Brava is the smallest inhabited island and the most tender. Cooled by mist and altitude, its capital Nova Sintra sits in a garden of hibiscus, bougainvillea and jasmine, which earned Brava its nickname: the island of flowers.
No airport operates here, so Brava is reached the old way, by ferry from Fogo, and that isolation has preserved a rare sweetness. Nova Sintra, laid out around a leafy square at 500 metres altitude, is regularly called the prettiest town in Cabo Verde.
Brava's story is written in departures. From the nineteenth century, American whaling ships recruited crews here, beginning the emigration that built the large Cape Verdean communities of New England. Nearly every family has relatives in the United States, and the bond remains intensely alive.
The coast plunges to gem-like coves such as Fajã d'Água, a fishing hamlet on a bay of deep blue framed by cliffs, with natural rock pools just north where the ocean fills clear basins at low tide. Hiking trails lace the island's green heights in every direction.
Known for
- Flower-filled Nova Sintra
- Mist gardens
- Fajã d'Água bay
- Emigrant heritage
Good to know
Eugénio Tavares, one of the country's most beloved poets, was born here and is honoured across the island.
The island often sits under a soft cap of cloud that keeps its gardens blooming.
Brava paired with Fogo makes a natural two-island itinerary.