Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Paúl
Located southeast of Ribeira Grande is the municipality of Paúl, home to its pretty main
town of Vila das Pombas and, stretching behind the coast, the dreamy valley that winds up
into the heart of the island.
Thousands of people live in villages and hamlets that dot this idyllic valley, known for
its lush and fertile land. Flowers and fruit trees are everywhere - from breadfruit to bana-
nas and bougainvilleas - as are sugar cane fields; Paúl is famed for its potent
grogue
. A
scenic country road leads from Vila das Pombas up the valley, passing the villages of
Eito
,
Passagem
,
Lombinho
,
Chã João Vaz
and
Cabo de Ribeira
, where the road ends. A steep cobble-
stone footpath leads from Cabo de Ribeira to
Cova
, an extinct volcanic crater whose floor
is a patchwork of farms and lush greenery.
To immerse yourself in all this beauty, it's worth staying at one of the inns scattered
around the valley. The owners at all of these can set you up with local guides and trans-
fers. The first one up from Vila das Pombas is
Wahnon Guesthouse
( 2231355;
www.wahnonguesthouse.com
; s CVE1500-2500, d CVE2000-5500, campsites/attic per person CVE500/850)
in Eito.
It's a family estate with rooms showcasing mahogany floors and antique handcrafted fur-
niture and space for camping amid banana, sugar cane, avocado and mango trees.
Next up following the country road is
Casa das Ilhas
( 2231832;
www.casadasilhas.com
; s/d incl
breakfast & dinner CVE4500/5500)
, a pleasant set of houses on a hillside, reachable along a
15-minute uphill footpath (they'll carry your luggage). The well-equipped rooms range in
comfort and size but all come with amazing valley views.
Further inland, on a hillside away from the main road, is the charming
Aldeia Manga
(
2231880;
www.aldeia-manga.com
; Lombo Comprido; s/d bungalow CVE3850/4950, 2-person house CVE6600;
)
, which has four two-person adobe bungalows (cold water only) and a big house for fam-
ilies with soft pine furnishings and solar-heated showers. There's a lush garden with ham-
mocks and a small natural pool with valley views. Meals are available and there's free wi-
fi in the public area.
Along the road in Chã João Vaz is
O Curral
(mains CVE250; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun)
, known to locals as Alfred's, a straw-roofed restaurant, farm shop and
grogue
distillery
run by an Austrian who's been living in the valley for decades. The earthy dining room
made of natural and recycled materials is a great spot to fill up on organic food and local
coffee after the walk from Cova crater.
In the last roadside village is the adorable Spanish-run
Casa Cavoquinho
( 2232065;
www.cavoquinho.com
;
s/d CVE4400/4900; )
housed in an orange building nestled on a hillside,
with three recently spruced-up doubles with private bathrooms, pine floors, and hot water
