Santo Antão

The northwesternmost and most dramatically rugged island in Cape Verde, Santo Antão has a mountainous interior scored by deep river valleys — ribeiras — where irrigation channels carry water from cloud-catching peaks down to terraced smallholdings growing sugar cane, coffee, and tropical fruits. The ridge trail from Cova crater to Ponta do Sol is considered one of the finest walking routes in West Africa, traversing vertiginous scenery between coastal and mountain ecosystems. The island is reached by ferry from Mindelo on São Vicente.