“Unique, demanding and rewarding”

We arrived early in Ribeira Grande, which gave us time to do some shopping, go to the bank and meet the lady who is in charge and who gave us the necessary information. Then we took the communal bus (100 CVE pp) to the village at the end of the road, Pinhão. It is possible to walk there from Ribeira Grande, but my advice is: don't. From Pinhão we walked to Monte Joana: over rocky mountain paths only suitable for hikers, goats and donkeys. I carried my backpack, my daughter had a trolley... it would have been hell to carry that but fortunately the lady in charge had arranged for a guide who carried the trolley for us. On his head. With this helpful guide and with daylight the walk was exhausting but doable. And breathtakingly beautiful. Thus we arrived at the Pousada, after a 75min. walk. The Pousada is little more than a barn with six beds. Separate areas (two lofts and the ground floor), so there is some privacy, but not much since there are no separate rooms. There is a private bathroom with a toilet, a sink and a kettle for hot water (in the future there might be a hot shower). There is electricity but no tv, no wifi, no internet connection at all (but walk 20min. up a neighbouring hill and you will have internet reception there). So, is it comfy? No. It's basic, Spartan even. But it's wonderful if you can do without luxury for a couple of days. It's charming, it's unique and clean and it gives an idea of how rural live on this island is and has been for centuries. Also there is a kitchen available, with a stove and a fridge and some basic stuff as salt and sugar. You can cook your own meals, if you bring groceries with you (there is a shop next door where you can buy bottled water and some basic stuff, but supply is very limited). We had the housekeeper Mrs. Maria José cook for us and that was a much better choice. For a mere 800 CVE per person she made a huge dinner.

“Incredible”

Absolutely incredible! The most warm and friendly hospitality, I felt so welcomed in the village and it was my highlight of Cape Verde. Delicious meals and highly recommend!

Maria, the host is very friendly and the accommodation is in an amazing location.

“I would definitely come back here it’s very rural and lovely”

Maria José e um angel. Amei a casa, o pequeño almoco, tudo foi perfeito

“Amazing location, in a small mountain village!”

This is the perfect place to completely disconnect from stress and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It’s just you and nature (and lots and lots of sparrows). The only thing better than the house itself are the kind people who run it. Arlinda gives you all the information you could need about the location, how to get there, and the best hikes in the area. Maria José prepares the most delicious food, I am vegan, and she cooked one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life! I cannot recommend this place enough. I will definitely be back for sure.

If you like adventure, if you like to escape "modern civilisation" please come to this place. It's situated in the middle of a wonderfull blessed place. People are friendly and kind. You can walk along plenty of wonderfull paths around the area. Blessed place!!

“this community project offers a great view into the local rural life. very friendly and helpful people, delicious homema”

“this community project offers a great view into the local rural life. very friendly and helpful people, delicious homema”

“An amazing and very valuable experience.”

This place is more like a whole experience, and not just a place to stay. To reach it is around an hour mountainous walk after the road ends.They send someone to help you finding the place and help carry your bags. Mine were carried on the head of the person helping me, for one hour! I felt bad for bringing too much. A bag pack is highly recommended. You will be the only tourist in a very small town of around 10 houses. Lovely views and very quiet, except for when they play loud music in town, but mostly it is nice and peaceful. The people are super friendly and welcoming. If you do not speak Portuguese bring an offline translation app. I made some nice hikes to Lomo Branco and Ribeira Grande, all around 1.5 hour each way. It is quite basic, but just think about how difficult it is to reach the place and build a living there! These people deserve nothing but respect. How they build their lives and live independently and largely self-sustainable is amazing. Great opportunity to see another side of Cape Verde and help local communities. Anita is an amazing host and Arlinda can answer questions concerning the reservation and travels. Thank you both for your help and patience.

Fantastic! Unique! The location in the heart of the mountains, in an incredibly beautiful and really quiet small settlement was extraordinarily nice. Impressively maintained culture landscape and active agricultural traditions. Perfect for hiking on your own. You can hike different routes every day. Easy to find paths. Very friendly people. Really good food. I will absolutely recommend this place as very unique, and I hope to come back myself.

“Highly recommended, away from crowds, in a lovely village!”

A place to relax, calm down and experience rural lifestyle on Santo Antão. We were super happy to stay in the village of Monte Joana, away from, in our view, non-charming cities like Ponta do Sol or Ribeira Grande. Anita welcomed us at the place and Arlinda helped us via WhatsApp to reach the same. You could either take a car to Pinhão and get there by a short walk, or you hike up from the coastal road which takes about 1,5 hours, but it's worth. We chose the second option. If you have time we recommend to spend at least 2 nights, also to have chance of more interaction with the community in Monte Joana.

The hosts were exceptional