Weg 101

Juncalin'

Tope Simão

Tope de Chuva

Urzeleiros

Carriçal

Camin‘ de Sinta

 

The Legend tells you what the arrows í mean and how the terms "right" and "left" are used.

Bucht von Carriçal

The eastern peninsula, until the 1940s, was densely populated and produced huge amounts of maize and manioc in dryland agriculture. Today, just the remains of the large mule tracks and bigger villages give evidence of the times before the exodus. (Aside of? Apart from?) Juncalin’ it is only Carriçal where a population stays throughout the year. The other villages, Jalunga and Urzeleiros were abandoned and fell to ruins. In Castilhano, an older couple still maintains (what?), at least periodically. Heavy rainfalls destroyed the dusty road from Juncalin’ to Carriçal. It was, at least temporarily, substituted by a strongboat to serve as a ferry between Carriçal and Preguiça.

For mountaineers in love with the desert, the tracks on the eastern peninsula are as challenging, rewarding and dangerous as the ones around Tope de Coroa on Santo Antão Island. Certainly, those are no trivial exercises and only experienced, well trained and equipped mountaineers with full water reserves (5 l per person), GPS, never single, should tackle them!

This is why (we) just the best maintained track through the highlands of Tope Simão are described, giving a lasting impression of this desert landscape, magnificent and inhospitable, with its far reaching view over all Barlavento.

There is no shop and no guesthouse in Carriçal. A light sleeping bag and mattress are recommended.

The abandoned dusty road is a safer and not less rewarding alternative.
Duration 5 h
Track 3-5
Navigation 4

Outline of Tracks
and  Classification

 

Black beach of Carriçal

 

 
There is a small path, called the "Camin’ de Cinta" which climbs from Juncalin’ into the range of volcanoes of the eastern peninsula. On the height, it meets the formerly very busy mule track from Vila da Rª Brava to the villages of the peninsula, close by Tope Simão. Over an hour, the mountaineer hovers over the highlands before climbing down to the deserted valley of Rª de Palhal and the village of Urzeleiros. The name indicates a settlement founded by people exploiting, like so many in Cape Verde in the 16th to 20th centuries, the rocella tinctoria, an indigo stain exported to Europe. Still, the village in ruins gives an impression of its former grandeur by the size of its streets and houses. At Carriçal, the black beach in the shadow of palm trees seems to be a dream after having crossed the desert.
About three times a week, there is a ferry connection between Carriçal e Preguiça. It is recommended to search for information at Preguiça beforehand while planning the excursion; eventually, plan the excursion in the opposite direction more conveniently.


Starting point is the exit of Juncalin’, more precisely, the last houses of the village in direction of the graveyard. [CINT01] Passing an area of wild littering í one has to cross the ribeira and enter the plains on the other side. Here head on to a stone wall î but do not pass the herdsmen’s gate. A small path ê takes us up into to the slope. Passing by a prominent tooth shaped rock, í [CINT02] enter a rocky area ç and climb, steeper and steeper until (we meet) a herdsmen’s gate [CINT04] (Close the door, please!) at the entry to gorge like Rª Comeira. Following the right-hand shoulder of the slope one finally reaches the riverbed. Here the pathway vanishes and preferably, pass beneath ç a light-coloured bald patch before ascending í to the pass between Cabeço de Dorré and Tope Simão. [CINT05] (572m) The formerly excellent mule track è was transformed to a heap of rubble by the rains and donkeyshoes. From the southern slope of Tope Simão [SIMA01] one overlooks the mule-track to come, rather plane è and accompanied by stone walls until where it passes beneath Tope de Chuva î and slowly climbs the pass of Cova de Nego. [NEG01] (559 m)

This is where a beautiful high-altitude track over Pico de Alberto starts. Unfortunately it is totally destroyed in the lower parts. So it can’t be recommend any more.

Terrain without any tracks

About 500 meters è later the poor descent î to Rª de Palhal starts. A herd of malnourished cattle maintains a sandy and stony path in the riverbed leading unavoidably to the left-hand shoulder of the lower ribeira [CARR01] and from there ê down to the watering place of Cabeça de Carriçal. The ascent î on the other side leads to Chã de Gombeza [CARR02], the football place and to the part of Carriçal village at the right-hand side of the ribeira. Crossing the black beach in the shadow of palm trees, the excursion ends at the tuna factory. [CARRIC] (USB)