Travel Guide Namibe

The Portuguese presence on the Atlantic coast of Africa is ancient, which was confirmed at the end of the th century. The Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão discovered Namibe Bay on his second trip along the west coast (1485-1486).The city of Luanda was founded in 1575 and Benguela in 1617. It is only two centuries later, on 4 August 1849, that the Cidade de Namibe will be founded in the bay (called then Moçâmedes) with the arrival of the first Portuguese settlers from Brazil's northeastern Nordeste. These civilians settle around the fortress São Fernando, then built (1840-1844) on the heights of Ponta Negra overlooking the Bay, to consolidate the military presence. This region was a vital issue in extending Portuguese colonization to the interior of the country.The plot of the first three or four streets of Namibe is drawing. A route of parallel and perpendicular, between the sea and the desert, which we still find in the centre of this quiet city, with the old charm very pleasant.The Governor and lieutenant-general of Angola from 1784 to 1797 founded the first military presence in the bay. He was José de Almeida e Vasconcelos, the first Baron of Moçâmedes, a title that earned his name to the city.August 4 th is the occasion to celebrate by Christmas celebrations the anniversary of the founding of the city.The holidays of the Sea last all March and give rise to a varied programme of musical, cultural and sporting activities.