Ponta Temerosa

Ponta Temerosa
View of the headland of Ponta Temerosa from Quebra Canel
Location	Praia, Santiago, Cape Verde
Coordinates	14°53′58″N 23°30′38″W / 14.8995°N 23.5106°W / 14.8995; -23.5106Coordinates: 14°53′58″N 23°30′38″W / 14.8995°N 23.5106°W / 14.8995; -23.5106
Offshore water bodies	Praia Harbor Atlantic Ocean
Elevation	3 metres (10 ft)
Surface elevation	12 metres (39 ft)
Length	560 m
Width	168 m
Area	200 ha
Depth	5 m

Ponta Temerosa are two promontories and a headland located in the south of Praia on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde located nearly 2 km from the city center and 2.8 km by road from Albuquerque Square (the city's center) to the lighthouse. The western point is the southermnost point of the island. Once after Ilhéu de Santa Maria (and is naturally), it is now after Ponta do Porto (once called Porto de Visconde) forming the Port of Praia expanded in 2014 and forms an artificial headland. Ponta Temerosa is inside the neighborhood of Prainha-Temerosa.

The headland is 560 meters long straightly down southeast (600 meters indirectly) and 168 meters wide, it is almost entirely surrounded by rocky cliffs. The deepest area surrounding the headland is 3 meters, 2 kilometers (1.25 nmi) south has a depth of 100 meters and over 5 kilometers (2.7 nmi) south has a depth of 1,000 meters and forms a part of the Cape Verde Rise, further south in the Atlantic off the point at the boundary of the Santiago seamount, nearly 100 km south is the Cape Verde Basin,

Notable landmarks on the headland include the Farol de D. Maria Pia or Ponta Temerosa lighthouse, the Seminary of São José (Saint Joseph). At the end of the headland is the tiny beach of Prainha, sometimes included. The Praiamar hotel (or the Hotel Oasis Atlântico) is in the western end. In that area, the highest point is 11 to 12 meters. Residential streets includes Avenida Rotary International and Rua de Mar (or Rua de Ponta Temerosa). Adjacent to the headland is Ipanema restaurant located on Avenida Jorge Barbosa, the restaurant is named after the beach in Brazil.

In the 15th, 16th and the 17th centuries, the point was once known as Ponta del Rei, after the king, later it adopted the current name which means temerous, whereas its winds are dangerous especially during storms and the danger in the area at the time with small ships.

Before the urban sprawl reached the southernmost point of the island in the 1980s, the geography of the headland before the 16th century is unknown. The Battle of Porto Praya took place between Great Britain and France off the point on 16 April 1780, as Portugal was neutral, Great Britain clashed with France southeast of the harbour in the waters, the naval battle ended in French victory.