Access road | Beach length 18 km | |
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Location Southwestern Boa Vista, Cape Verde | ||
Praia de Santa Mónica (Portuguese meaning "beach of Saint Monica") is a sandy beach in the southwestern part of the island of Boa Vista in Cape Verde. Its total length is approximately 18 km and it extends from the island's westernmost point (Varandinha) to the island's southernmost point. It was once called Porto Português, the first landing of the Portuguese on the island. The nearest village is Povoação Velha, 5 km to the north. The beach is an important for laying turtle eggs, which considers itself a protected area commonly known as the Morro de Areia Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural de Morro de Areia) which covers 2,585 hectares and bounds up to around 300 meters within the shoreline as it is being a marine reserve, the reserve is named after the nearby hill. Nearby beaches is Curralinho and Varandinha.