CABO LEDO, Angola, July 4 (AFP) : When Feliesiano Muteca started surfing a decade ago, he had the waves at Cabo Ledo on Angola's long Atlantic coastline pretty much to himself.
Now, the unspoilt and sandy beach about 125 kilometres (75 miles) south of the capital Luanda has become a prized destination for international surfers, with a reputation as a hidden gem.
The Portuguese-speaking southern African nation is still scarred by a long post-independence civil war that stalled its development, although parts of Luanda flash with oil money.
Wary of its dependence on oil and already burned by the market's volatility, Angola is embarking on a drive to lure back foreign tourists by easing access for travellers and boosting its attractions.
These include Cabo Ledo, where Muteca is a qualified surfing instructor with the sport's accredited body.
"There are two of us, and we give surf lessons," said Muteca, who started out when he was about 10 years old by borrowing boards from other surfers.
"Otherwise, we're there to help out on the beach," he said, pointing to thatched cabanas being assembled on the sand.
Further along, a small lodge has set up a beachside bar and cafe, with cabins on the hillside overlooking the Atlantic.
It is filled with a group of Germans enjoying the shade between waves. The same company, Carpe Diem, has a larger resort just up the coast.
Nearby tourist sites like the dramatic seaside Miradouro da Lua cliffs once had little more than a dusty road to a lookout point.
Now there's a smoothie hut and a cocktail bar, with a branded wooden frame showing the best angles for photos and selfies.
- Cruises and cuisine -
After five decades of war that ended in 2002, the vast country had a Stalinist government suspicious of the outside world.
Oil fuelled a post-war boom but an oil crash sent the kwanza currency tumbling. In 2014, it traded at around 100 to the US dollar. It is now trading around 900 to one dollar.
