Cova Rodela

Cova Rodela
Coordinates	14 ° 52 ′  N , 24 ° 45 ′  W Coordinates: 14 ° 52 ′  N , 24 ° 45 ′  W
Basic data
Country	Cape Verde
Archipelago	Ilhas de Sotavento
District	Brava

Cova Rodela is a place in the middle of the island of Brava , the westernmost of the Sotavento (Islands Under the Wind ) of Cape Verde .

Main street and dragon tree.

Corn harvest in Cova Rodela.

" Aluguer " shared taxi on Brava.

View of Cova Rodela from the west.

Cova Rodela extends in the mountains along the main road of the island, which connects the island capital Vila Nova Sintra in the east of Brava, about two kilometers away, with the port of Fajã de Água in the west. Another road branches off in the village and leads to Mato Grande in the east of the island. On this street, not far from Cova Rodela, there is a lookout point (Portuguese: miradouro ), from which there is a beautiful view of Vila Nova Sintra and - if the weather permits - beyond to the neighboring island of Fogo . Shortly after the western exit of Cova Rodela, another road branches off from the main road, which leads via the pilgrimage site of Nossa Senhora do Monte to the south of the island of Brava.

Cova Rodela is essentially a scattered settlement of whitewashed houses with a hipped roof made of red tiles, which is typical of Portugal and its former colonies . In contrast to the other localities in Cape Verde or Portugal, the houses in Cova Rodela have no shutters on the outside and no casements - the windows here consist of an upper and a lower part that can be moved upwards, and the shutters are on the inside and not on the outside the house wall. This type of window is found in the northeastern United States, where many Cape Verde residents emigrated in the 19th century. Most of the residents of Cova Rodela make a living from agriculture, with mainly corn and bananas being grown.

In the center of Cova Rodela an old dragon tree of the rare species Dracaena draco is worth seeing.

Cova Rodela has a school, a bank branch, a restaurant and a few small shops to cover daily needs. The village is easy to reach with the " Aluguer " shared taxis, which run several times a day and are typical of Cape Verde .

All roads are paved and despite the gradients, easy to drive on even in heavy rain. For hikes through the mountain landscape, which is relatively lush by Cape Verdean standards - the island of Brava is known as the greenest island in Cape Verde - and for excursions from the island's capital, Cova Rodela with its not too hot climate is a worthwhile destination. The 976 m high Fontainhas , the highest mountain on the island of Brava, can also be easily reached from Cova Rodela via hiking trails.

literature

• Pitt Reitmaier, Lucete Fortes: Travel Guide Cabo Verde - Cape Verde Islands . Ed .: Reise Know How. Reise Know How, Bielefeld 2013, ISBN 978-3-8317-2359-1 , Insel Brava, p. 178-195 .
• Susanne Lipps, Oliver Breda: Travel Atlas Cape Verde Islands . Ed .: Dumont. Dumont, Ostfildern 2005, ISBN 3-7701-5968-3 , Insel Brava, p. 153-156 .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Reitmaier, Pitt & Fortes, Lucete: Cabo Verde , p. 419.Bielefeld 2009.