Travel Guide Santa Luzia

It is a very small island of 35 km² that looks like a boot. It is located between São Nicolau in the east and São Vicente in the north. The distance between it and these two islands is about 10 km. Santa Luzia was declared a public heritage site in 1990 and is considered an important nature reserve in Cape Verde.Its highest peak is Monte Topona, located in the centre of the island and reaching a height of 395 m. The South is quite flat with dunes and beaches, while the North remains more elevated with cliffs that plunge into the sea.This island is uninhabited today after having welcomed a family of about twenty people some thirty years ago. Francisco da Cruz, also known as "the Governor of Santa Luzia", lived there with his wife and children. It seems that in the 19th century, a few farmers tried to settle there. The lack of water made them flee.It is strictly forbidden for tourists to come to Santa Luzia Island (this is also the case for the islets of Branco and Raso). Today, only fishermen and the NGO Biosfera (100% Cape Verdean) for environmental protection come from time to time. It is really what we call a desert island like there are very few in the world.To the east of Santa Luzia are the two islets Branco (3 km²) and Raso (7 km²), where many bird species take refuge, including the famous Raso lark, which can only be found on the islet of the same name.