Mosteiros

Mosteiros lies on the northeastern side of Fogo where the trade winds hit the volcano and drop their moisture, which makes this the green side of an otherwise black island: coffee, mangoes, bananas and papaya grow on the slopes above the town, and Fogo coffee has a reputation in the archipelago. The town itself is modest, strung along the coast below the mountain with black rock shoreline and small beaches.

What you actually see

• The coffee slopes - arabica grown on the volcano's windward side above the town.
• The green side - vegetation the trade winds support on this flank of the island.
• The black rock coast - the volcanic shoreline below the town.
• The volcano above - Pico do Fogo rising behind the settlement.

When to go

November to June is the dry season and the best for the road. Coffee harvest runs from around December. The road around the island is slow.

Honest expectations

The road from São Filipe takes a couple of hours around the island. The town has few facilities for visitors. Swimming from the rocky shore is not straightforward.

Nearby

Sao Filipe is southwest, and Fogo volcano is inland.