Located to the North of the Archipelago, the island of São Nicolau covers an area of 343 Km2. Its widest point in the North/South direction is 25 km, and approximately 50 Km of length to the East/West. Volcanic activities in the past were very frequent and it is visible in the physical aspect of the island, which, similarly to island of Santo Antão, has majestic mountains. Monte Gordo is the highest peak of the island with an altitude of 1304 meters from where two separate clusters of peaks part. The valleys are narrow and deep, except the Vale de Fajã that is wide and fertile enough for the agricultural activity.

Settlement of this island started in the 17th century, after the islands of Santiago and Fogo, especially because, like Santo Antão, it was the island where one could find water and, therefore, with good conditions for activities such as agriculture and cattle breeding.

Undoubtedly, São Nicolau was for many years the intellectual centre of Cape Verde, and the birthplace of the literary movement "Claridade" (Clarity), a major turning point for the literature of Cape Verde, founded in 1936 by famous writers and poets such as Baltasar Lopes, Manuel Lopes, João Lopes and Jorge Barbosa. 

Source: Cape Verde Tourist Guide