Tarrafal Beach
Northern tip of Santiago, about 70 km from Praia
A palm-backed town beach with fishing boats at one end and swimmers at the other
Coastline
Sheltered north-facing bay
Sand & Water
pale gold, calm, clear and warm
Length
1 km
Best For
Swimming, Families
Tarrafal is the best swimming beach on Santiago and the reward for a long drive north from Praia. A crescent of pale sand sits in a bay sheltered by headlands at the island's northern tip, backed by coconut palms and a fishing town of the same name. Unlike most Cape Verdean beaches this one is genuinely calm, which makes it the place families from the capital come at weekends. Fishing boats pull up at the eastern end and the day's catch is sold on the sand, a few metres from where people are swimming.
Best Time to Visit Tarrafal Beach
Swimmable all year, which cannot be said of most beaches in the country. August and September bring the island's rains and the humidity that comes with them; the clearest and most comfortable months are November through June. Weekends bring crowds from Praia, so come midweek for space.
Best Months to Swim
Months to Avoid
Things to Do at Tarrafal Beach
Swimming
The headlands shelter the bay well enough that the water stays calm when the rest of the island's coast is rough. This is the easiest sea swimming on Santiago by a wide margin.
Buying fish off the boats
Boats land at the eastern end through the morning and the catch is sold on the sand. Restaurants behind the beach will cook what you buy.
Diving and snorkelling
Operators in the town run trips to volcanic reef and drop-offs nearby, with good visibility outside the rainy months.
Tarrafal Camp Museum
The Portuguese colonial prison camp at Chao Bom, a few kilometres away, held political prisoners from 1936 and is preserved as a museum.
Serra Malagueta walks
The mountain park is on the road back toward Assomada and combines easily with a beach day if you have a car.
Where to Stay near Tarrafal Beach
Tarrafal has a handful of small hotels and guesthouses along the shore and in the town, all modest and all inexpensive. Most visitors come as a day trip from Praia, but staying a night makes the three-hour round trip considerably less punishing.
Beachfront hotel
A few small hotels facing the bay, simple and good value by Cape Verdean standards.
Town guesthouse
Family-run rooms in Tarrafal town, a short walk from the sand.
Getting to Tarrafal Beach
Tarrafal is seventy kilometres north of Praia on a paved but slow mountain road that takes two and a half to three hours by aluguer minibus, or under two by car. The drive over Serra Malagueta is a large part of the appeal.
| From | Method | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 to 3 hours | ||
| 1 hour 45 minutes | ||
| 1 hour 45 minutes |
Food & Drink
Simple restaurants sit directly behind the sand doing grilled fish, octopus and cachupa at prices well below Praia's. Buying fish from the boats and having a restaurant grill it is common and cheap. This is also one of the better places in the country to try djagacida, the Santiago dish of rice cooked with chicken and beans.
Safety & Practical Tips
Tarrafal is a quiet fishing town with very little crime and the calmest water on Santiago. Normal beach sense applies around valuables at weekends when the bay is busy, and the usual caution about unlit streets late at night. The sea is the least of the concerns here, which is unusual for Cape Verde.
- •This is the one Cape Verdean beach where swimming conditions are genuinely easy, but there is still no lifeguard
- •Weekends bring crowds from Praia; midweek the bay is nearly empty
- •Aluguer minibuses back to Praia dry up by late afternoon, so check the last departure
- •Buy fish in the morning while the boats are still landing
- •The mountain road is winding enough that motion sickness is common
Nearby Attractions
Tarrafal Concentration Camp Museum
Museum
The preserved Portuguese colonial prison camp at Chao Bom, opened in 1936.
Serra Malagueta Natural Park
National park
Green mountain ridge with marked trails, on the road back toward Assomada.
Assomada
Town
The interior market town, holding the biggest market in the country on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Cidade Velha
UNESCO site
The first European colonial town in the tropics, on the coast west of Praia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tarrafal beach good for swimming?
Yes, and it is the best on Santiago for it. Headlands shelter the bay so the water stays calm and clear when the rest of the island's coast is rough, which is why families from Praia drive up at weekends. There is no lifeguard, but conditions are genuinely easy.
How do you get to Tarrafal from Praia?
Seventy kilometres north on a paved mountain road. Shared aluguer minibuses leave Sucupira market when full and take two and a half to three hours; driving takes under two. The last minibuses back leave in the late afternoon, so check before you settle in.
Is Tarrafal worth a day trip from Praia?
Yes, though it is a long day: three hours of driving each way by minibus. Staying a night makes more sense, and lets you combine the beach with Serra Malagueta and the camp museum rather than rushing all three.
What is the Tarrafal camp?
A Portuguese colonial prison camp at Chao Bom, a few kilometres from the beach, opened in 1936 to hold political prisoners from Portugal and later from its African colonies. It is preserved as a museum and gives a sober account of the dictatorship and the independence struggle.