Saint Martin of the Tigers

Could use a prayer

Saint Martin of the Tigers (Portuguese: São Martinho dos Tigres) is a ghost town in Southwest Angola.

Understand

Today, Saint Martin of the Tigers sits on an island. It didn't always sit on an island. The town was founded in 1860 as a model settlement to serve as the economic center of Angola's inhospitable Namibe desert. For nearly a century, this model was quite successful, and the town thrived as a fishing port. But in 1962, strong waves broke through the isthmus that connected the town to the mainland, cutting it off from essentially everything the town needed to survive, including fresh water from the nearby town of Foz do Cunene. The villagers hung on for another decade, but after the start of the Angolan Civil War in 1975 and its ensuing chaos, survival proved impossible and the town was abandoned.

Get in

It's a mission. First, get to Tômbua. You should be able to find a tour operator there to bring you to the island. Essentially, you need a small convoy of 4WD vehicles, along with a boat, to take you along the coastline until you reach the Tigres Strait. Then the boat comes into play, which you'll use to cross the strait and get to the island. You'll need to camp there. Note there are zero facilities. The next day you make the return trip.

See and do

• Abandoned cathedral
• Abandoned cinema
• Abandoned water tank
• Abandoned hospital
• Abandoned school
• Abandoned bakery

You get the idea...

Sleep

You'll need to camp. Fortunately, there's plenty of room.