Cape Verde Islands

In Ribeira Grande, the vivacious capital of Santo Antão that is located in the valley by the same name, you can discover the Nossa Senhora do Rosário church with a praça of the same name, as well as a food market (Mercado Municipal) and a clothing market (north of the city centre). Although few hotels have established themselves here up to now, a lively mood prevails in the winding lanes with little shops and restaurants. If you would like to spend the night here, small guesthouses offer relatively good service. An Internet café can be found on a side street close to the church. 

Porto Novo, the next largest city on Santo Antão, is located in the dry southeast of the island. A dusty wind blows constantly here. You can explore the main street with its former mansions, a little church, markets that have local fish, grogue and fresh goat cheese for sale, shops and – of course -- the harbour.

In order to understand the fascinating contrasts of Santo Antãos, we recommend a ride from Porto Novo to Ribeira Grande on the old road. Start in the dry southeast of the island, drive through the vertically towering rock peaks, then past the pine forest near Cova and Corda and along the narrow mountain ridges to the north coast of the island. After you pass the first little village at Lombo de Figueira, you will come to (the foot of) the Cova de Paúl volcano. Its cauldron is situated at the centre of steep cliffs at 1000 metres above sea level. You will have a breathtaking view of the Ribeira do Paúl and the north coast from here. Through the plain of Lagoa (the village itself is very small), you will see how the landscape already becomes much more barren in the west. On the other hand, the plateaus offer a very beautiful view across the island. When the weather is good, you can even see all the way to Monte Verde on the neighbouring island of São Vicente. You will also find an indescribable panorama view around Corda, whose houses appear to grow out of the mountain. Once you have left Corda behind, the trip becomes exciting: You drive on a street that runs across the ridges of a mountain range. The edge of the road drops almost vertically into the depths on the left and right.

The new road from Porto Novo to Paúl has also been open since the summer of 2009. This is an asphalt street through a rather dull landscape. Unfortunately, all of the aluguers (shared taxis) now drive on this new street and most visitors to the island miss out on the breathtaking views from the old cobblestone road as a result. If you would like to take the more exciting route, just order a taxi that drives from Porto Novo to Ribeira Grande for about 5,000 escudos (approx. 45 euros).

The district of Pául with the coastal village of Vila das Pombas, from where the Ribeira do Paúl extends to the Cova Crater, is located about 10 kilometres east of Ribeira Grande. The little town of Passagem can be found at 250 metres above sea level in approximately the centre of the valley, which is very craggy is some places. A lovely swimming pool has been built here on several terrace plateaus. A narrow road runs from here in the direction of the ocean after 2 kilometres to the rural lodgings of Aldeia Manga, which consists of a number of straw-covered loam bungalows and a large stone house. These are ideal accommodations for hikers, who can start out on and finish many different hikes from here without needing a car.

About 2 kilometres further up, there is a nice little restaurant with many interesting homemade products at Alfred’s in Cha de João Vaz. The various liqueurs and grogue variations made by the Austrian who has already lived in Pául for more than 25 years. 

Vila das Pombas (Paúl) itself is located on a protected bay in the northeast of Santo Antão. Little houses painted in pastel colours, like the light-blue city hall, line the beach promenade here. Behind them are the sugar cane fields and coconut palms – it will remind you of Cuba. The little church and the blue city hall make Vila das Pombas a dreamy place.

Many beggars and street children now live in slum-like conditions in Mindelo, which can be called a melting pot of the cultures, due to the decline of the harbour economy. Nevertheless, Mindelo has preserved its status as the cultural centre of the Cape Verdean archipelago. Because of the many sailors from around the world who were looking for amusement when they came through town, the city became the birthplace of the many, even internationally famous, music styles of Cape Verde such as morna or coladeira. However, you should not expect to find dreamy bars in which traditional music is spontaneously played every step of the way. As a result of globalisation, pop music has long become a part of the scene. Television with the Brazilian Telenovelas has also done its part in encouraging the city’s young people to stay at home in the evening instead of spending their time playing music in the streets. But well-known artists such Baú still perform in the clubs (such as Café Musique) and (also small) restaurants.

In addition to the harbour in Mindelo, you can also admire the Mercado de Peixe (fish market), the Torre de Belém (replica of the tower with the same name near Lisbon), the bronze busts of Diego Afonso, the shoreline street with its beautiful manors and, a bit further, the Esplanada or city park. In the Praça Nova quarter, an upscale neighbourhood with a plaza of the same name that has some pastel-coloured villas with stucco, the Quiosque Praça Nova with a lovely Art Noveau pavilion invites you to relax. People generally like to go for strolls here. In this quarter, which seems quite European, increasingly more shops and restaurants are opening their doors – Mindelo pulsates.
In the morning, you should visit one of the many classic cafes on the Rua Lisboa, which is now officially called Rua Libertadores d’Africa and, as many people say, is the soul of Mindelo. A market hall and the former governor’s palace in the classical style are located on this street. A visit to the old town, which is situated directly on the ocean and in front of the impressive panorama of the Cara Mountain, is obligatory! This district, which has a very African character with its flying traders, is home to the colonial Nossa Senhora da Luz church on the Praçinha da Igreja and the relatively well-stocked Casa Benefica department store. Further to the south, on the Praça Estrela with a pavilion and a few bars, African traders offer their goods (clothing, shoes and bric-a-brac, as well as fruit and vegetables). There is an Internet café on the Avenida Amílcar Cabral at the Centro Cultural do Mindelo, in which changing exhibitions are also displayed.

The strong trade wind that blows from November to June has turned the island into an Eldorado for surfers. Due to the international airport on Sal and ambitious tourism projects, which have also created jobs, Sal has now reached a population of 20,000 people. Only 10% of these are older than 40 years.
The highest elevation on the island is Monte Grande with a height of just 403 metres. The island is very flat on the whole, which is why clouds hardly have a chance to stay above it and there is almost no rain. So: sun, sun, sun… and kilometres of sandy beaches.
In Espargos in the island’s interior, location of the international airport and the capital of the island, you can find everything that is practical and important: banks, a health centre, the main post office, a hotel, some guesthouses, bars, Internet cafés and restaurants, and – of course – all types of stores.

The harbour city of Palmeira is situated just a few kilometres to the west of Espargos. This is where a majority of the imports and exports take place on the waterways of the islands. Otherwise, Palmeira is a town with bars and restaurants whose architectural appearances still have distinctly Portuguese characteristics, especially in the north. Divers should know that there are fantastic underwater caves and reefs, such as Olho Azul, to explore about 5 kilometres to the north of Palmeira.
Above all, the town of Pedra Lume (“fiery stone”) is known for its salt sea (saline), a low volcano crater that lies beneath sea level. Salt mining now exists only to a limited extent with just a few fishermen still living in the small, deserted town. In addition, it’s now possible to enjoy a curative salt bath in the saline at some of the salt seas for an admission fee. Showers are available.

The capital of the island of Boa Vista, Sal Rei, looks quite cosy and almost sleepy, even though more than half of the island’s 12,000 inhabitants live here. On the main plaza, the Praça de Santa Isabel with its many colourful flowers and pavilions, you can admire goods sold by the African traders. Colourful batiks and carved wood figures, as well as fruit and vegetables, are sold here. Sal Rei also has a travel agency, a health centre, a bank and a post office.
The Igreja da Santa Isabel, which stands directly next to Praça de Santa Isabel, was built in the colonial style and decorated by a Baroque facade in shades of sand and light blue.
Along the ocean, on the Avenida dos Pescadores, you can tour the old harbour quay and a boatyard. Directly across from it, you can see the little island of Ilheu de Sal Rei in the open sea. Further to the north, Avenida dos Pescadores is lined with trees and dreamy colourful little houses in every possible colour stand at the edge of the street.
The salines, in which the royal salt (Sal Rei) of best quality was once produced, are located to the northeast of the city. If you drive a bit further, you will recognise the ruins of the Nossa Senhora de Fátima chapel above the rocky coast.
The bays of Sal Rei are perfect for swimming because they are protected against the wind by the island of Ilheu de Sal Rei, which is located offshore from it. We highly recommend the kilometre-long sandy beach of Praia do Estoril to the south of the town. In addition, the Praia de Carlota and the Praia da Chave are in the south and the Praia de Cabral is in the north.

In Rabil in the southwest of the island, you can visit a little pottery workshop and the São Roque church. Otherwise, the village makes a rather deserted impression. In the direction of Estância de Baixo, a small oasis with coconut and date palms is located in the valley.
The oldest settlement of Boa Vista, which was built about 500 years ago, is also in the southwest: Povoação Velha. The little plaza Praceta de Santo António with its flowers and benches to rest on is at the heart of the town. The playful little Igreja Nossa Senhora da Conceição church, which was built in 1828, is on the outskirts of town. Its interior is decorated with a colourfully painted chancel that has numerous little images of saints.
The Praia de Santa Monica in the south of Boa Vista is considered the most beautiful beach of Cape Verde. You can also see Maio and São Nicolau from the Rocha Estância (354 metres) observation point.
The east of the island is so solitary and deserted that you won’t see anyone at all in some areas of it. The Fundo Figueiras district in the hamlet of Norte has a pretty little church, Igreja São João Baptista, with white and pastel facades. The little houses are very colourful.
The lonely beaches in this part of the island are more suited for long, quiet walks than swimming. Unfortunately, the number of robberies on the island has increased together with the rapid development of tourism. You should never take long walks on secluded beaches by yourself. It’s always better to go in a group.

The island has beautiful secluded beaches. For example, a broad sandy beach many kilometres in length is relatively easy to reach and runs along the west coast from Vila do Maio (Praia da Vila in the city and Praia Ponta Preta in eastern direction) through the little town of Morro until after Calheta. Swimming is also wonderful to the south of the capital at the Praia da Ponta Preta.

The capital of the island, Vila do Maio, is located directly on the ocean in the southwest. The Praça Fina, the central plaza of the city, serves as an evening meeting place for the people of Maio. A white church, built in the Portuguese colonial style, borders the plaza. To the south of the praça on a side street, there is a little market hall where you can buy groceries.

With its roughly 100,000 inhabitants, the capital of Praia pulsates and grows. This is the governmental and economic epicentre of the country. But slums that are reminiscent of Brazil‘s favelas and suburbs with multi-storied concrete buildings also dominate the cityscape. Praia is busy, loud, hectic -- a typical big city. Businesspeople, diplomats (at home in the Prainha villa quarter) and the government officials bustle about in the centre, and 10,000 commuters descend upon the city every day. Even if Praia is less tourist-oriented, it still has some attractions for you to discover: The core of the old town, which is built on a plateau, with its magnificent houses from the colonial era and the Praça Alexandra de Albuquerque. The  Nossa Senhora da Graça church, the food market, the palace of justice, the Museo Ethnográfico, the presidential palace, the parliament building in the Achada de Santo António section of the city, and the old town fortress of Bateira, from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of the ocean.
The best city beaches are the Praia Prainha or the Quebra Canela, which is close to the Prainha quarter. The Praia da Gamboa, which is not recommended for swimming, is the site of the island’s latest music festival, which takes place once every year.
The Achada de Santo António quarter, located on a plateau in the west of Praia, is where you will find bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
It’s also worthwhile to visit the Mercado de Sucupira with its labyrinthine side streets in the Várzea quarter. This is where you can buy everything from clothing and African fabric to household appliances to music and traditional handicrafts and the typical national dishes.

Cidade da Ribeira Grande de Santiago, the former capital of Santiago (previously called Cidade Velha), was placed on the World Cultural Heritage list by UNESCO in July 2009. The city is overlooked by a mighty fortress, Fortaleza Real de São Felipe, which serves as a reminder of the Portuguese colonial rulers. The romantic little houses of Rua Banana, which also display architecture typical of Portugal, were rebuilt true to the original within the scope of a UNESCO project. The fact that the Cidade de Santiago was the centre of the international slave trade during its heyday, when it was still called Ribeira Grande, is attested to by the pillory (Pelourinho), an obelisk close to the city centre.
The Nossa Senhora do Rosário church, whose construction began in 1495, is enthroned above the northern part of Rua Banana. With its baptismal of alabaster, it’s the oldest colonial church in the world. Above all, the monument‘s baptistery is worth seeing. The floral motifs in stone in the latticework vault of the chapel are evidence of Moorish influences, as are the numerous azulejos (painted tiles).
The Convento São Francisco, to the north of the city centre, is also worth visiting. Directly on the coast, the ruin-like Sé Catedral lies elevated above the sea. Started in 1555 and only completed in 1693, the rather simple church in the Mudéjar style is full of history. Its construction plans were frequently changed, and it was partially built of limestone and partially of basalt quarry stones.

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