Travel Guide Pedra Badejo

The village of Pedra Badejo is nicknamed "Santiago". It lives essentially from fishing but also has an agricultural vocation. Every year, it also holds a very popular music festival. Pedra Badejo is the administrative center of the Santa Cruz region and has 5,000 inhabitants. Far from being a tourist destination, it has nevertheless a certain charm with its small stone houses and its alleys. The main square hosts the market and all the aluguers that turn to look for customers bound for Praia or Tarrafal. The area is rich in various plantations, such as banana trees and palm trees. One can sit and have a drink in a boat-shaped bar, at the foot of a natural swimming pool formed by rocks where children love to splash around. Next to it is a beautiful black sand beach that contrasts with the white sand of the other beaches, showing the diversity of the island. There was a time when the military stood guard over the "sand thieves" and prevented them from carrying out this illegal activity, which has caused the disappearance of some beaches, with serious environmental consequences. Indeed, when the ocean no longer faces any physical barrier, the salty sea water enters the water table, thus affecting the crops. However, these women were forced to painstakingly collect and sell this sand for the construction of houses, fuelling the real estate boom on the islands