In the south of... Macaronesia ?!
Everyone knows Polynesia, but is it as obvious to place Macaronesia on a map? Like its Pacific counterpart, Macaronesia encompasses a number of archipelagos. When we see that this entity includes the Cape Verde Islands, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira, we understand that we're talking about several groups of islands that are geographically in the same place, scattered across the North-East Atlantic, west of Europe and Africa. These "Fortunate Islands" share many common geological, biological and climatic features. Of volcanic origin, these archipelagos have never been attached to any continent, and therefore have a particularly high rate of animal and plant endemism. They also share bits of history and cultural links.
Composition of the archipelago
Cape Verde is a group of islands that emerges off the coasts of Senegal and Mauritania in the eastern Atlantic, between parallels 14º and 18º North and meridians 16º and 22º West, some 500 km from the African continent. The arrow-shaped archipelago comprises 18 islands, 10 of which are inhabited and several uninhabited islets and rocks, divided into two groups according to their location in relation to the prevailing winds:
The Barlavento group, to the north, comprises the islands of Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia (uninhabited), São Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista. The islets of Branco and Raso also belong to this group.
The Sotavento group includes the islands of Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava, a geographical differentiation that is also administrative.
Another way of dividing the islands is longitudinally, with those to the east being extremely flat, while the rest are mountainous. In terms of height, there is a clear variation between Fogo's 2,800 m peak and Boa Vista's meagre 390 m hill.
Cape Verde in figures
The Cape Verde archipelago covers a total area of 4,033 km². The largest island is Santiago (990 km²), while the smallest is Santa Luzia (35 km²). Brava is the smallest inhabited island, with a surface area of 64 km². Cape Verde's territorial waters exceed 58,000 km², an area far larger than that of the archipelago itself, offering inexhaustible wealth potential.
Geological formation
The islands are of volcanic origin, with a very rugged relief and an arid, parched appearance. Several controversial theories attempt to explain their creation, but it is thought to be due to the eruptive phases that spread from the Jurassic to the Cretaceous, at least for the emerged part. The theory of "hot spot" volcanism is the one most specialists accept, i.e., the result of the earth's crust being pierced by magma from tectonic activity on the ocean floor. It has even been suggested that the basalts of the Cape Verde peninsula in Senegal are remnants of the first eruption of the Atlantic hotspot. What is certain is that the ensemble forms a "hump" (around -2,000 m) on the surrounding ocean floor. Over time, regular eruptions will shape the islands, not to mention the hundreds of volcanoes that dot the seafloor. The exceptional duration of this formation, over 26 million years, and the resulting mineral variations, make it a goldmine for geology enthusiasts: basalt flows, some of which resemble organ pipes, ashes, pumice and lapilli are just some of the volcanic projections that can be seen all over the islands. Note that some islands still experience recurrent micro-seismic activity.
Mountains and valleys on the islands of Barlavento
Mountainous islands can be rugged, sometimes without any achada, or flat terrain. In most of these islands, mountainous landscapes predominate inland, alternating with more exuberant valleys(ribeiras) where agriculture is practiced, as best we can. The coastline is rugged and sometimes inaccessible.
Real deserts on the islands of Sotavento
The islands of Sal, Boa Vista and Maio, located in the eastern part of the archipelago, are the exception to the rule: flat, eroded, covered with thorny bushes and arid steppe, they are bordered by long sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters. There's every reason to believe that these are the oldest islands in the archipelago, as they feature clear sedimentary layers dating back to the Quaternary, sometimes even filled with fossils. Several areas have desert-like characteristics, reminding us that we're in Africa, just a stone's throw from Mauritania. Immobile or wandering dunes and sands have been deposited over millennia by the north wind, which has shaped wild, isolated spaces rich in endemic vegetation.
Stratovolcanoes
Fogo and São Vicente are the two island-volcanoes listed. Fogo was probably a 4,000 m-high volcano 25,000 years ago, before collapsing and leaving a 2,829 m-high secondary cone that can be seen today. Its tremors and movements are regular and constant, as the Fogo volcano is linked to the ocean floor of the Vema fracture zone. Its last major eruptions (of the strombolian type) took place in 1975 and 1995, indicating that the risk is present and that constant monitoring is essential. This is carried out by a government department in charge of analysis and monitoring. The most recent eruption occurred in 2014, consuming the villages of Portela and Bangaeira, and fumaroles can still be seen at Pico Pequenho. Further back in time, records show that in 1785 the volcano erupted continuously for over a month, leaving the island of Maio under a 30-centimeter layer of ash.
We should also remember that São Vicente is also a (dormant) collapsed stratovolcano, whose caldera forms the ocean bay and natural harbor of Baia Grande. Santo Antão is closely linked to its neighbor, with small hot, warm and even gaseous springs that bear witness to its volcanic origins, as in the Paul Valley and Tope Coroa. To the south of the island, the Nola marine volcano can be seen on the horizon, its summit just a few dozen metres below the surface..
Beaches galore
It's hard to find anywhere else such a variety of beaches, each more splendid than the next, and all still unspoilt and wild. Lovers of peace and solitude will have understood that this is the place to be, especially in Maio, Boa Vista and Sal. Away from the crowds, you can bask, relax and walk on miles of sands that range in hues from the whitest to the blackest, depending on the location. Take your pick!
