Is Santiago, Cape Verde Worth Visiting? 

Known for its dramatic mountain landscapes, relaxing beaches, and bustling African towns, Santiago is the perfect travel destination for those looking to explore the more authentic side of Cape Verde. 

As the largest island in this West African archipelago, Santiago has a rich Creole Portuguese–African culture and is far less spoiled by tourism compared to other neighboring islands like Sal. 

To help you plan your very own trip to this cluster of African islands, I’ve created this comprehensive guide on everything you need to know. Below, I’ve outlined all the details on where to go, what to do, and what to expect when visiting Santiago, Cabo Verde.

Should I Go to Santiago, Cabo Verde?

If you’re planning a trip to Cabo Verde, I recommend stopping over in Santiago, as long as you explore a few other islands as well. Unlike other islands in Cape Verde, Santiago offers a beautiful mix of both dramatic mountain ranges and stunning coastlines. 

While it may not have stunning white sand beaches like Sal or Boa Vista, Santiago’s coastline is more quaint and relaxing. Those who venture to this island are rewarded with a more authentic experience free of heavy tourism and commercialism. 

When I initially started doing my own Santiago research, I realized quite quickly that there isn’t a lot of information online about where to go or what to see. Because of this, I ended up doing most of the planning while I was already on the island. We pivoted plans as needed, spontaneously booked tours on the same day, and talked to as many people as possible to discover everything this island has to offer. 

How to Get to Santiago Island

Getting to this West African island is easy thanks to airlines like TAP Portugal, which offer direct flights from Lisbon to Praia. 

If you are coming from one of the other islands in Cabo Verde, it’s highly recommended to fly rather than travel by ferry. While it may seem like distances are short between ferries, these journeys can take more than 8 hours and are often canceled and rescheduled due to weather. 

If you’re looking for inter-island flight options, use BestFly.com to book your tickets. Keep in mind that flights are limited and don’t connect to all islands. I suggest booking your inter-island flights ahead of time to secure your spot. 

You cannot book these local airlines on Skyscanner or Google flights, so you’ll need to book directly with Best Fly.

Where to Stay in Santiago

Tarrafal, Santiago

If you’re visiting Santiago, you have to spend your time in Tarrafal. This local beach town on the northern coast is really the main jewel of the island. 

With its stretches of beautiful beaches and authentic restaurants, Tarrafal is the perfect home base if you’re looking for both beach time and mountain adventures. 

Tarrafal beach offers two relaxing beach bars, one is tucked within the palm trees, and the other is situated on the rocks right on the shoreline. They are both impossible to miss.

There are also a lot of affordable accommodations in Tarrafal. We stayed in an Airbnb as well as the Vista Mar hotel, which was right on the water. 

Praia, Santiago

If you’re coming to Santiago island, you’ll have to fly into the Nelson Mandela-Praia International Airport.

When I initially did my research, I had a hard time knowing exactly where to stay once we arrived. So we decided to split the time between Praia, the capital city, and Tarrafal, a casual beach town on the opposite side of the island. 

However, after just one day in Praia, we decided to quickly pivot our plans and head straight to Tarrafal.

While Praia really offers a very local experience that’s almost completely free of tourists, there’s really not much to see there aside from its hectic town center. Praia was also the only place that felt a bit unsafe for tourists. 

If you’re planning on visiting the islands of Maio of Fogo (which we would have done if we had planned the ferry times correctly), it will be worth staying in town for a night as you will have to depart from Praia harbor.

With that being said, these ferries only run every few days and change often, so you’ll want to check the schedule and plan this part ahead of time as well. 

How Many Days Should You Spend in Santiago, Cabo Verde?

For me, four to five full days is a good amount of time to spend on Santiago Island. If you plan on doing multiple hikes or scuba diving, you may want an extra day or two.

With that being said, something I wish I had time to do was to see the islands of Maio and Fogo. Both these smaller islands offer something completely unique. Maio is famous for its untouched, white sand beaches, while Fogo is a volcanic island great for trekking.

Considering how there were only a few tourists in Tarrafal, I’m sure there would be even fewer travelers on these smaller islands. 

Things to Do in Santiago

As the largest island in Cape Verde’s archipelago, there’s plenty to see and do in Santiago. Whether you feel like drinking caipirinhas on the beach all day or exploring the Serra Malagueta National Park, you’ll easily be able to fill your time enjoying both mountains and ocean.

Below are some of the top activities to do in Santiago, Cabo Verde:

• Soak up the sun at Tarrafal Beach
• Pass through the town of Assomada
• Take a day trip to Fogo island 
• Take a day trip to Maio Island
• Hike through the Serra Malagueta National Park
• Do a hiking tour through Ribiera Principal
• Check out Ribeira Grande (now known as Cidade Velha and recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site) 
• Go scuba diving from Tarrafal
• Visit Silver Beach (black sand beach)
• Swim in the Piscinas Naturales de Cuba
• Check out the community of Rabelados

Hiking in Santiago, Cabo Verde

If you’re looking to gain a greater appreciation for this island’s rugged and natural landscape, I highly suggest doing a guided hiking tour through Ribiera Principal.

Now, I normally suggest hiking on your own. However, these trails are extremely difficult to find on Google and it can be very easy to get lost if you don’t know where you’re going. While the trail is easy to follow once you’re on it, I would still recommend going with a guide just to be safe. 

Our guide explained all the endemic species of plants in the region and answered our endless list of questions about the island. At one point of the hike, when we were passing through small mountain villages, we even stopped at a mountain distillery to try “grog,” the local spirit made from the agave plant.

To finish up the tour, we stopped at a local restaurant called Sabor for a delicious locally-sourced meal and an ice-cold Strela, Cabo Verde’s local beer.

From there, our tour guide took us back into town by local transport, which was basically a pick-up track with benches in the back under a makeshift roof. 

As we sat in the back, the truck stopped several times to pick up locals heading into town. At one point, a local woman sitting next to us broke off a piece of her sugar cane stick for us to snack on during our ride home. 

For me, this tour was one of the biggest highlights of my time in Santiago. If you are looking to do a similar tour or if you want to hike Serra Malagueta, talk to your hotel or host to have them arrange the trip for you.

Other hiking options in Santiago include:

• Pico da Antónia
• Canyon Santa Clara
• Monte Graciosa
• Different routes in the Serra Malagueta

Exploring Santiago in Cabo Verde 

If you’re looking to stray away from the typical tourist traps and have a more authentic experience when traveling to Cabo Verde, Santiago is the perfect destination. With its wild coastline, dramatic mountains, and friendly Cape Verdean natives, this island is the perfect escape for any adventure seeker looking to take the road less traveled.