova Sintra

Brava is perhaps the most beautiful of Cape Verde's ten islands. Cape Verdeans call Brava, "the island of flowers." But this entirely misses the point of Brava's beauty.

It is a magical place. Before the arrival of the Cabo Verde Fast Ferry which now provides daily service to the island, Brava and its 6,000 residents were virtually cut off from the rest of Cape Verde, and by extension, the rest of the world. It is no surprise then that going to Brava is like a journey back in time to a period when life was simpler, to a place where you walk along narrow, country lanes lined with beautiful flowers. You won't find airports, shopping malls or large hotels here.

When you arrive at the small port town of Furna on the ferry, your first thought is whether anyone actually lives here. That's because the principal town of Nova Sintra is a 10 km climb from the port up into the mountains where Nova Sintra is nestled. Make sure you catch one of the Hiaces (mini-vans) which will transport you up the steep, winding road to Nova Sintra. Its not a journey you'll want to do on foot.

The ferry gets in at night so you may not have time to explore the port town of Furna. It's actually more lively that the capital, so if you get here on a weekend, perhaps you can check out the local tavern before heading up to Nova Sintra. I stayed at the quaint inn, Pensão Castelo (Eugenia 238-982-5786) in Nova Sintra. The room was spartan but clean and inviting. I've also stayed at the Dja Braba Hotel (Marcos 238-979-4934) which is the largest and most modern hotel facility on the island, and also has the best restaurant. Either place is a good base from which to explore Nova Sintra and the rest of the island, like the picturesque fishing village of Fajã d'Agua.

Getting around in Cape Verde

One area that many tourists have questions about when visiting any destination is how to travel around within the country or city being visited. In Cape Verde, the transportation industry is quite developed. The infrastructure is in place for road, air and sea travel. You'll find that the conditions vary by island given population sizes and state of development of each of the nine inhabited islands.

Car Rentals
Roadways are increasingly being paved. Over 25% of the roads are paved and the unpaved roads are not places you would have imagined anyone driving on anyway. So driving yourself around is very doable. However, car rentals are relatively expensive at around €45-80/day depending on the type of vehicle you rent. There are quite a few choices for car-rental agencies and you'll even find a few in the airports on your arrival.

Don't expect turn-by-turn GPS! LOL. In fact, you'll promptly and often get lost even with detailed maps because none of the streets have street-signs although the streets all have names. I've often wondered what is the point of naming a street if no-one can actually see the name? And if you're the adventurous type and want a good laugh ... just stop and ask a resident for directions! It's not that Cape Verdean's are not a friendly lot, but you simply will not get there.

Be aware that Cape Verdeans love their cars. So don't smack into anyone! And watch out for the guys who will offer to wash your car at every turn.

I would strongly advise that you not drive at night if you don't know the roads really well. If you decide to rent, please be safe.

How Cape Verde can leverage existing tourism into greater economic benefits

Cape Verde has risen from the world's ranks of "lesser developed countries" into an emerging economic force in Africa. It is now moving toward classification as a "middle-income country". The country receives high marks from the various organizations, such as the Heritage Foundation and the Ibrahim Foundation, which study the social and economic progress of countries across the globe. It is a remarkable feat for a country with few natural resources, bar its natural beauty and its beautiful and talented people.

Yet, it is easy for its government to become complacent with these accomplishments or to cease looking very deeply into the opportunities which remain untapped. This is in fact what appears to be happening in the area of tourism. While tourism into Cape Verde has increased dramatically over the last decade, and is expected to rise at an even higher pace of over 20% in 2011, there is a danger that the government views the current and future expected growth in tourism as a sign of success. No doubt, it is a commendable achievement, however there are significant imbalances in the current state of tourism that cannot be left unaddressed:

Traveling between the Cape Verde islands by ... Fast Ferry

One of the biggest transportation challenges in Cape Verde faced by residents, businesses and tourists alike is movement between the islands of Cape Verde. It is a particularly daunting challenge because the islands are relatively far apart in terms of maritime distances.

The islands are served by air transportation via TACV, the local airline, but the cost of air transportation is relatively more expensive than by sea. In addition, it is virtually impossible to move large quantities of goods by air. And worse, the islands of Santo Antao, Brava and Maio do not have airports - so air travel is not an option to those destinations.

However, the local ferry services are quite unreliable, crowded and service is very spotty. The only exceptions are the ferry between islands which happen to be close to each other - like Sao Vicente and Santo Antao, or Santiago and Fogo, yet even so they are not necessarily 100% reliable. But if, for example, you were looking to enjoy the beauty of the Brava, a stone's throw from Fogo, you had better be sure that your schedule has a few days of flexibility - you might get to Brava by ferry, but you'd have no idea if you could actually return on the appointed day.

Cape Verde drivers and their cars!

Every country on God's great earth has its own unique reputation when it comes to its drivers and their love affair with their cars!

Cape Verde is no exception. Now don't get me wrong. I find Cape Verde to be among one of the safer countries on the globe in which to operate an automobile. This is so for a few key reasons. First, new cars in Cape Verde are very expensive - maybe 50% more costly than in the US or Europe - and their owners keep them immaculate condition. They treat their cars like a second home (because they cost as much as a small house)! They don't want any dents and scratches on their shiny automobiles. Inevitably, cars do show their age over time. Yet Cape Verdeans will "bati chapa" the dents out of an old or damaged car and repaint it. Cars that are 20 years old look brand new again - and for 500 euro or less! And they'll try to sell it to you for double its actual value. LOL. And you'll probably think it's a good deal.

Second, drivers here are quite careful compared to the crazy drivers found in other countries. In a sense, they hardly have a choice. The roads, with few exceptions, are not meant for exceptionally fast driving. There are no multi-lane high-speed freeways as in first world countries. What's the rush anyway? These are small islands and distances are short ... how much time are you going to save but a couple seconds by speeding up.