Rabil: Crafts and Festival Culture

Rabil brings together local craft traditions, traces of a former brick and roof-tile factory in the surrounding area, and celebrations held on specific dates. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing these local themes from other places to visit on Boa Vista.

Pottery in Rabil and industrial history at Praia de Chaves

Boa Vista’s pottery school was built in Rabil in 1960 and preserves traditional clay-forming techniques developed by craftspeople from Rabil and used at the school. The year it was built is part of the school’s history; its connection to local craftsmanship lies in the techniques of local craftspeople. Here, a specific date and a local pottery heritage come together.

At Praia de Chaves, in the area around Rabil, a chimney rises above the dunes as one of the few surviving remains of a former brick and roof-tile factory. It points to a different kind of production than the pottery school. Together, the two features offer a glimpse into different aspects of production history: preserved clay-forming techniques and traces of a factory that made bricks and roof tiles.

Festivals in Rabil

May 2 is associated with the Santa Cruz celebrations in Rabil: a flag is raised in the church square of Igreja de São Roque to the sounds of coladeira music and drums. The celebrations in honour of Rabil’s patron saint, São Roque, are held on August 16 and include cultural, sporting and social activities. The focus differs: the first occasion centres on the church square, the flag and music, while the second features a range of activities. If your trip depends on either celebration, check the current dates before making plans.

Boa Vista: Landscapes and places to visit

Places to visit on Boa Vista include the fishing settlement of Spinguera, the Planície do Campo da Serra plain, Praia de Santa Mónica and Ervatão. Praia de Santa Mónica is in the southwest of Boa Vista and is more than 11 km long. The places mentioned range from a fishing settlement and a plain to a long beach.

The Viana Desert on Boa Vista is about one kilometre wide and around five kilometres long; its light sand is mixed with grains of black earth. You can walk freely and easily in the desert; follow local guidance when visiting. In the Morro de Areia nature reserve on Boa Vista, sand dunes reach into the ocean. At Viana, the dimensions and composition of the sand give a concrete impression of the landscape, while at Morro de Areia the dunes extending into the sea are its defining feature.

The permanent exhibition at the Museu dos Naufragos in Sal Rei includes relics from historic shipwrecks off the coast of Boa Vista, as well as objects relating to the period of pirate attacks and the slave trade to the Americas. Different chapters in maritime and trade history are represented side by side, unlike the pottery and factory remains in Rabil. A seasonal, four-hour boat tour in Sal-Rei Bay includes swimming in the bay’s calm waters. Take the season into account and check current availability in advance if you plan this activity.

Discover more destinations: Espingueira, Curral Velho.

For the broader travel overview: Boa Vista.