Giant mimosa, tamarind, pine and eucalyptus trees fill the air. An invigorating coolness settles in and, as the road bends, you catch glimpses of splendid panoramas of jagged peaks and basalt pinnacles. The road continues over a ridge and the view plummets to the bottom of valleys at over 1,000 m. Houses stand on the side of precipices, overlooking cirques and chasms. The descent to Ribeira Grande is just as spectacular.