Cova-Ribeira da Torre-Paul Natural Park, Natural park and tentative World Heritage Site in Santo Antão Island, Cape Verde.
Cova-Ribeira da Torre-Paul Natural Park is a protected area on Santo Antao Island featuring volcanic craters, steep cliffs, and deep river valleys carved into the landscape. The terrain shows the dramatic effects of ancient volcanic formation and water erosion.
The area formed from ancient volcanic activity that created the Cova crater, which continues to influence the landscape today. Water drainage through this crater shaped the Ribeira da Torre and Paul valleys over millions of years.
Local farmers work the land using stone terraces and traditional irrigation methods that have shaped the valleys and hillsides over centuries. You can see these structures still in use today throughout the area.
The park is accessible from Santo Antao Island, which is reachable by ferry from Mindelo. Local guides or organized tours are helpful for navigating the steep terrain and understanding the area's ecology.
The park hosts several plant species found nowhere else in the world, including Carex antoniensis and Tornabenea insularis. These botanical rarities make the location particularly important for global conservation efforts.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
