It is flanked by the smaller Branco islet to the west and by São Nicolau island on its eastern side.

[2] Since 1990, the islet is part of the protected area Reserva Natural Integral de Santa Luzia.

[3] The island is 3.6 kilometres (2.2 miles) long by 2.8 kilometres (1.7 miles) wide,[4] Its highest point is Monte da Ribeira Ladrão, elevation 164 metres (538 feet) above sea level.

The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because, as well as the larks, it supports populations of Cape Verde shearwaters (with an estimated 2500–3750 breeding pairs), red-billed tropicbirds (25–40 pairs), Cape Verde barn owls and Iago sparrows, others include Oceanodroma castro.

The giant wall gecko (Tarentola gigas) and a skink (Mabuya stangeri) still occur.