A vast arc of white sand stretching roughly 25 kilometres along Boa Vista's eastern coast, Santa Mónica is one of the longest beaches in Africa and one of the most genuinely undeveloped. There are no facilities, no vendors, and — outside nesting season — sometimes no other visitors at all. The sea here is Atlantic and powerful; currents make swimming unpredictable, so wade in cautiously and watch the conditions.
The same beach that makes for such extraordinary solitude is also one of the main nesting grounds for loggerhead sea turtles between June and October. Tracks in the sand at dawn are a reliable sign that females came ashore during the night.