Fogo is known for its wine, but coffee may be the island's quieter triumph. Grown on misty upper slopes in mineral-rich volcanic soil, Fogo coffee is smooth, low in acid and increasingly sought after — and it is one of the best and lightest souvenirs you can take home from Cape Verde.
How and where it grows
Coffee needs altitude, moisture and good soil, and Fogo has all three on its northern and eastern slopes, particularly around Mosteiros. Trade-wind cloud rolls in against the mountain, watering the plantations, while the volcanic soil supplies minerals. Production is small-scale and largely by hand, on family plots interplanted with fruit trees.
What it tastes like
Expect a soft, rounded cup: low acidity, mild chocolate and nut notes, and a gentle finish. It is not a bright, fruity speciality coffee — it is a comfortable, everyday coffee of good quality, usually roasted fairly dark locally.
Where to try and buy it
Cafés in São Filipe serve it, guesthouses in Chã das Caldeiras almost always do, and small shops sell beans at prices well below what you will pay in the resorts on Sal and Boa Vista. Buying directly from producers or cooperatives gets the freshest beans and the fairest deal — see shopping and souvenirs.
Coffee, wine and cheese
Fogo's produce works as a set: the volcanic wines, the local goat's cheese and the coffee. A tasting of all three in the crater, with the lava field outside the window, is a memorable hour and a highlight of any visit to the island.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cape Verde known for coffee?
Fogo produces small quantities of well-regarded coffee on its misty volcanic slopes — smooth and low in acidity, and a popular souvenir.
Where can you buy Fogo coffee?
In São Filipe shops and cafés, from producers and cooperatives near Mosteiros, and in crater guesthouses — usually far cheaper than in resort areas.