Ponta do Sol, Cape Verde
| Ponta do Sol | |
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| Settlement | |
View of Ponta do Sol
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 Ponta do Sol
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| Coordinates: 17°12′07″N 25°05′35″W / 17.202°N 25.093°WCoordinates: 17°12′07″N 25°05′35″W / 17.202°N 25.093°W | |
| Country | Cape Verde |
| Island | Santo Antão |
| Municipality | Ribeira Grande |
| Civil parish | Nossa Senhora do Livramento |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,143 |
| Postal code | 1120 |
Ponta do Sol is the northernmost town on the island of Santo Antão and Cape Verde. It is situated on the coast, 4 km northwest of Ribeira Grande and 20 km north of the island capital Porto Novo. It is the seat of Ribeira Grande municipality. It is the northern terminus of the Ribeira Grande-Ponta do Sol Road. It has a tiny fishing port named Boca de Pistola, up to the late 20th century, it was the only point for markets, until the creation of the port in Porto Novo, it was used as a ferry port, the port was difficult to access.
Ponta do Sol has thirteen neighbourhoods including:
Unlike the city in Madeira which their inhabitants are called "pontassolense", its inhabitants of the town in Santo Antão are called "solpontense".
The point (see Ponta do Sol (Santo Antão promontory)) is located northwest of town and is 300 meters long, the northernmost point of Cape Verde extending up to the former Agostinho Neto Airport which was fully shut in March 2007. Also in that location on a rock facing the sea is a diver statue.
The settlement along with Fontainhas were likely the first founded in 1584 and its first inhabitants came from Ponta do Sol in the Madeira Islands and later gave the name to the settlement of the settlers's origin. From the 1880s, when Maria Pia became queen up to around the 1950s, it was called Vila de María Pia, named after Maria Pia of Savoy, queen of Portugal. The older part of town features buildings made built in the 19th century with colonial architecture, its church is Nossa Senhora do Livramento built in the 18th century.
Also in the town is a former Jewish cemetery.
Its main industry are fishing and recently tourism. Beaches includes Aranhas and Motche
The town also has a lighthouse built around the mid 20th century. As that lighthouse near Janela is no longer active, it is one of the two active on the island.
The only football (soccer) team is Solpontense. It has the stadium named João Serra which is south of the center uphill, it also serves as the headquarters of the Santo Antão North Regional Football Association.
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Wikipedia