TRAILS
The easiest of all the signalled trails of the Island. Leaving Santo Antonio by bike or by car, after 5 minutes you reach the town of Gaspar, from where you can start the trail. You can also leave from Santo António by foot; it will take you 20 minutes of a steep climb to get to Gaspar. On the trail the main interest lies on the plants, one of which is the famous “pau-de-água”, or water-stick, a very known medicinal plant on the Island. You can follow the unmistakable song of the Blue-breasted Kingfisher, an endemic bird of the Island, and try to spot it in the foliage. With some luck you might even spot a group of monkeys, they have been seen around here on occasion, jumping on the trees right above the trail. By the trail you can also look for the Ponta-do-sol viewpoint and the Roça Sundy, two must-see locations around the area.
AZEITONA TRAIL
Although it is a long trail, it is quite easy up until the end, where there is a slope towards the Roça Infante Dom Henrique, the very end of the trail. The Roça is an old abandoned Portuguese farm which is now in ruins and covered by the luxurious vegetation, it is an amazing location to get inspired. Along the trail you will be able to follow and old Portuguese stone road that linked the city of Santo António with the old Roça, one of the most important of the Island. The trail has several ramifications, one of which leads to the Beach Praia Grande do Sul , or the Praia Seca. It is very a interesting trail that serves as the frontier of the natural park and will allow you to see several species of flora and fauna of the Island.
INFANTE TRAIL
Difficulty level: Medium
Duration: 6-8 hours
Total length: 14 600m
Difference in altitude: 86m
Recommended gear: Appropriate footwear, suitable and comfortable clothing, plenty of water, and food.
Starting point: Take a bike to the Terreiro Velho and ask the locals for directions. Then just follow the trail through the cocoa plantations with the sea to your left and enjoy.
Guide: Obligatory
Difficulty level: Easy
Duration: 3-4 hours
Total length: 8500m
Difference in altitude: 13m
Recommended gear: Appropriate footwear, suitable and comfortable clothing, sufficient water and food.
Starting point: Take a bike to Gaspar and ask the locals for directions. When you see the sign just follow the short trail through the secondary forest and enjoy.
Guide: Not necessary
Difficulty level: Medium
Duration: 4-5 hours
Total length: 5200m
Difference in altitude: 300m
Recommended gear: Appropriate footwear, suitable and comfortable clothing, plenty of water and food.
Starting point: Take a bike to Terreiro Velho. After passing the cocoa plantations and the last house there will be a trail to your right, this is when you will need the guide for the first time.
Guide: Obligatory
This trail is quite close to the city, and the climb is not a very hard one, except for a few steep and muddy stretches. During the rainy season it can be a hard trail, but hanging on to the roots and tree branches it is not impossible to cross the trail. There are two river crossings through the trail, so you must take appropriate footwear. The trail is mostly through primary forest and you will find some of the most iconic species of the Island, so you will have plenty to see, enjoy it!
MORRO LESTE TRAIL
Difficulty level: Extreme
Duration: 1 Day
Total Length: 10 000m
Difference in altitude: 648m
Recommended gear: Appropriate footwear, suitable and comfortable clothing, plenty of water and food. If spending the nigh take a tent and a warm sleeping bag.
Starting point: Take a bike to São Joaquim and ask the locals for directions. After crossing the Banzú river and the Lapa village, follow the trail to Maria Correia and then go upwards from there.
Guide: Obligatory
The climb to the Mesa peak is a quite difficult one. You will need a very good guide that knows both the trail and that can handle the prediction of the tides, important for the river crossings involved in the climb – if you leave from the Roça São Joaquim. If you go by boat to Maria Correia there are no river crossings involved. If you go from São Joaquim, there are three river crossings that are impossible if the tides are high. The trail is always wet and muddy due to the weather and because it is used to carry cattle, so appropriate footwear is necessary. You should also carry a change of warm clothes - the temperature on the top is considerably lower than down below. Most people try to spend the night on the top, due to the long climb and the spectacular scenery over there. Despite the hardships it is one of the best climbs of the Island, there is only true primary forest for you to enjoy!
MESA PEAK TRAIL
Difficulty level: Medium
Duration: 6-8 hours
Total lenght: 14 300m
Difference in altitude: 40m
Recommended gear: Appropriate footwear, suitable and comfortable clothing, plenty of water and food.
Starting point: Take a bike to Terreiro Velho (20min) and follow your guide into the trail.
Guide: Obligatory
The trail to the biggest beach of the south of the Island shares most of its course with the Roça of the Infante Dom Henrique trail. The only difference is that the latter will turn upwards, to the right, and this one will turn downwards and to the left. It is quite a steady trail, without inclinations, although it is a long one. You will need to wear long and thick trousers because of the mosquitoes that are numerous on this part of the Island. On this trail you will probably see the monkeys that are happy to feed on the many coconut trees of the side of the Island, and when arriving to the beach you will get a picturesque view of the Jockey’s Cap islet!
PRAIA GRANDE TRAIL
Every peak of the Island is a tough climb, and the Papagaio is certainly no exception. This is the preferred climb of most of the trekkers that come to the Island, it is the closest to the city and it can be done in one morning. The trail is a bit harsh due to the steep climb and because of some hard segments of climbing. There is a passage in which two ropes are necessary, they should be already installed on the location as the trail is kept by the local scouts. After heavy rains the climb is almost impossible. On the very top of the peak is the best view over the northern part of the Island and the city of Santo Antonio – it is worth the climb.
PAPAGAIO PEAK TRAIL
Difficulty level: Hard
Duration: 4-5 hours
Total Length: 5000m
Difference in altitude: 421m
Recommended gear: Appropriate footwear, suitable and comfortable clothing, plenty of water and food.
Starting point: Take a bike to Roça Trindade and follow your guide into the trail.
Guide: Obligatory
There are several guides on the island, including the Natural Park Official Guides. There aren’t any official prices stipulated for the tours, so you will have to discuss a price with each one you come across. The value will depend on the harshness of the trail and with the duration of the service. Balu was the guide we chose to accompany aidnature.org’s work on the Island. He is also the preferred guide for most of the scientific expeditions to the Island.
Balu's Contact: +239 9993043
LOCAL GUIDES
There still isn’t an organised network of trails around the island – signs are inexistent, the trails aren’t kept and are beneath the luxurious vegetation that covers them. The ones listed below are a suggestion of interesting hikes that can be taken around the Island. We strongly recommend that you contact a local guide - without them it is impossible to follow the trails, and to clear them as well. During our stay, the guide that accompanied us was Balu, and to find him you just have to go to the “Palhota” guesthouse, in Santo Antonio, and ask for him. He knows the Island like few do and will show you its birds, reptiles, amphibians and the best trails and locations.
INTRODUCTION