Travel Guide Ribeira Do Paúl

The Concelho do Paúl (pronounced "paoul") gathers all the villages of the Ribeira do Paúl. It is one of the greenest valleys of the island, located 7 km from Sinagoga. Rich in plantations and market gardens - sugar cane, coffee, banana, papaya, mango, avocado, breadfruit and bougainvillea trees grow simultaneously in this lush valley - it is one of the few places in Cape Verde where water flows continuously, transforming it into a true tropical Eden. Most of the island's fruit and vegetable exports come from this valley. The closer you get to it, the more the black and jagged rocks give way to touches of greenery. From Concelho do Paúl, you will continue to follow the road that stops at Cabo de Ribeira, at the foot of the cliffs. From there, the view on the valley is splendid. At an altitude of 1,450 meters, a mule track goes around the crater of Cova through a forest of conifers and fragrant eucalyptus. Going up the edges of the caldera, we reach a pass that dominates the grandiose valley. A winding path leads down the steep and vertiginous slope (and sometimes slippery on the wet stones) that joins the bottom of the fertile valley until Cidade das Pombas. The trail ends in a large paved road that takes you through picturesque hamlets. If, for whatever reason, you can only do one hike in Santo Antão, then Vale de Paúl is the one to choose! Count on 3 to 4 hours.