Santiago is the largest island in Cape Verde, home to roughly half the country's population and to Praia, its capital. It is also the most African of the islands, settled first and most heavily by enslaved West Africans, and the place where Creole culture, batuko music and the country's political life all took shape. Visitors who come only for beaches tend to skip it, which is a mistake: Cidade Velha, on the coast west of Praia, was the first European colonial town in the tropics and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inland the island climbs into green mountains around Serra Malagueta, and the north coast holds Tarrafal, the best swimming beach on the island.
Things to Do in Santiago
Cidade Velha
UNESCO World Heritage SiteFounded in 1462 as Ribeira Grande, this was the first European colonial town in the tropics and a hub of the transatlantic slave trade. What survives is a single coastal street, the ruined cathedral, the pillory in the square and the Fortaleza Real de Sao Filipe above, whose ramparts give the best view on the island. Listed by UNESCO in 2009.
Duration: ~4 hours
Serra Malagueta Natural Park
National ParkA ridge of green mountains in the island's north, protected since 2003 and cut with marked trails that drop through terraced farmland toward the coast. The cloud sits on the ridge most mornings and burns off by midday. Guides can be arranged at the park centre and are worth it on the longer descents.
Duration: ~5 hours
Tarrafal Beach
BeachA sheltered crescent of pale sand backed by palms at the northern tip of the island, and the one beach on Santiago where swimming is genuinely easy. Fishing boats pull up at the eastern end and there are simple restaurants behind the sand.
Duration: ~4 hours
Assomada Market
MarketThe biggest market in the country, held Wednesdays and Saturdays in the interior town of Assomada. Produce from the surrounding valleys, live animals, cloth and household goods, sold to residents rather than to visitors. Go early and expect crowds.
Duration: ~2 hours
Tarrafal Concentration Camp Museum
MuseumThe Portuguese colonial prison camp at Chao Bom, opened in 1936 to hold political prisoners from Portugal and later from its African colonies. It is preserved as a museum and is a sober, well-presented account of the dictatorship and the independence struggle.
Duration: ~2 hours
Beaches near Santiago
The best beaches within easy reach of Santiago, from the city's own shoreline to nearby stretches of coast.
Santiago Neighborhoods
Where to stay and explore
Plateau
Fine by day; thin out after darkAdministrative, colonial, walkable by day
Praia's historic centre, set on a flat-topped rise above the port, with colonial squares, the presidential palace and the main shops and banks. It is the part of the capital worth walking, and where most of the city's cafes and government buildings sit.
Price level: $$
Cidade Velha
Safe and low-keyHistoric, slow, coastal
The original capital, fifteen kilometres west of Praia, and the first European colonial settlement in the tropics. A single street of low houses runs up from the sea beneath the Fortaleza Real de Sao Filipe, with the ruined cathedral and the pillory in between. It is small, quiet and genuinely remarkable.
Price level: $$
Tarrafal
SafeRelaxed, small-town, beachy
A fishing town at the island's northern tip with the best swimming beach on Santiago, a crescent of pale sand in a sheltered bay. It is a three-hour drive or aluguer ride from Praia, which keeps it quiet, and there are a handful of small hotels along the shore.
Price level: $$
Assomada
Safe, busy and crowded on market daysWorking, agricultural, lively on market days
The main inland town, halfway up the island in the green interior, and the site of the largest and best market in Cape Verde on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It has little tourism infrastructure and is all the better for it.
Price level: $
Food & Restaurants
Santiago eats better and cheaper than the resort islands because it is feeding its own population rather than visitors. Praia has the widest range in the country, from Plateau cafes to Portuguese and Italian restaurants, while the interior does straightforward Cape Verdean food: cachupa, stewed goat, grilled fish, all with rice and beans. Tarrafal is the place for fish straight off the boats.
Must-Try Dishes
Cachupa rica
The fuller version of the national stew, with pork, chorizo and fish alongside the corn and beans.
Djagacida
Rice cooked with chicken and beans, a Santiago staple at family meals.
Grilled tuna
Landed at Tarrafal and Praia and grilled simply, usually with rice and a tomato salad.
Top Restaurants
Plateau restaurants
$$Cape Verdean and Portuguese • Plateau
The widest choice in the country, from prato do dia to full Portuguese menus
Tarrafal beachfront
$$Seafood • Tarrafal
Fish landed on the beach in front of you
Santiago Nightlife
Praia has the only real nightlife in Cape Verde outside Mindelo. Live funana and batuko, the two musical forms most associated with Santiago, play in bars around Plateau and Prainha, and clubs run very late at weekends. Nights start after eleven and the good ones end at dawn.
Best areas: Plateau, Prainha, Palmarejo
Plateau live music bars
Live musicPlateau
Bars with live funana and batuko, busiest Thursday to Saturday.
Palmarejo clubs
ClubPalmarejo
Late clubs in the newer western district, opening properly after midnight.
Shopping in Santiago
Praia has the country's only real shops, including supermarkets and the Sucupira market, an enormous open-air sprawl selling clothing, electronics and household goods. For anything made in Cape Verde, the Assomada market and the craft cooperatives are better than the capital's tourist shops.
Malls
- Praia shopping centres (Palmarejo)
Markets
- Sucupira Market - General
- Assomada Market - Produce
What to Buy
Safety in Santiago
Santiago is safe by regional standards but Praia has more street crime than anywhere else in Cape Verde, concentrated in pickpocketing and bag-snatching around Sucupira market and in poorly lit parts of the city after dark. The rest of the island, including Tarrafal, Assomada and Cidade Velha, is quiet. Nothing here approaches the risk levels of mainland African cities.
Safe Areas
- ✓ Plateau by day
- ✓ Cidade Velha
- ✓ Tarrafal
- ✓ Assomada
- ✓ Palmarejo
Avoid
- ✗ Sucupira market with valuables on show
- ✗ Praia's unlit streets and beaches after dark
- ✗ Walking alone between districts at night
Safety Tips
- • Take a taxi rather than walking across Praia after dark; fares are low
- • Carry a day's cash and leave the rest at the hotel, especially at Sucupira
- • Aluguer minibuses to Tarrafal and Assomada leave from Sucupira and go when full, not to a timetable
- • Cidade Velha and Serra Malagueta are easier as half-day trips with a driver than by minibus
- • The interior roads are steep and winding; motion sickness is common
Getting Around Santiago
Aluguer minibus
RecommendedShared minibuses from Sucupira to Assomada, Tarrafal and Cidade Velha. Leave when full.
$2 to $6
Taxi
Plentiful and cheap in Praia; agree longer fares in advance.
$2 to $40
Hire car
Useful for Serra Malagueta and the northern loop. Roads are paved but steep and winding.
$45 to $75 a day
Santiago Weather
Warm and semi-arid on the coast, cooler and greener in the mountains
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| january | 25°C | 19°C | 4mm | Dry and mild, green fading in the interior |
| february | 25°C | 19°C | 2mm | Dry, harmattan haze possible |
| march | 26°C | 19°C | 1mm | Dry and warm |
| april | 26°C | 20°C | 0mm | Driest month |
| may | 27°C | 21°C | 0mm | Warm and dry |
| june | 28°C | 22°C | 1mm | Warm, first humidity |
| july | 28°C | 23°C | 8mm | Hot, occasional showers |
| august | 29°C | 24°C | 55mm | Hot and humid, rains begin properly |
| september | 29°C | 24°C | 90mm | Wettest month, interior turns green |
| october | 29°C | 24°C | 40mm | Warm, rains easing, best hiking |
| november | 28°C | 22°C | 10mm | Warm and clear |
| december | 26°C | 20°C | 5mm | Mild and dry |
How Many Days in Santiago?
2
Minimum
4
Recommended
6
Ideal