Adelino soon realized his willingness to change the world. Your world. Dakosta, as he is known, was born with a unique energy and an unusual self-esteem, characteristics that allowed him to avenge in life and today write a success story.
Dakosta is closely linked to the people of Bijagós and its archipelago of 88 islands, and is now considered a true benefactor. He inherited from his family, and from those who saw him grow, respect for nature, admiration for the genuine, belief in the ancestor, and responsibility for preservation. Today, part of his time is spent outside Guinea between meetings with city entities, congresses with representatives of travel agencies, interviews with journalists and meetings with NGOs in a real missionary odyssey. Whenever he returns to the archipelago he is welcomed with open arms, in a people's bath, in a party atmosphere. Dakosta represents the hope of those people, for whom he is building a hospital, instilled sport in children and created jobs with the construction of his eco retreat. Dakosta is the extension of each tabanca (village) of the Bijagós archipelago.
To get here Adelino turned out to be a fierce fighter. He grew up without opportunities and in a disadvantaged place and at the age of 9 moved to Portugal to pursue his studies. Over the years he never forgot the fighting rituals, much rooted in the bijagós culture, which later took him to the world of kickboxing where he was champion in Portugal. "To be the best you have to be where the best are" defends, and so he left, at the age of 17, to the United States of America, where he arrived, saw and won. He created the Punch Fitness Center gym network and settled on Madison Avenue, having as main clients those belonging to 1% of the population and which holds more than 80% of the wealth created in the world. They were attracted by an innovative training program that Dakosta developed, inspired by the tradition, rituals and belief of his people.
With his life stabilized and with "a wall to lean on", Adelino goes on to the biggest and most rewarding fight of his life: preserving and giving known the culture of the archipelago.
Dakosta brings tattooed Bijagós into his life. For good.
Dakosta is the owner of Dakosta Eco Retreat, located on the island of Bubaque in the Bijagós.
Fool those who think it's another hotel unit. It's so much more than that. It is a will of its own and at the same time a commitment to the people of Bijagós to preserve their habitat and continue their existence. Everything is kept neat from the beginning. Cultural habits are transmitted through dance, religious worship, rituals, respect for nature, the power of food, direct contact with the earth.
The purpose of Eco Retreat Dakosta is to establish a bridge with the rest of the world and share the experience of the archipelago. Dakosta also develops spiritual retreat programs and invites you to live your stay in a mystical world, surrounded by the Atlantic, just hours from Europe. The real journey is that of emotions, which only this place provides: walking barefoot to capture the energy that the earth offers. Open your arms and feel the grass that grows freely. Bath in the rain, dive into the ocean that surrounds us or let ourselves be enveloped by the movement of water. There is a need to recover the past world, live it in our present and preserve it for the future.
We still need our differences so we can live together or we run the risk of one day being all the same. Dakosta's mission is to preserve, value and share the heritage of these islands. The moment is now, when the world has already realized the importance of feeling the authentic. What is lacking in the big cities is found in the Bijagós, through a cultural experience, in harmony with the nature that the people have been able to keep intact.
The Dakosta project is only possible thanks to the intervention of Adelino da Costa, a champion, an authentic and tireless benefactor who does everything to put "his" Bijagós archipelago on the routes of tourism. And “this is just the beginning”, he reminds, with a smile on his face.
