Where are we?

This adventure started in Benguela, a city located on the Angolan coast – about 500 km south of

Luanda (the capital). Here is where most of the Join Angola team met, and it is also the place where the dance school Turma do Basico was born.

The city, with more than 513.000 inhabitants (data from national census 2014) is the capital of the homonymous province, which is composed of 10 municipalities (Balombo, Baia Farta, Benguela, Bocoio, Caimbambo, Catumbela, Chongoroi, Cubal, Ganda, Lobito). The population belongs mainly to the Ovimbundu and Nganguela ethnicities and the most widely spoken language in the province is Umbundu. The main activities are agriculture, fisheries and livestock.

The climate is tropical arid, characterised by a long warm season (from September to May) -corresponding also to the rainy season (there are not many rainy days, but when it happens it does rain!). From June to August the climate is dry and colder, characterised by the presence of cacimbo, during which the cold winds from the south meet the warmer land and create a sort of low “cloud-ceiling”.

Benguela is also know as the “city of Red Acacias” because of the many plants of Delonix regia planted along the city streets (truth be told, it isn’t really an acacia but it does have very beautiful red flowers!).

The city was founded by the Portuguese in 1617 and, for a long time, it was an important commercial centre, especially (and unfortunately) for the slave traffic to Brasil.

Today it is a touristic centre known for its beautiful blue water beaches: Praia Morena is in the centre of the city, then going south we can find Caota and Caotinha, Blue Bay, Macaca Beach (Baia Farta), while going north we find the beautiful beaches of Catumbela and of Restinga (Lobito).

We will show you many pictures in this website so you will see the beauty of this land and its shores!

Written by: Miriam Bacchin