Santiago Island, the essence of Cape Verde

KM² (KM²)

POPULATION (K)

Santiago, the most versatile of the islands that shows the essence of a people, its culture and its landscapes full of contrasts.

The island is a must visit if you have limited time. Trekking, relaxation and an impressive range of landscapes await us to show us the essence of Cape Verde.

Santiago

The essence of Cape Verde

Santiago Island

We could define the island of Santiago as the most versatile of the archipelago, since, without being an island of extremes, we will find a little bit of everything. Beautiful beaches, deep valleys with steep mountains, arid areas with Martian landscapes, cities full of history and culture and exotic rural landscapes that favor a totally lively agriculture… It is, without a doubt, an island that we must visit if we have little time or we have to choose only one, since we will find a great variety of landscapes that represent the essence of Cape Verde. The current capital Praia and Cidade Velha, the historic capital with more than 500 years of history, are located here.

HIGHEST POINT (M)

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCER

LARGEST ISLAND

COASTAL TOWN IN SANTIAGO

Entrance doors & Transportation

The island of Santiago is one of the four entrances to the country; in this case we are talking about Praia, the capital of the archipelago. Here we find the Nelson Mandela International Airport, with daily connections (2/3) to Lisbon and connections to Casablanca, Dakar, Gran Canaria, Ponta Delgada, Accra several days a week.

In terms of internal flights, Praia is connected to all the islands that have airports or airfields.

Regarding maritime transportation, Praia is connected to the islands of Fogo, Maio, Boavista, Sao Nicolau, but we always recommend air travel.

In terms of transportation, the best option for getting around the island are private cars or renting a car / motorcycle.

Santiago in data

990

Km2 of surface area

300000

Inhabitants residing on the island

1392

The meters of Pico do António, the highest point

130000

Inhabitants in Praia, the capital

Permanent water resources

1ª

Largest island of the archipelago

History

Santiago has always been considered Cape Verde. As if it were continental land, its inhabitants still call the rest of the archipelago “as ilhas”. Inhabited since 1462 by people from the Algarve (Portugal), it was for many years the only explored island apart from Fogo. Throughout history it became a strategic enclave for the resupply of ships and an important trading point. Due to the emigration of people from West Africa, ancestral tribes such as the “Rabelados” were created, which still maintain small settlements in rural interior areas. Currently, the south of the island with its capital Praia is undergoing a sustained transformation to improve the quality of life, stimulate the economy and education with more universities.

Biodiversity

An island of totally varied relief with beautiful beaches, large cities, desert landscapes and absolutely green valleys.

On the island of Santiago we will find two large natural parks. The most famous of them is Serra Malagueta, with its classic postcard of absolutely green mountains and endemic plant species. We also find Serra do Pico de António. In its landscapes, birds play an important role, since the presence of valleys full of trees and steep cliffs create an ideal habitat on the island of Santiago.

In terms of trees, Banana, Ceiba petandra (trees that can exceed 25m in height) or Khaya senegalensis stand out.

Finally, in reference to birds, Ardea purpurea, Sula leucogaster or Falco tinnunculos alexandri and Falco peregrinus madens stand out in these environments.

Praia - The Capital

With an air between African and Mediterranean, the city of Praia sits on a rock plateau that is home to about 130,000 inhabitants. A city with a rapid and somewhat chaotic growth. This means that some areas far from the center are still under development.

Cidade Velha, the historic capital. Formerly known as Ribiera grande, it was the capital of Cape Verde before being sacked by the French in 1712. Since then, its inhabitants have struggled for subsistence, living in poverty and among ruins of churches and under the watchful eye of a spectacular fort that had little use…

Other locations

Cidade Velha: First colonial settlement of the country and point of arrival of African slaves. Birthplace of the Cape Verdean nation.
Rui Vaz: the most authentic and African rural hinterland of Cape Verde.
Serra Malagueta: the only natural park in Santiago. Many trekking and hiking trails.
Tarrafal: the best beach on the island and the perfect place to end your trip.

Much more in:

@oicaboverde

Experiences in Santiago

Our recommendations for the island of Santiago include hiking and relaxation. As we have already mentioned, the interior of Santiago is full of incredible mountainous and exotic landscapes and that is why a trekking through Serra Malagueta is a must.

In terms of fishing, you can go fishing with local fishermen and explore first hand their experiences. In terms of water sports such as surfing and sailing, you can practice in several points of the island of Santiago, but for a trip of this type we recommend Sal or Boavista. If we want to relax on the beach, Tarrafal is one of the most beautiful and ideal places. Finally, in the cultural aspect we can explore Cidade Velha, a museum city, or visit the museums of Amilcar Cabral, the archaeological museum, the museum of the Resistance or listen to live Cape Verdean music.

Outstanding proposals:

Trekking in Serra Malagueta
Trekking in Rui Vaz to Pico Antonia, Santiago’s highest peak
Snorkeling with Tarrafal’s fishermen
Visit to the Cidade Verde project in Praia
eMTB (electric mountain bike) in Tarrafal on the best trails and trails of Cape Verde.