Santiago walking, biking, diving, relaxing holidays

Santiago, the most African of the islands and the largest in the Archipelago, is a wonderful fusion of the best Cape Verde has to offer. Praia, the archipelago’s ever expanding capital, is built around several elevated plateaus (achadas) which during the day are alive with the hustle and bustle of daily commerce. Head off into the interior and you’ll discover a landscape of mountain peaks and fertile valleys rich with manioc and banana plantations and national parks which offer some beautiful walking.  The first European settlement in Cape Verde was in Ribeira Grande (Cidade Velha) on the south coast of the island. Its past is marred by the dark side of human nature – the exploitation of human kind in the name of slavery. The visitor is poignantly reminded of these dark times by pillory post in the small square, which nowadays serves as a meeting point for locals. 

Population: 240,000 Elevation:1,394 m (Pico da Antónia) Area: 991 km²
Don’t miss : Cidade Velha, Rui Vaz, Tarrafal and Malagueta NP and the rather gruesome concentration camp at Tarrafal used until 1974 where many prisoners died in the suffocating heat of their tiny cells.
Look out for : the green vervet monkey colonies and the endemic blue kingfisher (passarinha)

An island of scenic contrasts and hidden surprises, the coast is barren and flat and the interior is mountainous and green especially around the Malagueta Natural Park in the west and the twin peaked Pico do Santo Antonio at 1392m.  There are fantastic walks from Malagueta down to the coast through the mountains but don’t miss walking in the canyon of Ribeira Grande hidden within an arid fissure full of plantations of sugar cane, cashew and mango trees. Look out for the kingfishers, monkeys and a real surprise – two 400 yr old baobab trees!

Located on the coast just outside Tarrafal is this professionally run dive school. It is an ideal dive site with lessons in the shallow sandy bay and most of the best dive sites within a 15 minute boat trip. The school is run by a published marine biologist and his German partner and there are also lovely apartments so you can walk straight out of your door and dive!

Located on the east coast of Santiago and run by a highly professional, English speaking Frenchman, you will have access to 10 bikes. Santiago is a great mountain biking island with all levels of biking available and dozens of routes to choose from. Discover the green valleys, the barren highlands and the remote beaches in the company of our experienced guides.

Education project for children
This Cape Verde/Austrian run association was founded in 2002 with the aim of improving the prospects of 6-20 year olds growing up in the islands and therefore encourage them to stay. Currently more than half of Cape Verde citizens live and work overseas and this has had a significant impact on family structures (absent fathers) and population age (45% of the resident population is under 15). At their centre on Santiago, children are given lessons in carpentry, needlework, IT, languages and literacy.  Counselling is also offered and there is a football school for 150 children. As a company, we contribute annually to this project, but we also offer the facility to our clients to make a donation (if they feel it is appropriate) when they are on Santiago.

Sao Vicente - Cape Verde Institute for Children and Adolescents

Fogo - Medical Centre in Cha das Caldeiras

Santo Antao - Kindergarten in a remote village

Boavista - Turtle project