Townhall of São Filipe

The townhall and the island of Brava in the background

The centro historico of São Filipe has a very well-kept atmosphere. Employees of the municipality are constantly engaged in cleaning the roads and watering the parks.

The historic centre of São Filipe - the Bila Baxo - gets its typical character from the many mansions of the former Portuguese colonial dominion, the sobrados. Some have already been renovated. Others are waiting for someone to make themcome to life again. But by all means they possess a form of pride and dignity, which is unique even to their occupants.

The town of São Filipe with its 8000 inhabitants is the smallest of the three Caboverdian towns. The county of the same name covers the greater part of the island of Fogo inclusive the crater-landscaped Cha das Caldeiras and it has about 27 000 inhabitants.

Roosters crowing at early dusk - that’s the beginning of a normal morning in São Filipe. Later on the children shout lightheartedly on their way to school, the craftsmen and grocers open their shops - the lojas and mercearias - and the trade at the market begins. The trader-women spread out their goods on the pavement, the collective cabs - alugueres - from the country-villages arrive and a busy working day morning in the streets behind townhall has begun.

Somewhat later the fishermen arrive with their catch, which is immediately carried to the market and sold within a few hours.

São Filipe is located in the south-east of the Caboverdian Island of Fogo on a plateau about 40 m above the Atlantic.

Underneath this plateau there is a 5 km long beach - Fonte Bila - with fine black sand surrounding the city. There is garbage at the exit of two valleys and that’s the place where sand for building  houses is removed. Otherwise the beach is nearly deserted, perhaps some fishermen with their boats or some boys playing soccer. Sometimes however the high waves of the Atlantic are so strong, that swimming is impossible.

During the afternoon, the small town calmness gradually takes place again, the visitors leave, the market closes its gates and the men enter one of the saloons for card-playing and a beer of course.