Foto: The national park around the volcano (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Cape_Verde - We drive into the Parque Natural do Fogo. At the junction between the old and new road, Mayuka stops. He points to the hill: “That’s your guide.” A young man runs down the mountain. He introduces himself as Eurico, but says, “Most people call me Zé.” We’re now at an altitude of 1,700 meters, Eurico explains. Mayuka will take our luggage to our accommodation in the village of Chã das Caldeiras. We’ll walk there. The village lies in the crater at the base of the Fogo volcano. During the eruptions of 1995 and 2014, the area was flooded by lava flows. In the 2014 eruption, the villages were nearly destroyed. Most homes in Chã das Caldeiras were lost to lava. As we start walking, we immediately see the vast solidified lava field ahead. The road leads straight toward it. A new road has been built around the lava field. Just before the lava, we turn off and climb up the volcanic slope. We pass a few houses and reach vineyards. Eurico explains that wine is produced here, but they rely on rainfall. On average, it rains only five days per year. Last year, there was barely any rain. The island already struggles to supply residents with enough drinking water. Watering crops with extra water is not an option. Eurico also explains that the grapevines only grow above 1,400 meters. Below that, it's too hot and dry. We continue over the loose gravel of the volcanic slope. Sometimes I sink into the loose stones. After more than two hours of walking, we reach the volcanic crater that erupted in 2014. The large Fogo volcano last erupted around 1700. The 1995 and 2014 eruptions were from smaller craters at its base. Around the crater, the color of the sulfate minerals is still visible. I can also smell the sulfur. What a surreal landscape. I imagine this is what the moon would look like. From the crater, we can also see the village of Chã das Caldeiras. The path of the lava through the valley is clearly visible. The dark solidified lava stretches right into the village. We descend to the village in about 45 minutes.
Video
Climbing the Fogo volcano
Cape_Verde - The silhouette of the volcano is already visible. Behind the mountain, the first sunlight is appearing. The sun’s rays are already reaching the tops of the surrounding mountains. We follow the road along the volcano and then turn onto a path beside ...
Ribeira Grande gorge hike
Cape_Verde - After switching vehicles, we drive to Calabaceira. On the way, we stop to stock up on water and some food. We can't manage to find any bread, so we buy some biscuits and bananas. In Calabaceira, the Ribeira Grande gorge hike begins. The Ribeira Grande ...
Serra Malagueta National Park
Cape_Verde - Over an hour later, we get out at the Serra Malagueta National Park information center. Alberto buys our entrance tickets and shows us on the map the route we’ll take today. “Many people only walk to the transmission mast and back,” he says. “It’s ...
Sobrado houses in So Filipe
Cape_Verde - Around three o’clock we arrive in São Filipe. The hotel is housed in an old colonial building at the edge of the historic center. Many houses here are still built in the Sobrado style—buildings from the Portuguese colonial period. Some have been ...
The Cape Verde archipelago
Cape_Verde - Cape Verde has about 450,000 inhabitants. 236,000 of them live on the main island of Santiago. The population of Cape Verde is a blend of various ethnic groups. This is a result of the country’s history. Although the government repeatedly tried to prevent ...
The capital city Praia
Cape_Verde - In the 18th century, the capital was moved to Praia after attacks on the old town. A walled fortress was established on a rocky plateau 37 meters above sea level. This still forms the heart of the historic center of Cape Verde’s capital. To reach the ...
The fishing village of Tarrafal
Cape_Verde - The fishing village of Tarrafal lies by the sea, bathed in sunlight. Fishermen are just returning with their catch. They pull the small wooden boats onto the beach. The sorting and selling of the fish starts immediately. Various basins are filled with ...
The market of Assomada
Cape_Verde - On Wednesdays and Saturdays, a regional market is held in Assomada. Many people from surrounding villages come here to do their shopping. As soon as I enter the market hall, I see numerous fruit and vegetable stalls. Colorful fruit is neatly stacked on ...
The slave market of Cidade Velha
Cape_Verde - We pass the remains of an old church, only discovered a few years ago. There’s likely still much more to uncover underground. Bananastreet is a charming lane with small white houses. It used to be reserved exclusively for the Portuguese. Now, it mostly ...