Spinguera, Boa Vista, Cape Verde
A resort that has nothing and is so far away
Direct flights operate from Gatwick, Manchester and Lisbon
Far out along dirt roads indicated only by the occasional white
circle painted onto a roadside rock some Italians have built what
they term an ecologvcal resort. The low stone buidings are raised
slightly above the surrounding tundra, perhaps 1km away from the
sea. The settlement may previously have been a farm or a fishing
hamlet for there is a windpump and some vintage water piping fron
a nearby spring. But successive years of lack of rain on this windy
northern coast of Boa Vista have made the farmers or fisherfolk
give up. Animal life now consists of a few semi-wild dogs, which
wander around the buildings looking for scraps of food and water
to drink.
The resort has been heavily advertised in Boa Vista and on the
Internet. Despite that there was nobody staying there when we visited.
Proud claims are made for all the ecological features of the Spinguera
resort. And indeed it draws very little on the local resources,
for there are none beyond a trickle of water from the spring. The
buildings have been carefully restored and are clean and freshly
painted.
But at least when we visited it did not seem to be offering many
of the advertised features. Perhaps these will arrive in future
or perhaps they had already been abandoned due to lack of interest
and resources. We did not find the owners particularly welcoming
- perhaps we would have done better to speak Italian rather than
Portuguese.
There is nothing to do once you get there. The sea is a long walk
across the dunes, With the Atlantic swell throwing up substantial
boulders, it was too dangerous to swim during our visit. This will
often be the case in the winter months as the beach is wide open
to the North-East trade winds, which can blow with considerable
force. After a bumpy journey over rough roads visitors are likely
to want a swim so this is a disappointment. There is no swimming
pool and it seems doubtful that the spring will ever be mighty enough
to provide one.
Restaurant and bar
To eat at the restaurant, which is the only eating place for many,
many miles around, you need to sit on stone benches on the terrace
in front fo the main building, the original farmhouse so to speak.
The food, meat or fish with potatoes and rice is not good and it
is the most expensive meal that we have ever come across in the
Cape Verdes. it is unclear that those staying for a week or so would
be willing to pay so much. Perhaps they are not asked to. Wines
are Italian and very average but also expensive for the passing
lunch-time visitor.
Spinguera the resort where you really do get away from it all
L from Italy liked
it despite the absences
"Spinguera is a wonderful eco-resort. The owner and hotel manager
Larissa has made an extraordinary job in restoring an old fishermen'
village with care for every little detail. Rooms and communal spaces
are just beautiful and the natural location is amazing. Larissa
is also very welcoming and you really feel at home. But being so
isolated (first shop and restaurant are at about 40 minutes cross
country drive) you would really enjoy more services. There is no
service at all between 11 pm and 7.30 am and it's really hard to
get a coffee or even a glass of water before 8 in the morning. Food
is good, nice and healthy but not much choice and you have to order
in advance. The staff is kind and smiling but not always helpful.
On the positive side - if you ask in advance - there is a local
woman who provides excellent massages and a cosy small shop with
nice clothes and amenities (but again is often unattended). * My
ratings for this hotel is lovely spot, poor service and poor value"
T from Londonliked the climate
"Spinguera was the first place (and first time we have been to
Cape Verde) we stayed at in Boa Vista. We travelled in December
(Christmas Eve). We were met at the airport by Larissa who owns
the renovated fishing village and who took us there in her 4 x 4
utility vehicle. The journey from the airport to Springuera is around
35 minutes and this gives you an opportunity to see what the island
looks like. One thing that is immediately apparent on arriving here
is the temperature. It is hot, particularly if you have just travelled
from a cold December in London. For those concerned about what to
pack, think t-shirts, shorts and light shoes/sandals. The journey
to Spinguera followed some ordinary roads before they gave way to
single track roads, dry river beds and dirt tracks that eventually
brought you out to a collection of small chalet like stone buildings
perched on a brow of a coast line facing the sea. Apart from the
small town of Rabil, we didn’t see any other houses or villages
or people really until we reached Spinguera and even when we arrived,
we found out that we were the only guests there. We were taken straight
to our little ‘cottage’ like building which was spotlessly clean,
tastefully decorated with a minimalist feel. Everything you needed
was here, including a four poster bed with muslin style drapes around
the sides to deter flies or mosquitoes . The bathroom is also a
good size with very large shower head that delivers a very nice
shower. One thing you will notice about this island is how dry it
is, so there is great emphasis on not wasting any of the water.
Outside of the room there is a little outdoor space with two brightly
coloured deck chairs for the occupants to sit in and look out to
sea. Each ‘cottage’ has its own different colour deck chairs. .
Like the ‘cottages’, the restaurant and cafe face the sea and a
nice meal can be taken whilst admiring the views. They feed you
very well here. Huge bowls of soup for starters, a very large main
course and dessert to follow - more than enough. The main emphasis
on the whole place is relaxation and tranquillity . Our Christmas
day was spent on a beach that was a 20/30 minute walk away. The
water here was relatively safe in terms of the size of the waves
and we were able to take a dip and do some sunbathing. In the other
direction way off into the distance is a wreck of a ship that is
visible from Spinguera. We walked to the wreck to have a closer
look and a round trip on foot will take you the best part of 5 hours.
Make sure you wear decent footwear, take lots of sun cream and water
as it’s quite a trek. If sun worshipping is your thing, then there
are plenty of opportunities for you to sun bathe here. Dotted around
the village are sun beds, chairs and places to sit in the shade
if you wish and there are a couple of beach style shacks near the
sea front if you wanted to be closer to the water. Overall we had
a pleasant 3 days here relaxing, reading and eating in a calm and
comfortable environment. The staff are also very friendly. The food
in the evening is very filling as is the breakfast in the morning.
I would recommend this if you are after getting away from a busy
and hectic lifestyle for a few days."
Green Concerns
