Fogo Island
How to get there
A beautiful road circles the entire island, connecting the town of São Filipe on the west coast with the village of Mosteiros (where the best national coffee is grown), located at the extreme northern point of the island. There is a regular passenger route between both towns, with a morning flight from SãoFilipe for $50000. Return trip with flights at 05:30 and 14:00 from Mosteiros, (stop at SãoFilipe) to Chãdas Caldeiras for $25000.
The cost of a round trip to Chãdas Caldeiras by taxi will be approximately $6,000. Taxi tour around the island – $8,000, to SãoLourenço – $1,000. Renting a car for one day can cost from $7,000 to $8,000.
Where to stay
The island has one hotel and a chain of guesthouses in São Filipe. In Mosteiros you will find several guesthouses and one hostel. You can rent rooms in private small hotels or in many other small private boarding houses.
Purchases
A typical handicraft product of the island are items made from pieces of lava from the Fogo volcano. Shops selling such products can be found all over the island, especially in Chãdas Caldeiras. High quality coffee grown on Fogo is a good alternative for gifts.
Headings
The best


Attractions
São Filipe Cragged, perched on a cliff overhanging a sandy beach with amazing black sand washed by an angry sea, is a town with beautiful buildings decorated with solid ceramic tiles, with squares and buildings in a strict Portuguese colonial style. Bougainvilleas bloom on the wooden balconies of buildings and along public sidewalks. You can glance down at the calm ocean surf.
Chãdas Caldeiras is known locally as Tchã. At first, the road from São Filipe to the outskirts of the volcano passes through a pleasant landscape with traces of abandoned farms and volcanic peaks here and there. Suddenly, it turns into a very steep road among rocky lava cliffs, ending in the delightful silence of the crater. The dark walls of the volcano and the numerous pieces of lava scattered around the base seem very ominous. Approximately 1,200 people live in this inhospitable area, recently classified as a nature reserve.
Altada Aguadinha – a terrace with stunning views of SãoFilipe is located on the east coast of the island, near CovaFigueira, from which you can gaze at the landscape combining the gloomy volcano and the blue sea. On clear days you can enjoy magnificent views of Santiago Island in the background.
Igreja Matriz (Parish Church) is a colonial building from the late 19th century.
Casada Memória (House of Memory). This is a private Museum, operating in the house since the first half of the 19th century. The history of the island is presented here through photographs and personal items. Today, this place hosts many cultural and entertainment events and conferences.
The most popular shore is near the port and Praiade Nossasenhora. However, the most beautiful shore is the Salt Lake, located in SãoJorge, a rocky shore surrounded by caves and reefs. There are at least three routes to the volcanic caves located on the western slope of the crater, on the way to SãoLourenço. It would be wiser to hire a guide for a walk in this place.
Sports and active recreation
Walking enthusiasts will find excellent conditions on the island, and the best walk is climbing the volcano and traveling between Chãdas Caldeiras and Mosteiros.
Fishing in the Cavaleiros Valley in the north of São Filipe and Alcatraz, on the southeast coast, are other affordable alternatives. It is usually dangerous to swim in the sea near Fogo Island unless the sea is calm.
Local kitchen
Try typical Fogo Island food: start with djigoti, made with pork, cabbage and cassava, or djagacida, made with beans and steamed rice, lard or sausage. Complete your menu with coffee pudding or papaya for dessert or pumpkin and sweet potato. Try local white wine and finish with aromatic island-grown coffee.
Where to eat
Like housing, the island’s restaurants and bars are concentrated in Santa Maria and Espargos. Most visitors go to restaurants located in the small district of SantaMaria – pracinhadeSantaMaria. We encourage you to venture into the back streets or waterfront restaurants where you can eat delicious fried fish. Hotels have restaurants with live music.
Population
Part of the population of Chãdas Caldeiras has slightly dark skin, blue eyes, straight hair, and, in some cases, blond hair. In fact, they are descendants of the prolific and eccentric Duke of Montrond, who brought the culture of viticulture here in the second half of the 19th century and left a large number of descendants on the island.


