It's been 2, 3 years now that I wanted to explore Cape Verde. I can't really explain the reasons for this, but I think the photos I saw on this destination which seemed to open up so many possibilities and variety of landscapes and activities appealed to me.
So I left a little more than 15 days in Cape Verde in November and I share with you here the 2-week itinerary that I have chosen in this article.
I stayed for 15 whole days there that I decided to spend between Sao Vicente, Santo Antao, Sao Nicolau and Sal.
But I would come back to Cape Verde to visit the southern islands, that's for sure !!
15 days itinerary in Cape Verde - Visit of Sao Vicente
I arrived by plane on the island of Sao Vicente. It is a small island where tourists don't usually stay very long. For my part I spent a whole day there then half a day after Santo Antao before leaving for Sao Nicolau.
Day 1 - Visit of Mindelo and beach in Sao Vicente
During this first day on the island of Sao Vicente in Cape Verde, I wanted to start quietly, to rest and acclimatize to the temperature difference.
So I decided to visit Mindelo at my own pace.
Mindelo is the capital of the island but also the second city of Cape Verde after Praia which is on the island of Santiago.
Mindelo is also the cultural capital of the country. Surely you know this city to be the city of the famous singer Cesaria Evora who allowed the whole world to locate Cape Verde on the world map.
There are many things to do and see including:
- The cultural center of Mindelo
- Belem Tower
- The sea museum
- The fish market (market of Peixe)
- Main market (main market)
- The Government Palace (palácio de Povo) and avenue de la Liberdade
- Estrela Square
- Church Square
- The fort of Mindelo
- Cesaria Evora Museum
Beyond all these places of interest to visit in Mindelo, I advise you to simply stroll through the streets of the city. This is, in my opinion, the best way to visit and soak up the atmosphere of a city like Mindelo.
For my part, I spent part of my afternoon at the edge of Laginha beach which is next to Mindelo and which is accessible on foot. I took the opportunity to rest and especially swim to enjoy this beautiful beach and its turquoise and warm water.
And finally, of course, any visit to Mindelo would not be complete without taking advantage of the lively nightlife that this city has to offer. Indeed, Mindelo is known for the festivity and the live music that can be found in a number of bars. I highly recommend that you spend the evening there sipping a little local toddy!
5 days itinerary in Santo Antao
Probably the essential island to visit during a stay in Cape Verde for all lovers of the great outdoors and hiking. This island is a real paradise for many hikes.
Day 2 - Hike on Santo Antao from Alto Mira to Cha de Morte via Col de Forquinha
Santo Antao Island can only be reached by boat from Sao Vicente. It took us 40/45 minutes by boat to reach Santo Antao. There are connections between the 2 islands twice a day every day. I advise you to look at the timetables on the official website.
So I took the boat early in the morning (around 7am) to Mindelo to arrive around 8 / 8:30 am (and yes there are always small delays 😉) in Porto Novo on Santo Antao.
For this first day in Santo Antao, I decided to hike on the western part of the island which is very dry and arid unlike the eastern part of the island.
It is therefore aboard a privatized aluguer that I go to Alto Mira with my guide José.
The program: a hike between the village of Alto Mira and that of Cha do Morte via the Forquinha pass.
For this hike, I was told 4:30 to 5 hours of walking but in reality we must have taken 4 hours by taking a lot of our time and stopping to eat our little picnic bought in Porto Novo.
This hike allowed me to discover the arid and dry part of the island which is magnificent and truly impressive with its wide open spaces. It feels like we're on the moon at times.
I really recommend that you do at least one Hike on this side of the island so that you can see the different aspects of Santo Antao.
Here is the route I followed for this hike:
After my Hike, it was towards Ponta do Sol that I headed because I had chosen to establish “my base camp” there and to go on a Hike every day from this very pleasant little village. It took about 1 hour 30 minutes to reach Ponta do Sol from Cha Do Morte.
We took the famous “old road” to reach Ponta do Sol. The journey to reach Ponta do Sol by this road from Porto Novo.
Day 3 - Hike to Santo Antao in the Ribeira Torre Valley
The next day, departure around 8 am from Ponta do Sol by aluguer to reach Ribeira Grande (less than 10 minutes journey).
Let's go for a hike from Ribeira Grande along the Ribeira Torre to the famous small village of XôXô (about 1h30 / 2h of walk with 6.5km). Note that it is also possible to take an aluguer from Ribeira Grande to reach Xôxô.
Once at Xôxô, we continued the hike by making a loop passing through Lombo Pico, Rabo Curto then back to Xôxô. The duration of the loop was about 3h / 3h30 taking our time.
On the way we stopped at a friend of José's to drink a little toddy and eat a good traditional meal “Feijoada”.
I loved this hike in the Ribeira Torre valley. It was very different from the hike the day before because we were in full vegetation, very green. Quite incredible to see villages and houses built high on the hills and all these sugar cane plantations that are used to make Cape Verde's flagship drink, grog!
On the way we met very few tourists, which was relatively pleasant 🙂
Once back in Xôxô, we took an aluguer to bring us back to Ribeira Grande then Ponta do Sol where I was staying.
Here is the route I followed for this hike:
Day 4 - Hike in the Paùl valley during my 15-day itinerary in Cape Verde
For my fourth day in Cape Verde, I went for the hike which is probably the most famous on the island of Santo Antao.
It is the valley of Paùl, known for its large green vegetation and very impressive. There are several possibilities to visit the valley of Paùl, for my part I chose to be dropped off in aluguer at Cova do Paùl (the crater of Paùl).
Departing from the Paùl crater, we descended into the crater then we changed sides to admire a magnificent view of the Paùl valley down the zigzag path to reach Chã de Fazenda. We then crossed different small villages in the middle of the vegetation (Chã de padre, Chã de Mato, Pico do Antonio). Then we started the ascent to reach the breathtaking view from the belvedere over the entire valley. Believe me, it is totally worth it. There are several routes you can take to visit the Paùl Valley but this one is definitely worth it even if it is a bit longer.
Coming down from the belvedere (from the aerial which overlooks the valley) you will cross the small village of Cabeça de Figueiral which is located on the ridge of the mountain. Which is very impressive.
Then we went down to reach Boca di Figueiral, passing through the small villages of Quintal and Junta in particular.
Then we took an aluguer to Vila das Pombas. Then another aluguer to Ponta do Sol.
This hike was extraordinary, once again very few tourists were seen between Chã de padre and Boca di Figueiral. On the other hand, between Cova de Paùl and Chã de Fazenda we crossed a lot of them since it is the valley and the most popular route to admire the valley of Paùl.
Here is the route I followed for this hike:
Day 5 - Coastal path from Cruzinha de Garça to Ponta do Sol in Cape Verde
A new day begins with a new hike. This time it is once again one of the most popular hikes on Santo Antao: the coastal path between Ponta do Sol and Chã de Igreja or Cruzinha de Garça. It is possible to do this hike in both directions.
For my part, I chose to be dropped off in aluguer at Cruzinha de Garça and I left for a hike of about 16/18 km and at least 5 hours of walking.
This beautiful hike runs along the coastal path between sea and land. We cross beautiful small villages and especially the most famous and colorful: Fontainhas. The landscapes are varied and splendid.
This is without a doubt the hike where I met the most tourists, it is really a must.
When you arrive in Ponta do Sol, take the opportunity to stroll through this beautiful little village and its port. If you have the chance, admire a beautiful sunset from the port!
Day 6 - Trek from Pico da Cruz to Janela on Santo Antao
Last day and last hike on Santo Antao.
I chose to do the hike between Pico da Cruz and Janela which was recommended to me. So this time, there are many clouds but we were however lucky to have clearings to be able to enjoy these beautiful landscapes once again.
An aluguer takes us from Ponta do Sol to Pico da Cruz. From there we started walking to reach Janela. Well it is true that we took the wrong path and lengthened the journey.
We passed through Covada de sto Antonio, Selada Silvao, Chãzinha de Baixo.
So far, no sign of hikers. We simply met a few inhabitants loaded with some food on their way home to their houses perched in the mountains and far from any homes.
We were treated to clear skies on our descent into the valley until we got to Janela.
This hike was supposed to be short and simple but ultimately with the change of route, this hike will have lasted 15 km. But again, it was well worth the trip, despite the poor weather for much of our hike.
15-day itinerary in Cape Verde - Return to Sao Vicente then Sao Nicolau
The next stop on this 15 day itinerary is Sao Nicolau. But first, a short stop for half a day in Sao Vicente between the two boats.
Day 7 - Departure for Sao Vicente then Sao Nicolau
The 7th day of my 15-day itinerary in Cape Verde was devoted:
- On the boat trip between Santo Antao to reach Sao Vicente
- A quick but awesome tour of the island with my guide José
- The boat trip between Sao Vicente and the island of Sao Nicolau
I took the boat early to reach Sao Vicente. Once I arrived in Sao Vicente around 10 am, I found my guide José and a friend of his. We took the car towards the tour of the island until my boat left for Sao Nicolau which was around 16pm.
During this tour of the island we saw:
- Monte Verde National Park: which is the highest peak on the island. There is the possibility of going there by hiking but due to lack of time we got there by car. Up there, we had a magnificent view of the whole island and mainly of Mindelo.
- Salamansa village and its beach
- Big beach
- The small town of Calhau, its volcano and its small natural pools
Due to lack of time we did not see the entire island but be aware that it is possible to do day tours of the island with a guide.
Do not hesitate to contact me if you want the contact of a local guide 😉
Departure of the boat around 17 p.m. to reach the island of Sao Nicolau. The crossing lasts about 3h / 4h. So I arrived around 21 p.m. in Tarrafal where I chose to stay for the entire stay.
Visit of Sao Nicolau in Cape Verde in 2 days
Originally, I was supposed to spend 3 whole days on the island of Sao Nicolau, but the boat that only passes twice a week to go to Sal has been moved forward by one day. Suddenly my stay in Sao Nicolau was shortened to my great regret because I really liked this small island which would have deserved more than 2 days to visit it.
Day 8 - Visit the west coast of Sao Nicolau
For this first day in Sao Nicolau. I started by visiting the small port village of Tarrafal and taking a short break to take a dip on one of these beaches.
Then it was by borrowing an aluguer that I went to discover a must-see on the island: Caberinho.
The rock formations in this corner are simply magnificent. It was the waves and the salt water that carved out the rocks. I really advise you to go check it out.
After this stop we continued aluguer until Ribeira da Prata, at the end of the road.
There, we started our hike through the village of Fragata to then reach Pico Agudo on the other side of the mountains. Another beautiful hike to discover the island of Sao Nicolau which is much wilder and less touristy.
This hike will have taken us about 3 hours of walking.
Once we got to Pico Agudo, we asked a local if it was okay to take us back to Tarrafal, against payment of course.
Day 9 - Trek around Ribeira Brava in Sao Nicolau
My second day in Sao Nicolaus on my 15 day Cape Verde itinerary begins with a beautiful hike in the west central of Sao Nicolau around its capital Ribeira Brava. We left to take an aluguer from Tarrafal to Cachaço which also happens to be the starting point for hikes in the Monte Gordo natural park. However due to the fog, rather than hike in this well known park, I preferred to hike at a lower elevation to avoid being in the clouds all day.
So let's go for a walk from Cachaço with a first stop in Ribeira Brava which is the capital of Sao Nicolau.
After a short coffee break on the terrace, it was off to Calejão and then Cabeçalinho.
This very pleasant walk through the green plains of Sao Nicolau gives a good overview of what this little known island has to offer.
The same evening, it is by a night boat that at 22:30 pm I leave for the island of Sal which is 7 hours by boat.
I will not lie to you, the crossing was long and eventful with the Cape Verdeans and their seasickness ...
But I did arrive the next morning at dawn.
6-day itinerary on the island of Sal in Cape Verde
I had read a lot of controversial opinions on the island of Sal. But I still wanted to go. And in all fairness I was expecting something much worse so I was pleasantly surprised by this island. Obviously, if you are looking for absolute calm, tranquility away from tourists, I do not recommend it. But on the island of Sal there are many activities to do (beach, surfing, kite surfing, wing foil, quad etc.).
For me it was a great way to end my 15 day itinerary in Cape Verde.
Day 10 - Visit of Santa Maria and beach in Sal
I arrived by boat in the morning around 7 am at the port of Palmeira. Like many, I had booked accommodation in the town of Santa Maria. It is therefore by taking 2 different aluguer that I went to my hotel.
After a short night in the boat, I preferred to have a rather quiet day, namely, a short visit and walk in Santa Maria then the beach to rest quietly and enjoy the sun after all these days of hiking.
Santa Maria is a city which is very touristy on the first 3 streets at the water's edge. The further one gets from the coast, the more typical and local the streets are. So I advise you not to just stay in these first 3 streets if you want to get a taste of the real local Santa Maria life.
In Santa Maria, or just around, there are several beaches where you can relax and swim, among them:
- Ponta Sino kite beach
- The beach around the Santa Maria pontoon
- Shell Cemetery beach
Day 11 - Tour of the island of Sal- Salinas de Pedra de Lume - Shark bay
On the 11th day of my 15 day Cape Verde itinerary, we hired a car for the day and took a tour of the island (you also have the option of renting a quad for example).
We therefore took the course towards the north and the small port village of Palmeira because we had heard good things about this village for fishing and tasting good fish.
Then direction Buracona where we can see the tourist attraction of the blue eye cave.
One of the must-sees on the island of Sal are the Salinas de Pedra de Lume. There is the system of transporting salt to the port which has been abandoned. But also the possibility of swimming and having an experience similar to the Dead Sea because the high salt content almost makes it possible to sit in the water.
After a small shower, direction Shark Bay, following a small dirt road to the south of the island. It is a place where many reef sharks congregate in about 30cm to 1m of water. It's quite impressive to see these little sharks circling around you.
We then decided to continue following these dirt / sand paths continuing south.
Sal is a very arid and desert island. We did not meet many people on these small sandy paths.
On the other hand if you take this type of path I advise you to rent a quad rather than a car… Indeed, we got stuck with the car next to a small wild beach… It took us more than an hour to dig in order to get out. I will pass you the details but obviously all this without network, without meeting anyone or any house on the horizon and finishing after sunset.
This end of the day was a hell of a journey and we ended up returning to Santa Maria around 21 pm / 22 pm.
Days 12 to 14 - Dives & nautical activities in Sal
The following 3 days were dedicated to the flagship activities that can be found in Sal, namely:
- Diving
- Nautical activities such as surfing, kite surfing, windsurfing or even the wing foil
Sal is an island paradise for those who like this kind of activity.
So I did 4 dives around Sal. The seabed was really incredible with wrecks, caves, corals, many colorful fish… The water was very good during the period I went there (November), namely 26/27 ° C.
Well unfortunately I don't have any pictures of my dives because I had my GoPro stolen the day before ...
As far as water activities are concerned, you will find your happiness without any problem.
If it's windy, you can windsurf, kitesurf or even wing foil the new kid without any problem. These sports are practiced on different beaches and you will easily find courses to learn or to rent equipment.
On the other hand, if there is no wind and the sea is not calm enough for diving, it will probably be perfect conditions for surfing.
Again, all the beaches around the island of Sal will be able to offer you beautiful places for surfing or one of the other activities.
If these are activities that appeal to you, you will surely want to stay even longer in Sal !!
Day 15 - Last day at the beach in Sal in Cape Verde
For my last day and to finish my 15-day itinerary in Cape Verde, nothing better than a short day at the beach on one of the island's paradisiacal beaches.
Among the beaches that I can advise you, there are:
- The beaches of Santa Maria
- Ponta Negra
- Kite beach
- blackbeach
- Murdeira Beach
It was after a beautiful day at the beach that I left Cape Verde on a night flight to return home.
I will end by saying that Cape Verde is a very beautiful country and as they say it is a country but 10 destinations. I did not have the chance to visit each of the islands, but from what I could see it is truly extraordinary. Each island offers its specificities. There is something for all tastes, I am sure that every traveler can find his account without any problem because there is a great diversity of activities to do and landscapes to see.
So of course I recommend this country and I can not wait to go back to do what I have not had the chance to see.
French
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
English
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Hey Margaux. Gracias por todo lo que has contado. Me encantaría me pasarás el contacto de ese local guide porq quiero hacer exactamente el mismo itinerario que tu. Un abrazo y gracias por compartir.
Hola Raquel, Te he sent an email 😉
Hello Margaux. Me parece interesantísimo tu itinerario y una fantastic form of organizing el viaje. Yo tengo pensado ir en diciembre, . Serías tan amable de pasarme el
Contact guide?? Thank you for bringing! greetings
Whoa,
I am going to send you an email 😉
Hola Margaux, gracias por contarnos tus vivencias in Cabo Verde, son de gran ayuda. Podrías pasar el número del guía local, gracias.
Hola, yo tambien quiero el contacto de la guia. y tambien queria preguntarte the dificultades of los senderos que hiciste. if hay mucho desnivel. muchas grace
Hello ! Te he sent an email 😉
Hola!
Somos dos amigas que viajaremos a Cabo Verde. Nos ha encantado tu itinerario. ¿Podrías pasarnos el contacto del guide local?
Por otra parte, nos preocupa un poco cuadrar las reservations de hotels con los ferries, ya que no encontramos ninguna web dónde reservar los billetes de barco o que los horarios de estos puedan cambiar. ¿Nos darías algún consejo? ¿Our recommendations for reservar los hotels por adelantado?
Thank you very much!
Anna
Hola, I just sent you an email 😉
Hello! A mi también me interesa el contacto del guía 🙂 Gracias!
Sent in your emails 😉
Hola!
See a pasar unos días por San Vicente y Santo Antaõ a ver si me puedieras facilitar el number del guide local 🙂
Thank you!
Hola, Check your emails 😉
Ola Margaux! Amei o seu roteiro!
Gostaria de saber você recomenda fazer para laminhadas/trilhas sozinha e, neste caso, como arganizar transporta de ida e volta em Santo Antão.
What do you want to take on a car ride in Santo Antão? E em Sal?
And, by film, can you come or contact the guide?
Obrigada!! 🙂
Hi, I just sent you an email 😉
Good morning!
Me encuentro como alguno de los commentarios, quiero ir en diciembre y me iría de pearls el contacto del guía!
Many thanks and super interesting post!!!!
Hi, I sent you an email 🙂
Hey Margaux!
See you in Cabo Verde ahora en agosto 15 días y me encantaría que me pasaras el contacto del guía local!
Thank you so much!!
Check your emails 😉
Hi Margaux,
Haremos una ruta parecida a la tuya y nos gustaría tener el contacto del guide José y precios orientativos.
Thank you very much!
Hola!
Me encantaría tener el contacto del guide o local guides y los precios, si puede ser!
Muchísimas gracias por compartir tu experiencia! Super useful!
Hello,
Gracias 🙂 I just sent you an email 🙂
Hi Margaux,
Can you hike in Santo Antao on your own or you really need a guide there?
My second question is on Sal and surfing conditions there. When exactly did you visit Cape Verde, which month? I am considering 2weeks from the early November and I wonder how big the waves are there -I am still a beginner really 🙂 Did you find the island overall safe even at night, somehow it reminds me a lot Zanzibar where people tend to give you a lot of hassle etc.
Lastly, did you book your ferries well in advance or on the spot? Thank you in advance for all your precious tips 🙂
Hi Anna,
Yes you can hike Santo Antao without a guide 😉
I went to Cape Verde during the last 2 weeks of November. When I was there there was not a lot of waves to surf.. But very good condition to do kite surfing, wing foiling…
Yes, Sal is pretty safe, but as everywhere, you have to be careful. And of course, people will try to sell you stuff.. but I found it was less than Zanzibar..
I booked the ferries a few days before the day usually (2/3 days or even just on the same day sometimes) 😉
Hello!
Te agradecería mucho si me pasarás a mi también los contactos del guía/guías. Lo trayectos entre islas los organizaste por tu cuenta? Esto viendo ahí the main difficulty.
Millions of graces for sharing your experience!!
Hello,
See you send an email 😉
Hello,
See an amigo in Cabo Verde for 12 days in November. . ¿Podrías pasarnos el contacto del guide local?
El tema de ferries, o avion interno, lo reservasteis online? wave desde?
Alguna hotel recommendations?
Do you have any info on the trekking level that is wrong? I tasted a lot of senderism but if it's a lot of money, I'm sure it's complicated.
Thank you!!!
Hola!
Me encantaría tener el contacto del guide o local guides y los precios, si puede ser!
Hey, check your email 😉
Me interested tener you contacto y el del guia. muchas gracias
Hello Margaux,
I am interested in the contact of the local guide,
Merci à vous
Beautiful evening
Virginia
Hello Virginie, I sent you an email 🙂
Ciao Margaux, potresti condividere il contatto della guida anche con me? Grazie Caterina
Hello Margaux
We are going to Cape Verde for 5 weeks and plan to visit all the islands.
After reading you, I am reassured about the travel conditions. Can you tell me the contact details of your guide? How did you find it and is it essential to be accompanied (it seems that hiking in the middle mountains is risky).
Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Marie
Hello Marie,
Great if you have time to visit all the islands 🙂
No, it is not essential to take a guide, but it can sometimes be recommended for certain hikes. I'll send you his number by email 😉
Hello Margaux
Thank you very much for this sharing which gives a lot of ideas, I am very interested in the contact of the local guide.
Could you send it to me please?
Regarding the transfer between them, did you book in advance?
Thank you
Aissatou
Hello Aissatou,
thank you very much
I will send you the contact details by email 😉
For transfers between the islands, I reserved the boat 2/3 days in advance or sometimes the same day 🙂
Hello Margaux,
Thank you for this Cape Verde article 🙂
We also want to go to the island of Santo Antao, among the hikes you have done, can you give me your ranking (without taking into account the difficulty/duration)?
Thank you in advance for your answer,
Caroline
Hello Caroline,
Honestly, difficult to make a classification I confess. I would say maybe the best was the Paul Valley hike but honestly hard to rank. I had spent time choosing each hike and I'm glad I made all those choices! They were different and all beautiful 🙂
Hello! Somos dos amigas que viajamos 15 días a Cabo Verde in December. ¡Nos ha gustado mucho tu itinerario!
Tenemos pensado visit islas del norte y del sur. De las islas que has visitado, ¿cuáles nos recommendations y qué nos aconsejas hacer? ¿se pueden realize las excursiones por libre? ¿nos puedes informar cómo funciona el tema del transporte en ferry?
Thank you!
Hey Margaux, this week I will fly to Cabo Verde. Your blog was a great inspiration for my planning. Thank you!! Best regards, Chris
Thank you very much Chris! I really appreciate it 🙂
Hello Mrs,
Thank you very much for this sharing of experiences, I am planning my trip trip at the end of the year for 10 days, I land in Praia do you think you can visit the islands at most even if it is two days by islands? Also, which route do you recommend? Considering that I leave the bottom upwards and the return also with this distance? Speaking of a thumb and internet on the islands how is it going? And if you can help me with your guide!
thank you in advance
Hello! Thanks for the post. Can I help you contact the local guide? Thanks!
Ciao, che viaggio da sogno!!! Io sono stata a Sal, una settimana fa e me ne sono innamorata. Vorrei tornare in novemebre e pritere spunto dal tuo tour. Mi riusicresti a condividere i contatti della guida?
thank you
Caterina
Buenos days!! Many thanks for your blog, you are very grateful!!! We are thinking of going to Cabo Verde on Christmas but we don't have to worry about it. This is the climate temperature, we do not know if we can access the acoustic activities in this month. There other is the theme of the transport. Basically, I'm going to Sal, Boavista and Santiago but you can travel by plane alone on one day and schedule and by ferry if you don't receive any information. ¿Dónde contrabass horarios del ferry? So you don't hear the official page 🥲¿ Can I see any type of information that we need? Muchas gracias de antemano!!
Hello Margaux,
Thank you for this valuable information.
Could you tell me the name of your guide please?
Yours,
Leslie
Hey Margaux!
Many thanks for devoting time to writing these blogs, its great success! I enjoyed it as a planner of the route between islands, saw with a friend in November and did not encounter any information. Because of this, the ferry journeys do not take into account the horarios that are very stable and we do not have to worry about losing the plane. Therefore, we have mentioned on the Bestfly page that it is the one that works together, but we also know that a Sal-Sao Vicente ticket is worth 20.000 euros (logically it does not have to be good).
Can you pass by the local guide contact? Our series of great ayuda.
Thank you very much,
Paula
Good!! Can I even envy my data from the guide Jose? thanks!