Brava

Brava hides behind Fogo's shoulder catching the mists, and the moisture earns its name - the island of flowers, where hibiscus, jacaranda and bougainvillea crowd whitewashed Nova Sintra, a hill capital often cooled by cloud while the coast bakes. Cape Verde's smallest inhabited island has no working airport - the wind killed the flights decades ago - so the ferry keeps visitor numbers a trickle: those who cross get cobbled paths dropping to fishing hamlets like Faja d'Agua on its amphitheatre bay, ridge walks through terraced gardens, and the particular quiet of an island that has sent generations of whalers and emigrants to New England and still sings about it in mornas.

History

The Portuguese explorer Diogo Afonso found the island in 1462, settlers from Madeira and the Azores arrived around 1620, and many refugees came from Fogo after its volcano erupted in 1680; pirate raids pushed people inland, where Nova Sintra was founded around 1700. Roccella tinctoria, traded as a textile dye, was found around 1720, and from the late 18th century American whaling ships called at Fajã de Água and Furna for water and supplies, hiring Brava men, many of whom settled around New Bedford in Massachusetts (Wikipedia, Brava, Cape Verde).

What you'll find

• Nova Sintra - the flower-filled hill capital in its crater bowl.
• Faja d'Agua - the amphitheatre bay hamlet and its natural pools.
• The ridge paths - cobbled ways through terraces and mist gardens.
• The emigrant story - whaling-era ties to New England, sung in morna.

When to go

November to June for settled seas - the ferry is the island's lifeline and its weak point; August to October brings green slopes and rain. Cloud on the heights is a feature in every season.

Things to know

Getting there is the filter: ferry schedules shift, crossings can be rough or cancelled, and being flexible by a day or two in each direction is simply part of a Brava plan. Facilities are pension-simple, and evenings are early. Hikers and peace-seekers thrive; anyone needing programme and nightlife should stay on the bigger islands.

Nearby

Fogo's volcano across the channel; the crossing itself is the approach's drama.

Key facts