Santo Antão

Santo Antao, the northwesternmost and most spectacular island of Cape Verde, is a paradise for hikers and lovers of dramatic scenery, a rugged world of soaring volcanic peaks, deep plunging valleys and knife-edge ridges. In stark contrast to the arid beach islands, its lush, well-watered northern side is a vertiginous green landscape of ravines, or ribeiras, intricately terraced with sugar cane, banana and coffee, and threaded by ancient cobbled paths that once linked its villages. Walking these vertigo-inducing trails, from cloud-wreathed heights down to the coast, is among the finest hiking experiences in the Atlantic.

What you actually see

• The cobbled trails - the ancient paths through the ribeiras.
• The terraced valleys - the lush green cultivated ravines.
• The Cova crater - the crater-floor farms and rim viewpoints.
• The coastal villages - the settlements clinging to the cliffs.

When to go

September to June, for the best hiking weather, with the landscape greenest after any rains; the island is reached by a short, sometimes choppy ferry from Sao Vicente. The trails range from gentle to seriously vertiginous, and a local guide adds safety, insight and access to the finest routes.

Honest expectations

Santo Antao is all about hiking and dramatic scenery rather than beaches or resorts, and some of its trails are genuinely vertiginous, hugging sheer cliffs, so a head for heights and reasonable fitness help; facilities are simple and the ferry can be rough. For keen walkers and lovers of jaw-dropping mountain-and-ravine landscapes, though, it is the most beautiful island in Cape Verde and one of the great hiking destinations of the Atlantic.

Nearby

The island of Sao Vicente and its town of Mindelo are across the channel.