From the Cova crater to the Lombinho road in the Paùl valley

fr

A hike with plenty of elevation gain from the Cova de Paùl crater. Can also be done uphill.
A good introduction to mountain culture in Cape Verde and water management.

Details

n°1422752
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.30 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 301 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,201 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,292 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 392 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

View of the "Cova de Paùl" crater

Description of the walk

Departure from the car park where an "Aluguer" taxi can drop you off.

(S) Take a path below the road towards the crater.

(1) At the bottom of the crater, at a farmhouse, take a path on the left towards the mountainside and head towards a pass.

(2) At the pass, take the only paved road that descends straight down to the Paùl valley. There are many hairpin bends and steep slopes.

(3) At the road, turn right and climb a few metres, then take a path on the left below the road, which is a shortcut. You will come back to the road, which you follow uphill until the end.

(4) Continue on a path that starts on the left. Stop at the distillery on the left just to look and smell.

(5) At the crossroads, take the path on the left that descends towards the village. You will come out onto the road (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 1,292 m - Parking
  2. 1 : km 0.95 - alt. 1,206 m - At the bottom of the crater
  3. 2 : km 1.59 - alt. 1,274 m - Col
  4. 3 : km 5.06 - alt. 543 m - Take the road on the right, then the path on the left.
  5. 4 : km 5.75 - alt. 567 m - End of the route
  6. 5 : km 5.9 - alt. 592 m - Crossroads, on the left
  7. E : km 7.3 - alt. 393 m - Arrival

Notes

Bring water and wear comfortable walking shoes. Locals either go barefoot or wear flip-flops, but I recommend sturdy shoes.

(E) Upon arrival, you can eat on the left side of the road about a hundred metres down the road, where you can find a taxi "Aluguer" to Vila das Pombas.

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
User 25479167

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Friends of d- welcome!
Long descent to the sea with a slightly drawn-out end on a paved road of moderate interest.
However, the "green" section is very pretty and unique on the island, which remains largely deserted.
Personally, I would have preferred to do it uphill, even if it meant getting a taxi back.

Machine-translated

Annie 84
Annie 84

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike! We encountered three farm workers and not a single other hiker! It took us five hours to descend! The scenery is magnificent. We stopped frequently to admire it. The first half of the hike is very easy! The rest is more challenging for the calves!

Machine-translated

HaydenFr
HaydenFr

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing

A beautiful hike, it's the best known/most popular but personally it wasn't my favourite, lots of tourists in February (during the school holidays).
As mentioned by mymiam78, you can start from Xoxo to reach the crater. This remains our favourite hike, but you need to be motivated to do both. We did them separately.

Machine-translated

mymiam78
mymiam78

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We started from Xoxo, climbed up to the rope road, then did this circuit.
My "wow" moment was at the pass, where on one side you could see the cova from above, which was a little lacking in greenery but still splendid, and on the other side was the Paul Valley with its descent path: magnificent.
There were no collectivos when we got to the road, so we continued on foot to Boca De Figueiral.
one of the most beautiful hikes on the island.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Rota da Bruxa

Visorando member
↔11.43 km ↗+470 m ↘-1,740 m ◔4h 35 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Porto Novo (Cape Verde)
Among the most beautiful views of Santo Antao, varied landscapes between the valley, the ocean, the neighbouring islands, plantations and the mountains in the west of the island. It's a steep descent, especially at the end, through scattered houses.

Walking Crossing Cha de Mato towards Ribeira Grande

Visorando member
Traversée de Cha de Mato vers Ribeira Grande
↔4.04 km ↗+164 m ↘-1,125 m ◔1h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Ribeira Grande (Cape Verde)
This is a typical route for exploring the island of Santo Antao.

Walking From Boca de Joao de Afonso to Boca de Ambas via Caibros

Visorando member
De Boca de Joao de Afonso à Boca de Ambas via Caibros
↔7.09 km ↗+473 m ↘-445 m ◔3h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Ribeira Grande (Cape Verde)
This hike allows you to visit the hinterland of Santo Antao, passing through various small villages and offering a glimpse of Cape Verdean agriculture in Santo Antao, particularly the terraces clinging to the mountainside.

Walking From Boca de Ambas to Cha de Igreja

Visorando member
↔7.07 km ↗+610 m ↘-717 m ◔3h 45 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Ribeira Grande (Cape Verde)
Hike to reach the small village of Cha de Igreja from Boca des Ambas. Magnificent panoramic views of the landscapes of Santo Antao. This hike is less well known than the coastal trail or the descent from Cova to Paul, but in my opinion, it is well worth the effort. Hike with few navigation difficulties (paved path).

Walking From Ponta do Sol to Chã de Igreja along the coast of Cape Verde

Visorando member
De Ponta do Sol à Chã de Igreja par la côte au Cap Vert
↔15.29 km ↗+2,093 m ↘-2,002 m ◔10h 20 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Ribeira Grande (Cape Verde)
On the island of Santo Antão, a hike along the coast, on a trail overlooking the sea at all times, certainly the most beautiful route in Cape Verde... Fontainhas, Cruzinha, Cha de Igreja.

Walking From Alto Mira III to Châ de Morte on the island of Santo Antao

Visorando member
D'Alto Mira III à Châ de Morte dans l'Île de Santo Antao
↔5.11 km ↗+374 m ↘-500 m ◔2h 30 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Porto Novo (Cape Verde)
A beautiful hike to discover the island of Santo Antao, with no difficulty in finding your way on a wide path.

Walking Plateau and Bordeira do Norte trail

Visorando member
↔8.78 km ↗+1,177 m ↘-1,455 m ◔5h 50 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Porto Novo (Cape Verde)
Climb up the cliff that closes the Ribeira das Patas cirque to reach the Norte plateau. Descend via the Bordeira do Norte trail, one of the most impressive paths in the archipelago.

Walking From Tarrafal to Monte Trigo along the coast of Cape Verde

Visorando member
De Tarrafal à Monte Trigo par la côte au Cap Vert
↔10.92 km ↗+619 m ↘-619 m ◔4h 55 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Porto Novo (Cape Verde)
A superb hike along the ocean on a paved path on the island of Santo Antão in Cape Verde. A coastal hike from the small port of Tarrafal and its black sand beach to the village of Monte Trigo. This village is only accessible via this paved and very steep path, or by boat from the sea.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.