Fogo

Fogo, Cape Verde

Pico do Fogo rises above the caldera floor of Chã das Caldeiras as the sunrise strikes its summit at dawn.

Fogo is a Cape Verdean island formed by one active volcano, with crater villages, vineyards and a guided climb to the summit.

The place

Fogo is a round island of volcanic rock in the Sotavento group of Cape Verde, out in the Atlantic, with about 38,600 people. Almost the whole island is a single volcano. Its summit, Pico do Fogo, reaches 2,829 metres, the high point of the archipelago. Santiago lies to the east and Brava to the west, and the name is simply the Portuguese word for fire. Inside the old crater wall sits a wide caldera called Chã das Caldeiras, home to two small villages, Portela and Bangaeira, whose families have had to leave during eruptions and return afterwards. The surrounding wall, the Bordeira, rises about a kilometre in places and is broken on the eastern side. São Filipe is the main town, with the airport and port close by and a black-sand beach at its edge. Away from the coast the island is mostly dry and farmed only where water allows, while the north-east catches the most rain and turns green, with cloud forest, bananas, coffee and papaya. Because the mountain is so tall, the climate changes quickly with height: warm and dry near the sea, cooler and often misty above. Birdwatchers come for Fea's petrel, Boyd's shearwater and the Cape Verde swift, and botanists for two plants found only on the crater rim, Echium vulcanorum and Erysimum caboverdeanum. Fogo is not a resort island. Its visitors are mostly hikers, relatives returning from abroad, and people curious about a living volcano. Farming, fishing, coffee and wine carry the local economy, helped by money sent home by emigrants.

Its story

Fogo's history is tied to its volcano at every turn. About 73,000 years ago the eastern flank of the mountain collapsed into the sea, and the wave that followed is thought to have swamped parts of nearby Santiago. Human history begins much later. The Genoese captain António de Noli, sailing for the Portuguese Crown, reached the island in 1460, and settlers followed over the next decades. São Filipe became the archipelago's second settlement of note, after Cidade Velha. The volcano has erupted often, sometimes from the summit and sometimes from fissures on its slopes. After the eruption of 1680, thick ash lay over the land and many islanders crossed the channel to Brava to escape. More eruptions came in later centuries, and the latest, in 2014, again sent the caldera's residents out of their homes. Rain has been as decisive as lava. When the summer rains failed, hunger followed, and that happened repeatedly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Between 1941 and 1943 nearly a third of the islanders died. Hardship pushed many people overseas, and Fogo today keeps close family ties with Rhode Island and Massachusetts, as well as with Portugal, France, the Netherlands and Italy. Until 1992 the whole island was one municipality. It is now divided into São Filipe, Mosteiros and Santa Catarina do Fogo, which roughly follow the island's three characters: the coastal town, the green north-east and the high farming country.

What to see

Culture

Fogo's culture is Creole, shaped by Portuguese settlement, African roots and a long habit of leaving and returning. Kriolu is the language of daily life, with Portuguese used for official matters. Almost every family has someone abroad, and the arrival of relatives from the United States or Europe, along with money sent home, is a regular part of island life and of how many households get by. Farming and winemaking still matter. In Chã das Caldeiras, people grow vines and fruit on volcanic soil and rebuild after eruptions with a practical, unshowy determination. The crater villages are lived-in communities and not a sightseeing set, and they have been through evacuations within recent memory. In São Filipe, evenings are for sitting out, talking and listening to music, and the odd live event happens at bars and clubs in town. Guides are respected local experts as well as safety requirements, and walking with one is also a way to hear how people read the mountain, from weather to the state of the crater. Visitors who spend a night in the caldera will find the pace slow and hospitality generous. Ask before photographing people or their homes in Portela and Bangaeira, and settle your guide arrangements before you set out.

What to wear

Fogo has no single costume worn every day. Cape Verdean tradition includes cotton cloths wrapped at the waist or over the shoulders, and head-wraps for women, but on Fogo such dress is now mostly kept for festivals and family occasions. It is worth asking locally what is worn at a given event instead of expecting to see it on the street. Everyday clothing is modern and casual: T-shirts, jeans, football shirts, light dresses and trainers, often with a smart outfit for church or a celebration. Styles are influenced by relatives overseas, so a visitor will not look out of place in ordinary casual wear. For the coast, light cotton, a sun hat and sandals are enough, with swimwear kept for the beach or the rock pool. In towns and churches, cover the shoulders and knees as a courtesy. For the volcano, dress for changing conditions. Mornings in the caldera can be cool, the summit is windy, and the ground is loose cinder and sharp lava. Wear sturdy closed boots with good grip, long trousers, a windproof layer, sunglasses and sun protection. Gaiters or high socks help keep grit out of shoes, and a light scarf is useful against dust.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. November to March is the usual choice for walking, with cooler air and clearer views from the summit. Summer is when the rains come, with mist on the high ground, and the green north-east is at its best then. Check the weather the day before any climb.

How long. 3–4

Getting there. Fly from Praia to São Filipe Airport (SFL), a short way from the town; the volcano shows from the windows on the right-hand side as you arrive. A ferry also runs from Praia to São Filipe, and another from São Filipe to Brava. For the last leg to Chã das Caldeiras, arrange a taxi or a transfer through your guide.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources