Santiago, Cape Verde
Although the Cape Verde Archipelago was known to Phoenician traders and Senegalese fisherman thousands of years ago, credit for its discovery is usually given to the Portuguese navigator Diego Gomes, who found the islands in 1460. Within a couple years, the ten islands and numerous islets had been thoroughly explored and the first Portuguese settlers began arriving on Santiago Island, the largest island in the archipelago. Here, they built Cidade Velha, the first capital of the archipelago, and more importantly, the first European town in the Tropics. They soon began growing sugarcane in the lush, protected valleys in order to produce rum, and imported African slaves to do the back-breaking work in the sugar fields. It didn’t take long for pirates, privateers, and foreign slavers to begin pillaging and plundering the town, so King Philip I ordered a fortress to be built on the high plateau above the town for protection (see photo). It took nearly a century (from the late 16th century to the late 17th century) to complete the fort, but it never did prove very helpful. Initially, the fort only had fortified walls and cannons facing the sea, so the pirates simply landed at the south end of the island and marched overland to attack the town from land. Then, fortifications and cannons were added to the land side in order to cover its rear, but the pirates soon learned that there was a blind spot at one corner where guns could not be positioned, so they simply marched overland towards that spot and again attacked the town from the land. Our guide told us that Cidade Velha was so important every pirate in the world felt it was necessary to attack to the town “in order to complete his curriculum.” During one piratical attack, a cannon misfired and hit the city’s cathedral, doing considerable damage. Francis Drake attacked the town twice, but the most famous attack was that of the pirate Jacques Cassatt, who destroyed the cathedral and stole the bell! By 1769, the populace had had enough and the capital was moved several miles along the coast to Praia, which has a better natural harbor and could be more easily protected. Today, the Caboverdeans number some 400,000 islanders (with nearly twice that many living abroad) and are a handsome mixture of Portuguese and African blood.
Our visit to Santiago Island started out with a morning beach stop for swimming and snorkeling. After lunch, we departed the harbor of Praia and drove through the capital city itself (with a stop at a very dynamic and colorful market), and on out to the aforementioned Cidade Velha. Along the way, everyone was duly impressed by the massive attempts at reforestation taking place on this dry, desert-like island, so long plagued by drought, tree cutting, and ravenous goats. We had time to visit the old fort, now mostly restored with the help of UNESCO funds, before reaching the historic town. We were happy to find three classes of elementary school children at the main square on a day’s outing. With some prodding by their teachers, these very appealing little children gave us an impromptu singing performance that added something very special to our visit. There was plenty of time to wander around the streets to admire the old houses, mango trees, coconut palms, sugar cane fields, and the beautiful shoreline, as well as have a cold drink in the shady square. Some of us even visited a small rum distillery and found the local hooch quite good and very reasonably priced. We returned to the ship in the early evening and later enjoyed a deck dinner as we watched the lights of Santiago Island fade in the distance.
Although the Cape Verde Archipelago was known to Phoenician traders and Senegalese fisherman thousands of years ago, credit for its discovery is usually given to the Portuguese navigator Diego Gomes, who found the islands in 1460. Within a couple years, the ten islands and numerous islets had been thoroughly explored and the first Portuguese settlers began arriving on Santiago Island, the largest island in the archipelago. Here, they built Cidade Velha, the first capital of the archipelago, and more importantly, the first European town in the Tropics. They soon began growing sugarcane in the lush, protected valleys in order to produce rum, and imported African slaves to do the back-breaking work in the sugar fields. It didn’t take long for pirates, privateers, and foreign slavers to begin pillaging and plundering the town, so King Philip I ordered a fortress to be built on the high plateau above the town for protection (see photo). It took nearly a century (from the late 16th century to the late 17th century) to complete the fort, but it never did prove very helpful. Initially, the fort only had fortified walls and cannons facing the sea, so the pirates simply landed at the south end of the island and marched overland to attack the town from land. Then, fortifications and cannons were added to the land side in order to cover its rear, but the pirates soon learned that there was a blind spot at one corner where guns could not be positioned, so they simply marched overland towards that spot and again attacked the town from the land. Our guide told us that Cidade Velha was so important every pirate in the world felt it was necessary to attack to the town “in order to complete his curriculum.” During one piratical attack, a cannon misfired and hit the city’s cathedral, doing considerable damage. Francis Drake attacked the town twice, but the most famous attack was that of the pirate Jacques Cassatt, who destroyed the cathedral and stole the bell! By 1769, the populace had had enough and the capital was moved several miles along the coast to Praia, which has a better natural harbor and could be more easily protected. Today, the Caboverdeans number some 400,000 islanders (with nearly twice that many living abroad) and are a handsome mixture of Portuguese and African blood.
Our visit to Santiago Island started out with a morning beach stop for swimming and snorkeling. After lunch, we departed the harbor of Praia and drove through the capital city itself (with a stop at a very dynamic and colorful market), and on out to the aforementioned Cidade Velha. Along the way, everyone was duly impressed by the massive attempts at reforestation taking place on this dry, desert-like island, so long plagued by drought, tree cutting, and ravenous goats. We had time to visit the old fort, now mostly restored with the help of UNESCO funds, before reaching the historic town. We were happy to find three classes of elementary school children at the main square on a day’s outing. With some prodding by their teachers, these very appealing little children gave us an impromptu singing performance that added something very special to our visit. There was plenty of time to wander around the streets to admire the old houses, mango trees, coconut palms, sugar cane fields, and the beautiful shoreline, as well as have a cold drink in the shady square. Some of us even visited a small rum distillery and found the local hooch quite good and very reasonably priced. We returned to the ship in the early evening and later enjoyed a deck dinner as we watched the lights of Santiago Island fade in the distance.
