Cabo de Santa Maria, Shipwreck on Praia de Atalanta beach, Boa Vista, Cape Verde

Cabo de Santa Maria is a shipwreck site along the northern shore of Boa Vista island, surrounded by small sand dunes and shallow clear water. The remains of the Spanish cargo vessel lie scattered across the beach, easily visible from the shore.

The Spanish cargo ship Cabo Santa María, of the Ybarra y Compañía line, ran aground on a sandbank off Boa Vista on 1 September 1968 under captain Fernando Sabín while sailing from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Rio de Janeiro. Its 37 crew stayed aboard for weeks; about 1,720 tonnes of cargo were unloaded, and the hull was abandoned as a total loss.

The beach was long called Praia da Boa Esperança; the name Atalanta comes from a Scandinavian ship wrecked there on Christmas Eve 1920. After the Cabo Santa María ran aground in 1968, islanders adopted the freighter's name for the beach, as the Cape Verdean newspaper A Nação recounts.

You can reach the wreck through organized quad tours or 4x4 expeditions from Sal Rei, following coastal paths. Visit during calmer weather conditions, as wind and waves can make access difficult.

The metal hull continuously deteriorates and transforms under salt water and wind, creating different silhouettes against the beach landscape over time. This ongoing change means the wreck looks different during each visit.