Tarrafal

Tarrafal

The city of Tarrafal is a fishing port on the northwest coast of Santiago Island in Cape Verde. It is the seat of the Tarrafal Municipality. The city lies next to the Baía de Tarrafal, at foot of Monte Graciosa, which is 643 m high. Most of the coast of the Baía de Tarrafal is rocky, but there is a beach near the town. The northwestern boundary of the bay is marked by Cape Ponta Preta, on which stands a lighthouse, Farol da Ponta Preta. Marine fauna in the waters include the Goose Barnacle and the Coral Balanopsammia Wirtzi, the sole species of the genus. Fishes found near the headland include Cape Verde Basslet and Two-Banded Seabream. Monte Graciosa is part of a larger, proposed natural park. It is a volcanic mountain of phonolite origin, rich in feldspar and olivine. The mountain is home to a wide range of endemic plants. The Tarrafal camp, located south of the city, held political prisoners between 1936 and 1974, and at least 32 prisoners died there. Today it houses a museum.