São Nicolau - The Island of Poets and Thinkers
São Nicolau is right in the middle of the archipelago. When the weather is good all the other islands can be seen from the peak of the Monte Gordo. Its volcanic origins are observable in the jagged surface and many narrow valleys that cross the heartland. The hospitable inhabitants live on agriculture and tuna processing.
One says that the origin of the Cape Verde lays in São Nicolau. In the 19th and 20th century there was a priest seminar in the main town Vila da Ribeira Brava which fomented the cultural evolution. Today the town's positive atmosphere is reflected by pastel coloured houses, wonderful locations and gardens, narrow alleys and winding streets. The southern and the eastern part of the island are rather sparsely populated. There are many possibilities for hiking tours, such as those through the bizarre mountain landscapes of Cachaco and Cabecalhinha.
