Pitufa.at

Brava is a tiny island on a map. When hiking up the mountains, it suddenly seems higher than wide Yesterday we walked up the valley from Faja d’Agua to the mountainous interior. There are no dedicated hiking trails, rather partially cobbled foot/donkey paths connecting villages. So it’s quite usual when walking in the middle of nowhere to meet children on their way to school, housewives carrying shopping baskets on their heads, or banana-loaded donkeys. The track led steeply up the mountains, sometimes right through farm houses, providing spectacular views of the ragged coast. After about 4 hours we reached the capital of Brava, picturesque Vila Nova Sintra with its solely Portuguese-colonial style houses and lush gardens. Even the capital is a big village where all people know each other and the news of foreign visitors is spread within minutes. The locals are very friendly, talkative and not pushy at all. We joined the crowd next to the market waiting for an aluguer to take us back along the winding coastal road.