Santiago is an island of Cape Verde.

Cities

• 1 Praia – the capital of Cape Verde.
• 2 Cidade Velha – the former capital.
• 3 Tarrafal – has one of the most accessible swimming sand beach on the island and a collection of hotels plus access to adventure nearby adventure sports.

Other destinations

Note that the Aluguer public shared transportation may be sparse in the smaller towns. This is especially true in the afternoon and evening.

East coast

From north to south:

• Calheta is a town on the east coast of the island of Santiago. It is the capital of São Miguel district. On the road going north, one can find spectacular cliffs falling into the ocean as well as great views up to the highest peaks of Serra Malagueta.
• Playa blanca south of Calheta is a smaller beach protected against the waves by rocks.

Central Santiago

From north to south:

• Sierra Malagueta is a national park in the mountainous region between Tarrafal and Assomada. It is more humid than most other areas of Santiago and offers hikes in multiple directions.
• Assomada is a town on the main road between Praia and Tarrafal.

West coast

From north to south:

• Ribiera da Prata lies on the coast south of Tarrafal. It is besides Praia da Prata (silver beach), a large black sand beach of volcanic sand.
• Ribiera da Barca contains a small black sand beach and a small fishing port
• Achada Leite is a small town with the impressive Pilon de Achada Leite rock in the sea
• Aguas Belas is an uninhabited pebble beach with a large cave

Get in

By plane

Santiago has an international airport in Praia which is also a domestic hub.

By ferry

The port in Praia has direct and indirect connections by ferry to other islands.

Get around

By bus

Most of the buses ("aluguer") leave from the "central minibus station" at the bottom of the steps that lead from Parque 5 de Julho to the Old Town in Plato besides the market called Sucupira. If you repeat your destination loudly, the drivers will shuffle you towards the correct bus. The touts did not try to charge any money in March 2019. Be careful of your belongings as the station area seems to attract a seedier part of the population for the informal market nearby. Also of note, the minibuses often have destinations in decals on their sides (e.g. Cidade Velha, Assomada or Tarrafal). These black decals are not necessarily related to the route they want to take, which means it is necessary to ask clearly before taking one.

By taxi

Taxis are painted in yellowish color and carry an official registration sign. They are not metered, so fares have to be arranged individually.

By car

For the beautiful east coast road (Tarrafal to Achada Fazenda), it was not easy to find a direct aluguer from Praia or from Tarrafal in March 2019. In both instances, the drivers wanted passengers for Achada Fazenda or Calheta to go to Assomada and change, which means missing the best natural part between Calheta and Tarrafal.

See

The island is mostly comprised of precipitous mountains, which make for exciting roads and grand views. The historical and cultural sights are concentrated in Praia with some notable ruins in Cidade Velha and the former dictatorial prison in Tarrafal.

The island is dry and dusty with only a few narrow green gorges breaking up the yellow and red scenery. The cliffs on the east coast are spectacular, and the black beaches on the west coast make for good walking and picnicking. The very hospitable population makes travel pleasant, and there is almost always a cold water or grog to be had on any route.

Do

The local culture is friendly, fascinating, and West African. Santiago provides a good mix of beautiful nature in the north and center, modern West Africa in Praia, and historical colonial sights in Cidade Velha.

Santiago is not really a place to go for a resort experience or a typical beach vacation such as one finds in the nearby Canaries or as advertised for Boa Vista island.

Eat

Cachupa is the national dish and is a distant relative of Portuguese feijoada, and it can be ordered at a lot of places. Canjo is a type of chicken and rice stew but this dish is harder to find.

Papaya and banana are readily available on the island and of good quality.

As with most other former Portuguese colonies, the pastel is an important morning tradition in the cities. There are many bakeries making pastel de nata (sweet cream), pastel con peixe (savory fish), pastel de carne (beef/pork mixture), pastel de frango (chicken), and others.

Drink

Grog ("Grogu/Grogo") is the national drink, usually served 75-100ml straight, but there also appears to be a local dark rum. In English there is a difference between grog and white rum, but this appears not to be the case in Portuguese. Many flavored "grogs" are also available on the island.

Cold beer is generally inexpensive and plentiful, although some bars are funny about leaving with the glass bottles. In a country with ample roadside rubbish, the bar owners appear to be fanatic recyclers.

International beverages such as whisky are available in bars, but the prices are 5-10 times higher than grog and rum.

Stay safe

The roads are in relatively good condition, and the petty crime does not appear to be common. With that said, there are no street lights in general, which makes nighttime travel precarious. It would be wise to consult a local before heading out after dark, even in Praia.