Maio  

is more than the barren, forgotten, remote and deserted island with, nevertheless, some endless beaches as described by most travel guides.

In colonial times abused as a back-yard of slavery and exploitation in the times of the salt-trade, Maio has started to free itself from structural misery since independence. Where there was just one primary school in 1974, all children go to school today. There even is a grammar school leading up to form 11.

All villages have electric energy and the ring of paved  roads will close soon.

Many houses are under construction in Vila do Maio. A modern harbour, a banc, two filling stations, a car-rental, all that has already emerged and hopefully a little hospital will open its doors in the next future. As life continues quiet, the few foreign visitors, coming just for a week for water-sports and total relax, hardly discover the historically unparalleled social development of the island going on in modern times.

Tourist Infrastructure is dominated by simple and friendly local guesthouses, where everything works out slowly slowly and where guests become part of the day-to-day culture of a small town. 
There is one only, lonely spanish Beach-hotel called  Bela Vista at the bright beach of Morro.
A french beach-club remains closed.

As long as aircrafts are small, the transport of boards and riggs is a problem not yet overcome. While so, no ugly surf-containers and shameless diving schools crawl along the most natural of  beaches and the island is a refuge of the troughtful and quiet guest, some of them having decided to built themselves a little house to spend holidays and may be, one day, will retire here.