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For more than 11 years, residents of Santiago Island in Cape Verde have lived alongside the wreck of the Pentalina B, a former ferry and cargo vessel that ran aground and never sailed again.
Over time, locals have grown used to the massive, rusting ship resting just offshore — and to the steady stream of visitors who come to see it up close.
Santiago’s unique attraction
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Fávio Carvalho, a resident of the nearby village, says people regularly arrive asking for directions to the shipwreck. The Pentalina B has become a quirky tourist draw, attracting travelers who film videos about its history, snap photos beside it, or simply come to marvel at the abandoned vessel.
“For us, it’s part of daily life,” Carvalho explains. “We go there, walk inside the ship, swim in the water around it, have picnics. It can stay right where it is — it brings in a lot of tourists.” He adds that many visitors show up because they saw the ship online and wanted to see it for themselves.
Shipwreck is “falling apart”
But despite its appeal, the shipwreck poses a real danger. According to reporting from Observador, years of exposure to saltwater and humidity have severely corroded the vessel’s structure, increasing the risk of collapsing metal and falling debris. “It’s falling apart,” Carvalho admits.
The Pentalina B was originally built in Scotland in 1970 and served as a ferry for decades before being replaced and eventually sold to a company operating inter‑island routes in Cape Verde.
Its final journey came on the night of June 5, 2014. With 85 passengers on board and several loads of cargo, the ship ran aground in the very spot where it remains today. Locals still remember rushing out in the middle of the night to bring clothing and supplies to the stranded travelers.
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