1459 CAPE VERDE (Boa Vista) - Chave Beach

Part of the Barlavento islands (literally, the Windward), the northern island group of Cape Verde archipelago, Boa Vista (Portuguese meaning "good view") is known for marine turtles and traditional music, as well as its ultramarathon and its sand dunes and beaches. With an area of 620 km², it is the third largest island, after Santo Antão and Santiago, and is located at 455km west of the coast of Africa. Much of the island is flat, the highest point being Monte Estância (387m). Boa Vista has wonderful beaches with white sand dunes, slim coconut palms and turquoise blue waters.

One of the beach of Boa Vista is Praia de Chave (Chave beach), covering approximately 10km from the island's westernmost point to approximately 1 km south of the island capital of Sal Rei. In this extensive stretch of sand (its dunes extend 500 to 700m into the island), the desert meets the sea, creating an amazing landscape, with the sky in blue and golden brushstrokes. Enclosed by dunes, Chave beach attracts windsurfers and scuba divers.

About the stamp
The stamp is part of a series dedicated to the Carnivals of the Islands of St. Vincent and St. Nicholas, designed by Leo Lopes and Roger Rocha and issued on March 1, 2014. Two of these stamps are evocative of the Carnival of Mindelo, and named after important figures of these popular manifestations, Arthur Boxing (Artur Antonio Andrade - 1910 to 2004) and Capote (José Moreno - 1916 to 1985). The third is commemorating the Carnival of St. Nicholas, and pays tribute to Black Saraph (Serafim António Lopes - 1924 to 1992). The Carnival of St. Nicholas is a reference in the culture of Cape Verde, and one of its founders brought from Brazil, where he emigrated, the rhythms and the desire to celebrate so characteristic of the two sides of the Atlantic.

References
Boa Vista, Cape Verde - Wikipedia

Sender: Holger Kaufhold
Sent from Santa Maria (Sal / Cape Verde), on 21.01.2015
Photo: Steve Gray