Spinguera Ecolodge

Spinguera Ecolodge is a cluster of stone buildings on the north coast of Boa Vista, inside the Parque Natural do Norte. The site was a fishing, farming and goat-herding village, left empty through the 1970s and 80s. Rebuilt from 2007 onward, it now holds nine rooms and three villas, each facing the sea. Walls are local stone, floors are pigmented cement, and hot water comes from solar panels; the whole electrical system runs off a photovoltaic plant. There is no minibar, television or air conditioning in the rooms, and mosquito nets hang over the beds. Villa Boavista adds a kitchen, an American-style bar and a terrace with two linen sunbeds facing an unbroken horizon of desert and ocean. Fifteen staff live in or near the neighbouring village of Bofareira, and the kitchen at Cá Cabra restaurant sources fish and vegetables locally, serving them alongside recipes from the owner's Italian family. A new open-air shala, built in timber and measuring 5 by 10 metres, holds yoga and meditation sessions within earshot of the surf. Guests can arrange 4x4 tours into the dunes, sport fishing, snorkelling and turtle-nesting walks, though all activities need booking ahead. Wifi is free; mobile signal is not available. A shuttle runs three times a week to Sal Rei.