Cape Verde in Cannes Cinema Festival 2007

Cape Verde will be on the spotlight in the Cannes Cinema Festival, one of the most prestigious international cinema competitions. The Festival that started on the 16 of may and ends on the 27th, celebrates this year its 60th anniversary.

The Cannes Cinema Festival will have a day dedicated to Cape Verde (the 24 of May). Also the new short movie by the Portuguese director Pedro Costa "Tarrafal", will debut in the Festival, not participating of the official competition. The movie "Tarrafal" is about the concentration camp that existed in the Santiago Island.

The Cape Verdean theme day have various events demonstrating the culture of the islands, from Cape Verdean gastronomy, to music - Tito Paris and São Vicente’s Carnival music, to name but a few.

Source: A Semana online (portuguese article)

São Nicolau Island

On a clear day, this mountainous island of rugged terrain and unique beauty, offers views of the rest of the archipelago.

Visitors to the island may discover the town of Ribeira Brava, filled with many squares, narrow streets and alleyways, a typical example of colonial influence. The school-seminary is an essential site to visit, along with the parish church and the ancient Sé Catedral (Sé Cathedral). The seminary was the first secondary school in Cape Verde and the entire Western coast of Africa.

The town on Tarrafal is renowned for its beach of black sand, rich in titanium and iodine, and visited by many people in search from relief from physical pains, such as rheumatism.

The bountiful sea that surrounds S. Nicolau attracts fishing lovers from around the world, who always marvel at the abundance of swordfish, blue marlin and other typical species of the region.

Santiago island

Home to the capital city in Cape Verde, Praia, it has 991 square kilometers of area and is home to half the nation's population. It belongs to the Sotavento group of islands. Santiago, as most Cape Verdian islands, is volcanic in origin and very mountainous.

The City of Praia has doubled its size in the last years, growing in importance, not only within Cape Verde but also in a regional and international context. The accommodation facilities have been keeping up with this tendency, and Praia has doubled its accommodation capacity in the last years. More touristic developments are in course.

The main touristic points in the island are the Cidade Velha, the old city, and Tarrafal, where you can enjoy the most fabulous beaches.