Things to do in Porto Novo

Porto Novo is the ferry port of Santo Antão, and most tours in Porto Novo begin at its terminal. It is the island's largest settlement, and a dry port town. The green valleys are elsewhere.

The town and the terminal

The port opened in 1962, and Porto Novo has been a city since 2005. There is little to see in town. The island starts uphill.

Guides meet arrivals inside the terminal building. Private drivers wait at the main exit, and a transfer from the harbour to Ponta do Sol takes about 75 minutes.

The road up

The classic day trip climbs the old road, loops through the north and comes back by the coast.

• The old cobbled road. It climbs from the port through hamlets with thatched roofs, past donkeys carrying water.
• Pico da Cruz. A pine and eucalyptus forest above the cloud line, with a view down into the Paúl valley.
• Cova. An extinct crater with farmed fields on its floor. The rim is the viewpoint.
• Paúl valley. Sugar cane, bananas and coffee, and a distillery at Eito where the local cane spirit, grogue, is made and tasted.
• The coast road. Mountain tunnels and the fishing village of Janela, then the lighthouse before the last stretch to the port.

Driving it or walking it

The walking version leaves the car at Cova and goes down into the Paúl valley on foot. It covers about 5 km in three hours.

Almost all of it is downhill, a drop of close to 950 metres on rocky, uneven ground. Bad knees suggest the drive.

Practical

• Weather. The port averages 24C and gets about 191 mm of rain a year. The highest ground averages 11 to 15C, so bring a layer.
• Ferry tickets. Some tours include the crossing from Mindelo. Others begin at the terminal and leave the ticket to you.
• The last boat. Day trips are timed for the afternoon ferry back.
• Fog. Mist at Cova makes the path slippery, and a walk can be changed or cancelled.
• Seasick. Take tablets an hour before the crossing if you are prone.
• Lunch. Village restaurants often do not take cards, so carry cash.