Curral Velho - a village that pirates made a haven for turtles (8 photos)

Once a bustling fishing village and trading post, these Cape Verdean ruins are now home to seabirds and turtles.





The ruins of an ancient fishing village called Curral Velho stretch along the southern shore of Boa Vista Island in Cape Verde. They are the remains of the oldest settlement on the island. Translated from Portuguese, Boa Vista means “beautiful view,” and Curral Velho means “old pen.” Both names are true and appropriate. The "view" is truly unmatched, and the "old pen" is really old, dating back to the 17th century.



Cape Verde is a group of small islands, an archipelago, located about 480 kilometers off the coast of West Africa. It was originally settled by the Portuguese. Boa Vista is the second largest island, but it is still small - about 620 square kilometers. About 9 thousand people live on a permanent basis on Boa Vista. Most of the people are engaged in servicing the tourism industry.





The ruins of the ancient village of Curral Velho stretch along a long, distant stretch of beach known as Santa Monica (after its more famous cousin in Southern California). The little village was remote even when it was first settled, and life was hard for its residents.



Navigation on this part of the island was difficult. There were problems with fresh water during the dry season. But the inhabitants retained one significant advantage, in addition to the abundance of fish. Nearby there is a large salt plain, and thanks to the export of salt to the mainland and other islands of the archipelago, they had something to trade and, accordingly, something to live on.



So the village existed for a couple of hundred years. But in the early 19th century, Boa Vista was sacked by pirates at least twice. The islanders fortified their vulnerable home, but the town they built to protect it from further attacks was far from Curral Velho, and the small village eventually fell into disrepair and was abandoned.



The area around the ruins is important for seabird and turtle populations, which have chosen this quiet stopover spot to lay their precious, fragile eggs and ensure the survival of their future offspring.



The rapid development of tourism has become a threat to both the eggs and the turtles themselves, which are highly valued for their meat. Environmental organizations have stepped up efforts to protect wildlife and have achieved some success. They have managed to restore the populations of seabirds and turtles after a long-term decline. Which is right, because the birds and turtles swam here long before people and have every right to continue their peaceful life here.