Cape Verde Explored – Useful things to know about Santiago

Moving on from São Vicente, we head to Santiago, the largest island in the archipelago.

So – why did we visit Santiago….

Looking for as much of a mix of beach, urban, nature and culture as time and logistics allowed, Santiago seemed like an obvious inclusion. Praia, the largest city and the country’s capital, is located here – and I LIKE capitals! It is home to the country’s only UNESCO World Heritage site – I like those too!!! It is linked to São Vicente by air and offered an opportunity to experience another aspect of the islands. We decided on 3 nights /2.5 days, giving us a day to have a look around the city and another to explore further afield.

Alas, the God’s finally caught up with us and decided things were going a bit too smoothly! We were well aware of the challenges that face visitors relying on internal transport – be it high winds, maintenance, overbooking or subcontracted cancellations – so a change in schedule wasn’t really a surprise.

But it didn’t work in our favour. Our onward flight was brought forward by a day (we did know in advance), leaving us with just 2 nights/ 1.5 days on the island. But a lunchtime flight from São Vicente and a no show transfer in Praia meant we didn’t get to our hotel until 4.pm. There was just time for a quick swim before heading in to the city centre to have a look around before darkness fell. We abandoned any thoughts of exploring the greater island and opted for a morning tour of the city centre and nearby, UNESCO listed, Cidade Velha. The Gods, alas, were still against us – the tour went ahead the following day but being November 1st and a public holiday, it meant pretty much everything was closed. C’est La Vie!!!

Santiago may be the largest island but it’s one of the least touristy. Its population originated from Portuguese citizens, European explorers and even criminals banished from mainland Europe. It was a fertile island and slaves were brought from mainland Africa to manage the sugarcane crop. Of the archipelago’s population (est 527,000 – 610,000 as of late 2024/25) about half live on Santiago and about half of those live in Praia (The urban population for the islands as a whole is circa 78.56%).

In 1462, Cidade Velha, 15 kilometers outside present-day Praia, was established as a major market in the slave trade, processing tens of thousands of captured Africans before they were shipped off to Europe and the Americas. This trade made the city the second richest in the Portuguese realm. However, this great wealth, along with ongoing colonial rivalry between Portugal, England and France, left the city vulnerable to attacks by pirates as well as Portugal’s enemies and so the capital was eventually transferred to Praia in the 18th century.

The town’s importance as the first European colonial town to be built in the tropics – signifying a decisive step in European expansion towards Africa and the Atlantic area – is among the reasons it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. There are several areas of interest here, not to mention the dramatic views of the Atlantic.

In the small town square stands the Pillory – a 16th century marble pillar where rebellious slaves were publicly punished.

Rua da Banana is the oldest street built by the Portuguese in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Nossa Senhora do Rosário Church is another oldie – dating back to 1495, it’s actually the oldest structure in the islands.

Further up the hill lies Convento de São Francisco, built in 1640 by a wealthy landowner.

The Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição was discovered in 2015 by a local farmer while planting crops.

The Ribeira Grande de Santiago is typically a dry riverbed or seasonal stream for much of the year, flowing consistently only during and immediately after the brief rainy season.

Overlooking it all, Fort Real de São Filipe was one of the strongest of the time when completed in 1593.

It was closed to visitors on the day but we could still enjoy the views…

Down below us lies what’s left of the cathedral – it was heavily damaged and looted by French privateers in 1712. There are plans to finally restore the building within the next few years

The river valley cuts through rugged and mountainous terrain. It is used for agriculture, irrigated primarily by groundwater extraction. Dams have been constructed further upstream with pipes supplying water to farmers. It’s wonderful to see so much production in a country that relies so heavily on imported food…

The administrative centre of the colony moved to an elevated plateau above the sea. The town – rather lazily – was named Praia meaning beach and the elevated area to this day is still just known as the Plateau! Praia remained the administrative centre until 1975 when, with independence from Portugal, it assumed the role of capital of the new state. Of course the city, like every other, has experienced the usual urban sprawl and has long spread out beyond the plateau.

Being the capital has brought benefits to its 160,000 inhabitants – most roads in and around Praia are paved while the city also receives significant investment in sectors such as water and sanitation. Its port is second only to Mindelo in size and handles most of the country’s imports/exports. An expanding tourism industry, as well as service-related activities, accounts for a significant part of the local economy and there is a growing middle-class population here.

Plateau still reflects the islands’ past with its lovely colonial style architecture. There aren’t many major sites beyond a few museums and markets but it’s nice to walk the partially pedestrianised area and enjoy Alexandre Albuquerque Square, the shops and restaurants.

There is a huge national flag up on the plateau…

Blue represents the sky and ocean. The bands in between signify the road towards construction of the nation – white standing for peace and red meaning effort. The stars represent the 10 main islands – arranged in a circle to reflect the unity of the archipelago.

That’s Mercado de Sucupira  down below the Plateau. Not a thing of beauty as you can see but 10 out of 10 for location. It was closed on our visit but is reportedly the place to shop for – well – everything I suppose!

What goes up must come down!!! Access to the plateau must get wearisome at times but at least they’ve made an effect to cheer the steps up a bit!

The beaches rather pale into insignificance when compared with the lovely stretches of sand elsewhere in the archipelago but – probably not the worst city beaches I’ve come across! There are a few very close to the city that are popular with locals and tourists alike and convenient for anyone not wanting to venture away from the area.

Ilhéu de Santa Maria, once known as Quail Island, has had a chequered career – leper colony, quarantine station, even playing a defining role in the development of Charles Darwin’s vision and theory!

In 2015, Macau Legend Development Ltd, led by billionaire David Chow, agreed to invest €250 million in a casino complex on the island. The luxury resort would include hotels, office buildings, retail, dining, convention center, museum, function areas, a clubhouse and a marina! In return for the investment, the company received a 75 year land concession and 25 year gaming concession on the island.

A bridge out to the island was constructed and work began but, after a series of setbacks – Macau Legend’s reported failure to meet contractual obligations, etc – the project was officially cancelled by the government in 2024. Today, the only noticeable activity is from the guards at the gates while the site faces an uncertain future.

Dona Maria Pia Lighthouse dates back to 1881 and was named after the then Queen of Portugal. 

Where we stayed

My initial impression of Hotel Oasis Atlantico Praiamar was anything but favourable. BUT I admit to arriving there in foul humour! We’d hung around the airport for ages, awaiting our transfer and then I was convinced we were MILES away from everything! Not close to the city at all! It was too late in the day to see or do anything. There was no one on the tours desk to sort a city trip for the following morning – etc, etc, etc!

Of course I had it wrong. The cliff top location is just an 20 minute walk from the Plateau in one direction and offers great views across the bay in the other. There’s a lovely pool area and an even nicer terraced bar for a nightcap. They serve a good breakfast and, as there is a selection of restaurants within a 5-7 minute walk, we didn’t dine in but lots of residents did stay and eat on the terrace.

So what did we think….

Praia was just OK (but I preferred Mindelo on Sao Vicente and even Santa Maria on Sal). I must qualify that by saying that everything was closed so I’m not making a fair judgement. This was also the only place we were advised not to walk at night – we ate in the city centre on the first evening and taxied home and then discovered a strip of restaurants at a beach close to the hotel so we dined there the following night and could walk back to the hotel.

Would we go back? I know there are interesting things to see and do around the island that we missed out on but, to be honest, of the 4 islands we visited, this is the one I’ve no interest at all in returning to…

I DO know though, that if we’d left Santiago out of our schedule I’d always think we’d missed something so there’s that at least!