Pico da Antonia

Pico da Antónia reaches around thirteen hundred and ninety metres and is the highest point on Santiago, standing in a protected massif of eroded volcanic ridges with deep valleys running off it towards both coasts. The upper slopes catch cloud and hold the island's remaining native vegetation, while the valleys below are terraced and farmed intensively. Routes climb from Rui Vaz and other villages, mostly unmarked. The massif was declared a natural park along with the surrounding ridges, and it supplies much of the water that reaches Praia, which is why the catchment above the valleys is protected.

Background

The summit reaches 1,394 m and marks the point where three municipalities meet: Ribeira Grande de Santiago, São Lourenço dos Órgãos and São Salvador do Mundo. The towns of Picos and Assomada lie close by. The Pico da Antónia formation is volcanic and took shape 3.3 to 2.3 million years ago, in the Piacenzian and Gelasian periods. North of the summit rises the Ribeira de Pico da Antónia, one of the source rivers of the Ribeira Seca. The mountain lies within the Parque Natural da Serra do Pico de Antónia, and BirdLife International lists the range as an Important Bird Area.

Source: Wikipedia, "Pico de Antónia"

What you'll find

• The summit - the highest ground on Santiago at around 1390 metres.
• The terraced valleys - intensively farmed ravines running to both coasts.
• The native vegetation - the remaining endemic plant communities on the tops.
• The Rui Vaz approach - the village route onto the massif.

When to go

August to November after the rains is when the massif is greenest. The dry season gives clearer views. Cloud sits on the summit most afternoons.

Things to know

Routes are unmarked and a local guide is effectively necessary. The tracks in are rough and need high clearance. Cloud closes the summit views often.

Nearby

Praia is southeast, and Serra Malagueta is north.

Key facts