Blogs from Fogo, Cape Verde, Africa

The island of Fogo is basically a volcano in the middle of the Atlantic. Its beaches are black volcanic sand, striking against the white surf and the blue sea. Portugal once sent convicts here and an eccentric French Duke set up home here in the 1870s, fathering at least 11 children and countless grandchildren.. Most of the island is the volcano's caldera. Sitting at about 1,750 metres it contained two small villages. The ground here is a mixture of volcanic sand, rough volcanic rock and heavy brown boulders. It looks like the moon. Our first walk takes us past the more recent eruption vents, 1995 and 2015. These both spewed molten lava into the caldera below. The paths of the lava are clearly visible. The 2015 eruption lasted 6 weeks and destroyed most of the buildings ... read more