Lucira Cape

Lucira Cape lies on the dry Atlantic coast of south-western Angola, north of Namibe. The cold Benguela current runs along this shore and keeps the coastal air cool and misty, while the neighbouring land is arid and offers little fresh water. Shallow inshore waters and rocky points made the coast rich in fish, and fishing villages gathered along the shore.

Portuguese navigation and Atlantic commerce affected this coast from the sixteenth century. Ships depended on coastal landmarks and suitable anchorages, and the African communities of the shore kept links between the sea and the interior. Fishing and the coastal trade supplied the settlements that lay in the cape's lee.