Description
Santiago Island Tour – Experience the authentic culture + charm of Cabo Verde when you ride through the countryside. Drive by the home where revolutionist Amilcar Cabral spent part of his life, then visit the Tarrafal Concentration Camp which once housed political prisoners of the Portuguese empire. Have a traditional lunch in the beach town of Tarrafal then relax on gorgeous Tarrafal Beach. Drive back winding along the island’s east coast and visit one community of the Rabelados (Rebels) to see how they are preserving traditional religion and culture. Full day
Old City Tour (Cidade Velha, Santiago) – Tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site Cidade Velha (the “Old City”) which historians are now calling the first port of the Atlantic Triangular Slave Trade. Stops include Fort Real Sao Filipe constructed to protect the town from frequent pirate attacks, the oldest colonial church in the tropics Nossa Senhora do Rosario and the old pelourinho (slave post). 3 hours
New City Tour (Praia, Santiago) – Explore the capital city of Praia including historic Plateau, the city’s downtown of sorts. Walk through the mercado to see colorfully dressed “badias” selling fresh produce. Stop by the Sucupira, CV’s largest flea market, for souvenirs. Drive through a few neighborhoods to get a sense of the city’s layout and diversity. 3 hours
Old to New City Tour (Cidade Velha & Praia) – Old City and New City Tours mash up. 5 hours
Old City to Mountaintop Music (Santiago, Sundays only) – Take a brief drive into the mountainous countryside for lunch with traditional live music atop a mountain that overlooks a green valley. Stop to sample the island’s most infamous “pastel d’midjo” (fish-filled cornmeal pastry). Then tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site Cidade Velha (the “Old City”) which historians are now referring to as the first port of the Atlantic Triangular Slave Trade. Stops include Fort Real Sao Filipe constructed to protect the town from frequent pirate attacks, the oldest colonial church in the tropics Nossa Senhora do Rosario and the old pelourinho (slave post). 5 hours
Praia Shopping Tour – Stop at two or three boutique shops that carry only “terra terra” wares – items made in Cabo Verde. Stroll through historic Plateau’s mercado to see colorfully dressed “badias” selling fresh produce and spices. Finally, stop by the Sucupira, Cabo Verde’s largest flea market where you can find any last souvenirs. 2.5 to 3 hours
Fogo Island’s Cha Region Tour – Tour the quaint city of São Filipe, then venture out to Chã das Caldeiras literally driving through the crater of a live volcano which last erupted in 2014. Visit a wine cooperative rebuilt after it was covered in lava. **Consider adding coffee and/or wine tasting to your tour. Additional fees apply.** Full day
Fogo Island’s Mosteiros Region Tour – Tour the city of Mosteiros, Monte Velha with its coffee plantations and also Cova Figueira created by a 1951 eruption which poured a path of lava all the way to the sea. Even visit a coffee plantation. Full day
Brava Island Tour – Walk around the center of Nova Sintra and the neighboring area of Joao D’Noli named after the Italian sailor who was one of two Europeans to discover Cabo Verde. Learn about past volcanic eruptions on Fogo from which people fled and settled in Brava and also frequent pirate attacks. Visit the ports of Furna and Faja d’ Agua from which whaling ships departed en route to America in the 18th century. Stop at a Catholic pilgrimage site, a fishing village, a verdant valley rich with fruits, the island’s first cable car system and more. Finally, stop to take a dip in a natural swimming hole. Full day
Maio Island Tour – Travel around the entire island and experience the nature and culture of this relatively untouched gem. Stops include the Porto Ingles salt beds, the Artisan Center of Calheta, Baxona Beach where you might witness local fishermen at work and boats being constructed by hand, the sand dunes of Morrinho, a protected natural park, a goat cheese factory and a beach ideal for swimming. Full day
Boa Vista Island Tour with Beach Barbeque – Travel around this virtually untouched gem stopping at Rabil, the Viana desert, the old town, 18 km Santa Monica beach, Varandinha Beach with its caverns, the Fonte Vicente oasis, a beach with an old shipwrecked Spanish cargo ship and a natural turtle reserve. Punctuate the day with a sunset beach barbeque. Full day
Sal Island Tour – Tour the island including the old salt mine and take a dip in its healing waters. Wade in shallow ocean water amidst harmless lemon sharks. Stop for a traditional lunch. Visit Pedra De Lume, a now extinct volcano turned salt mine. Take a natural mud bath to exfoliate your skin, then cleanse in the crater’s therapeutic pink, saline waters. Witness the “Blue Eye,” one of Cabo Verde’s wonders. ** Upgrade to the LUXE package for a private experience that culminates in sunset drinks. Additional fees apply.** Full day
Salinas Tour (Sal) – Visit Pedra De Lume, a now extinct volcano turned salt mine. Take a natural mud bath to exfoliate your skin, then cleanse in the crater’s therapeutic pink, saline waters. 2.5 hours
Sao Vicente Island Tour – In Mindelo, the cultural center of Cabo Verde, visit the home-turned-museum of music legend Cesaria Evora and a music studio where both traditional instruments and music are made. Stops around the island include the island’s highest peak, Monte Verde; the fishing village of Salamansa with its people who originate from neighboring Santo Antao and as a result speak a rare mix of Kriolu; the lovely Baia Das Gatas beach area with its calm natural pools; and Calhau with its two no longer active volcanos. Full day
Mindelo Walking Tour (Sao Vicente) – Walk around Mindelo, the cultural center of Cabo Verde, stopping to visit the home-turned-museum of music legend Cesaria Evora, the Akuaba exhibition of African art and artifacts, the Sea Museum that the documents island’s role in the triangular trade to whaling in the late 19th century and a music studio of an eclectic artist who creates his own traditional instruments and creates music. Half day
Santo Antao Island Tour – Wind through this large island’s dramatic peaks including the Delgadinho Mountain Ridge, the city of Ribeira Grande which features stunning street art, the fishing town of Ponto do Sol, the cliff-hugging, sherbert-colored village of Fontanhas and the lush Paul valley with a stop at a grogue (sugarcane rum) distillery. Full day
Sao Nicolau Island Tour, Eastern Island Tour – Stop to take photos in Miradouro and see ancient dragoeiro (dragon) trees in Monto Gordo Natural Park. Visit the Gallaria of Faja, then stop for lunch in the quaint city of Ribeira Brava. Visit the fishing village of Preguiça that was once the island’s port. Then stop in Praia Branca where the famous morna song “Sodade” was born. Finally, see the Carbeirinho, a stunning seaside rock formation that was named one of the 7 wonders of Cabo Verde. Full day
Sao Nicolau Island Tour, Western Island Tour – start from either Ribeira Grande or Tarrafal. Pass through the small villages of Belem and Morro Braz before stopping for a refreshing drink in the village of Juncalinho. While there, check out a natural lake great for swimming when the ocean is calm. Continue on to the village of Carriçal to relax with an oceanside lunch. Afterward, visit a now defunct fish canning factory and watch as men and boys from town construct fishing boats by hand, then head back to your hotel. 4 to 5 hours
