Santiago, Cape Verdes main island

Cidade Velha and Tarrafal, Santiago, Cape Verdes

The largest and most populous island with the capital Praia. It is noisy, boisterous, hassling and crowded. It does not appeal to many and may struggle to become a tourist island. It was the first to be settled by the Portuguese because irrigated crops grow in the steep valleys between craggy bald mountains. It is dotted with banana plantations and once had forests with many birds. This attracted Charles Darwin, who took several specimens on his way to the Pacific . It is the island for business and for meeting government officials.

B from Manchester got bored there

"We had intended to stay our entire holiday at Santiago but in all honesty, I didn't think it would be enough to satisfy most travellers for more than three or four days. On the evening of the third day we decided we wanted to decamp and explore Maio"

S from Lancs says

"Santiago was terribly run down. I hired a car and ended up in the ghetto which was quite frightening. I also saw all the new roads being built at the front of the sea but behind when all the new apartments will be built is the ghetto and in time unless they sort out the ghetto there is going to be robbery there when the place is empty"

D from Berskshire felt it was a mistake to go there

"I guess the only unfortunate side was that visiting Santiago was a complete waste of time but it's just a live and learn experience."

Cidade Velha

Originally Ribeira Grande, the ancient capital and first Portuguese slaving base, but the river has long since dried up. It was often attacked by pirates and involved in the several naval wars during the 16th Century. The famous British pirate Sir Francis Drake attacked it twice in 1585 and 1586, on the second occasion sinking half a dozen Portuguese ships. Many wrecks are still accessible to divers and an archaeological survey is recovering cannon , pottery and other artefacts. The French pirate, Jean Cassard, devastated the town in 1712, and it was abandoned for the better protection of Praia. Many ruins reflect its past importance, as the first European settlement in the tropics. An old fortress looks down on the village, with Napoleonic-era cannon and on the beach a nice restaurant and bar serves barbecued chicken for around£3.

The road from Praia to Tarrafal

There are many stops along this route. From Praia towards Assomada, is Sao Jorge de Orgao with streets lined with bougainvillea. Near Assomada, is the highest peak on the island with good views . Assomada, an old village, has attractive colonial style houses and a local vegetable market. Boa Entrada nearby has a huge tree “Pei de Polom” and Ribeira de Barca once took sailing ships. Aguas Belas is a secluded beach within a cave reached by boat.

Beaches on Santiago- Tarrafal

Many beaches are of black volcanic lava. Tarrafal and Sao Francisco have good yellow sand beaches which are mostly empty, but they are hard to reach. At Tarrafal is an old Portuguese colonial political prison and the finest beach on the island. S from Scotland comments.

"when the laval sand gets wet it turns to mud. These will never be tourist beaches."

B from Manchester found some others

"There are a few beaches on Santiago that merit comment: Sao Francisco and Tarrafal are the best, but if you are touring Cape Verde Islands they would not be worth a mention compared with the stupendous beaches on Maio and Sal. The town beaches at Praia have khaki/black sand, so look unappealing, but if you don't mind sunbathing on lava rocks there are some wonderful natural pools with crystal clear water just beyond Quebra-Canela Beach."

Tarafal resort

Tarrafal, a fishing village in the far north of the island is much nicer, but it is a long trek to get there through the dusty, barren hills, partially along cobbled roads. There is one hotel, the Tarrafal, which does not have a restaurant and the Baia Verde which operates a restaurant but has closed its bungalows. You can also eat in several Cape Verdean open air restaurants, for perhaps £4. B from Manchester found it a bit poor

"The natural topography of Santiago is stunning; stupendous mountains contorted into monstrous shapes in varying shades from dun to copper with the occasional grey river bed 'wadi' to provide a relief of dusty green. The villages are mainly unattractive - you have to remember this is a poor country and the people have to make do and mend - and are marred by litter, the most offensive being the ubiquitous plastic carrier bags snagged on the acacias for miles around. Having said that you can wonder around freely - people are very friendly - and it is always fascinating to have a glimpse of a life very different from ours, with all manner of livestock roaming the streets, and puppies, children and kittens tumbling together in the dust. Driving is pleasure with the cobbled roads mainly in a good state of repair with miles of open views between the villages. Cidade Velha is a notable exception to this rather downbeat description of Santiagan village life; here you will find well-maintained cottages, a lively square by a curvaceous beach, an impressive fort with even more impressive views, well-maintained monuments and a ribeira (my 'dry river bed' wadi'!) that winds back through the hills for a couple of miles. If you do tour the island - which will take the best part of a leisurely couple of days - take picnics and plenty of water with you: it is very difficult to find food once you are out on the road, Tarrafal being the only place we found that offered snacks as we would understand them, and this on the terrace of a small hotel overlooking the beach. "

H from Essex visited the old colonial prison

"The former prison camp in Tarrafal is wonderfully weird, but the beach and hotel need a good tidy up if they want to attract European custom."

Hotels on Santiago Island

Flights to Santiago Island

capeverdeinfo.org.uk