São Nicolau is what Cabo Verde looked like before anyone thought about tourism. A serene, mountainous island of farming villages, it was for a long time the intellectual centre of the colony thanks to its famous seminary.
The seminary of Ribeira Brava, founded in 1866, educated generations of Cape Verdean writers, priests and administrators, and gave this small island an outsized role in the country's history. The town itself sits deep in a valley, a tidy grid of colourful houses around a graceful square and church.
Monte Gordo Natural Park protects the island's green heart, where farmers grow maize and beans on impossibly steep slopes and the endemic dragon tree, the dragoeiro, still grows wild. The summit trail rewards hikers with a view across half the archipelago.
On the northwest coast, the sea has carved the cliffs at Carbeirinho into smooth, layered galleries of blue-grey stone, one of the most photographed natural monuments in Cabo Verde. The tuna fishing port of Tarrafal de São Nicolau ships some of the best catch in the islands.
Known for
- Monte Gordo Natural Park
- Carbeirinho rock formations
- Dragon trees
- Old seminary town
Good to know
The dragon tree, symbol of the island, can live for centuries.
São Nicolau has produced a remarkable number of the country's writers and teachers.
Its inter-island airport keeps the island connected despite the small population.