Cova is a green, bowl-shaped extinct volcanic crater high on Santo Antão, its floor patchworked with little fields — a surreal, cloud-wreathed sight and the starting point for the island's most famous hike.
The view & the hike
From the crater rim a path drops steeply over the edge and down into the Paul Valley, one of the great walks of Cape Verde. Even if you don't hike, the viewpoint over the crater and out to the coast is worth the drive across the mountain road.
Getting there
Cova sits on the spine of the island between Porto Novo and the north coast. Many visitors are dropped at the rim by aluguer and walk down to Paul, meeting their driver at the bottom.
Standing on the rim
The road from Porto Novo climbs through bare moonscape for half an hour, then crests a ridge — and the world flips. Below you sits Cova: a perfect volcanic bowl more than a kilometre across, its floor a patchwork of maize and beans farmed by families who live inside a crater, and beyond it the land falls away into the green chasms of the north. The rim viewpoint, often floating above a sea of cloud, is one of the great reveals in Cape Verde.
The descent into Paul
Cova is the trailhead for the island's signature walk: over the rim's far lip and down the old cobbled path through the Paul Valley to the sea — three to four hours of continuous descent through terraces of sugar cane, coffee and banana, with grogue distilleries for refreshment stops. Knees take the strain; poles help enormously. Have an aluguer drop you at the rim and meet you in Vila das Pombas.
Practical information
- Drivable viewpoint — no walking required to see the crater itself.
- Cloud is common by late morning; come early for the clear view.
- It is cool and windy at 1,200 m: bring a layer even on hot days.
- The old cobbled mountain road here is a spectacular drive in itself.
- All routes: hiking routes guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Cova crater?
A green, bowl-shaped extinct volcanic crater high on Santo Antão, farmed on its floor and famous as the start of the Paul Valley hike.
Can you drive to the Cova crater?
Yes — it sits on the mountain road between Porto Novo and the north coast, and many hikers are dropped at the rim.