Brava Island Furna, Cape Verde
Cape Verde
Frequently Asked Questions
In Furna Bay, a former volcanic crater open to the ocean. Depending on the ship's size, you either come alongside the small pier or land by tender, at the foot of an amphitheatre of dark cliffs.
No, you have to go up. The landing is at sea level and the island's life is on the plateau, 520 metres above. A mountain road credited with 99 bends carries you there by vehicle.
Brava's main settlement, on a plateau at 520 metres. Its colonial centre is among the best preserved in the archipelago: low houses in soft colours, flowering gardens, a regular street grid, the church of São João Baptista and a lookout with views down to the coast.
Because ocean mists catch on the heights and keep the gardens and blossoms going. The air on the plateau is surprisingly cool, in sharp contrast to the heat at sea level.
Brava's native poet, a beloved figure in Cape Verdean letters, whose verses still accompany the mornas sung here. A cultural centre in Nova Sintra is devoted to him.
A hamlet on the western slope, stretched between the ocean and a cirque of mountains: a few houses, boats hauled up on land, and natural pools cut into the volcanic rock where you can swim when the swell allows.
In the natural pools at Fajã d'Água, when the swell allows. The water takes on deep tones, ringed by black basalt. There is no developed beach on the island.
Uninhabited protected islets offshore from Furna, classified as an integral nature reserve and an important bird area. From the ship's deck, binoculars in hand, you can follow the seabirds moving between the rocks and the open sea.
Very few: no terminal, no row of shops. The island appears on only a handful of itineraries, mostly expedition ships, and that rarity is exactly what makes the call worth it.
The Cape Verdean escudo; euros are sometimes accepted, but bring cash. Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole are spoken, and residents greet visitors readily.
