Ribeira Grande is the modest capital of Santo Antão. It is a city that lies behind the mountain range and that you reach by taking the singular Estrada de Corda. There are administrative buildings and a relatively lively downtown. It is good to stroll around the pretty square lined by a large church, colonial buildings of beautiful workmanship, and in the alleys. Founded at the end of the 16th century by the Count of Santa Cruz, Mascarenhas, it was first called Povoação de Santa Cruz. And even today, its inhabitants have kept the habit of calling it Povoação. Approximately 2,800 people live in this agglomeration wedged between mountains and facing a beach of rocks and pebbles where the sea is very rough. In the surrounding area there are other smaller but well-watered valleys, such as Ribeira de Chã de Pedra and João Alfonso, as well as villages such as Coculi and its church, which has the largest bell in the country. It is here that the mineral water brand Rotcha, Santo Antão's mountain water, is bottled. From Ribeira Grande, two options are possible: the discovery of the wild and rugged northwest of the island, or that of the northeast coastline which shelters villages located on the mouth of the ribeiras, the fertile valleys. In both cases, the hikers will return amazed and fulfilled, rich with touching encounters and spectacular landscapes.

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Ribeira Grande Abdesslam Benzitouni
Une maison bourgeoise proche de Ribeira Grande Abdesslam Benzitouni
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