Tchitundo-Hulu Rock Art

Tchitundo-Hulu is a group of granite domes rising from the desert plain near Virei, and their surfaces carry hundreds of engravings and some painted figures: circles, sun-like discs, animal tracks, human forms and abstract patterns, cut over a long span and not securely dated. The site was proposed for World Heritage listing and stands on Angola's tentative list from 2017; it has not been inscribed. Local communities regard the hills as significant and a guide from the area is the usual arrangement.

Highlights

• The engravings - discs, tracks, animals and abstract figures pecked into granite.
• The painted figures - a smaller number of painted images on sheltered surfaces.
• The granite domes - smooth rock hills rising from the flat desert plain.
• The setting - open arid country with the domes visible from a long way off.

When to go

May to September is the dry season and the only practical window. Early morning and late afternoon raking light shows the engravings best. Midday flattens them and the heat is severe.

What to expect

It is on the tentative list only and is not a World Heritage site, whatever some sources say. There is no signage, no protection and no facilities. Reaching it needs a four-wheel drive, a guide and most of a day from Namibe.

Nearby

Namibe is west on the coast, and Virei village is the nearest settlement.