Fajã de Ãgua
Archipelago
Faja de Agua is a valley and village in the west of the island Brava, the westernmost of the Sotavento Islands ( Islands under the Wind ) in Cape Verde. On the Creole place Fajan di Água is called. He has about 5000 inhabitants.
The village lies in a valley that begins at the level of about 400 m on a plateau with numerous farms and the most fertile is on Brava. Here grow coconut palms, sugar cane, bananas, on irrigated terraces with typical stone walls Gemüde is grown. The valley ends at the sea in a sheltered bay, the bay of Faja. Here, at one of the most beautiful bays of Cape Verde once walked the whalers at anchor.
History
In the 18th and 19th centuries, whaling was one of the main sources of income of the residents Bravas. In Faja de Agua often put on whaling ships from America to bring food and to recruit teams. Quite a few residents of the village emigrated on this occasion. Faja de Agua was until 1843 the main port of the island, was founded as the present port of Furna.
A small airport with paved airstrip was built in 1989 and opened in 1992. From the village you put a new road in, it performs a remarkable rocky inlet and ends at the airport. Road and airfield were built by the local unemployed population mainly as food-for -work measure with German development aid from the Society for Technical Cooperation. Flight connections to the neighboring island of Fogo and the main island of Santiago were established. However, after a short time the airport had to be closed again, there were no possible off or landing due to the frequent strong winds on most days.
Transport links
Faja de Água is connected by a good road over Cova Rodela with the approximately 8 km from the island capital of Vila Nova Sintra. Faja de Água is several times a day with Aluguer buses accessible, but there are no fixed schedules. This is typical of the Cape Verde buses on a specified route, but go until the moment when enough passengers have arrived.
A beautiful hiking trail leads from the village up the hill to the approximately 3 km away, worth a pilgrimage Nossa Senhora do Monte, which lies in the middle of the island.
Infrastructure
There is a row of houses with motel, restaurant, church and shopping at the coming down of Vila Nova Sintra and along the beach road leading. On the southern edge of the village, a school was built. The airfield of Brava has since been shut down.
Bathing facilities
To Brava around the lake is rough, and the coast is rocky and steep almost everywhere. About a kilometer from the village located on the road to the airport, a natural swimming pool, reached by a flight of stairs. If the wind is not too strong and the waves are not too high, you can swim well here. The site is signposted from the road. Further south of the village lies the dark sand beach of Porto de Portete, which can be reached only on foot.
Attractions
Opposite the small church on the northern edge of the village was built on the main road in 1993 a monument ( Monumento aos Emigrantes ) of basalt. It commemorates the sailors Matilde, which expired on 21 August 1943 by Faja de Agua to America. However, the ship was lost over the Atlantic, and 51 people lost their lives. Almost every family in Faja de Água thereby lost one or more members.