Nova Sintra

Nova Sintra sits at around five hundred metres on a plateau in the middle of Brava, the smallest inhabited island, and it was named for the Portuguese hill town its founders thought it resembled. Cobbled streets, a shaded square with a bandstand, flower gardens and stone houses give it a character unlike the coastal towns, and the altitude keeps it cool and often misty. Emigration to New England shaped the island and the money sent back built much of it.

Background

Nova Sintra is the seat of Brava Municipality and took its name from Sintra, where the Portuguese kings spent their summers. It has held city status since 2010. The census recorded 1,890 people in 1990 and 1,930 in 2000, then 1,536 in 2010. Farming is the main source of income on Brava, and the town has a few small hotels. Aluguer buses to the other villages leave from Praça Eugénio Tavares. The church of São João Baptista dates from around 1880, and in 2016 the historic centre was put forward for UNESCO's tentative list. Rainfall averages 418 mm and the mean temperature is 20.3 °C, from 18.0 °C in February to 22.4 °C in September.

Source: Wikipedia, "Nova Sintra"

What's there

• The cobbled town - stone streets and houses on the high plateau.
• The main square - the shaded plaza with its bandstand and gardens.
• The flower gardens - the planting the town is known for.
• The New England connection - the emigration and remittances that built the island.

When to go

November to June is the dry season. Mist and cloud sit on the plateau frequently. The São João festival falls in June.

Before you go

Getting to Brava means a ferry crossing that is often rough and sometimes cancelled; the airstrip is closed to scheduled flights. Facilities on the island are very limited. Mist can be persistent.

Nearby

Faja d'Agua is northwest, and Fogo is east across the channel.

Key facts