CAPE VERDE 2025: 3 weeks, 4 islands. (page 4 of 7)

The nesting season runs roughly from June to September, followed by the hatching season (about 2-3 months after nesting) from July to October-November. More or less. I accidentally saw baby turtles hatching in Boa Vista! It was amazing!! I think I posted photos in my travel journal. We’d pitched our tent just 1 meter from the nest. We waited for the guys from the association to come count them before they headed out to sea.

There are actually quite a few associations dedicated to their protection here, and camps are set up during these periods for protection and monitoring.

The ones lured in by fishermen in São Pedro are around pretty much all the time... but as Montagnard said: is that a good thing? Because they’re supposed to migrate... I’ve never done it, and I don’t think I ever will—this kind of activity. 😕

... I found my photos

Thanks for the details! 🙂 Actually, witnessing the hatching of the eggs and seeing the baby turtles make their way to the sea must be such a moving and unforgettable moment!

Thanks Marie for your insights—they’re always so helpful! I knew from your travel journals that we might spot turtles, but I never imagined swimming with them! And it wasn’t until that evening, chatting with my host, that I realized it could be a problem for them.

It’s really time to continue, and this rainy Sunday will be the perfect excuse 😉

So we left São Vicente....

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Part 3: Santo Antão Island

Santo Antão is the second-largest island in Cape Verde by area (800 km², 43 km by 24 km at its widest). Entirely volcanic in origin, its highest peak reaches nearly 2000 m, and many peaks dot the landscape, especially on its eastern side. This is probably why the island, during the short rainy season (from July to November), soaks up water and nature explodes...

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What struck us immediately when the *aluguer* (dozens of them wait for you at the ferry landing for different destinations on the island) took us from Porto Novo—after a smooth one-hour ferry ride—to the Paul Valley: Even though the rainy season hadn’t started yet, everything here is green and beautifully worked by locals for their terraced crops.



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Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, and Ponta do Sol are the main “towns” on the east coast (and really, on the whole island). We decided to stay for a week—4 nights deep in the Paul Valley and 3 nights in Ponta do Sol, by the ocean.

The *Aldea Panorâmica* we chose is certainly one of the most expensive hotels in the valley (90 €/night with breakfast). It’s also one of the few with a pool, and that’s where we settled in, not wanting to move around too much. The hotel had just reopened the week before, and we found a family of owners from Lyon who welcomed us like we were at home. No AC, but the nights are cool, a constant effort to save water (the pool runs on a closed circuit), an adorable team, and above all, an amazing cook (Cape Verdean, of course) who treated our taste buds to local dishes throughout our stay. Oh, and there’s also a bar (with 7 types of rum and punches made in the village) that kept us busy in the evenings, I must admit... And that view!

Once the initial "wow" effect of the place wears off, we’ll kick things off at 8 AM the next day. A beautiful climb up to the Sombra and Chavena viewpoint, a stop at Sandra’s place where she grows and sells her own coffee, then we’ll head back down through terraced fields, banana trees, and papaya plants, right in the heart of the Paul Valley, all the way to the village of Pombas for lunch. The landscapes are stunning, the trails steep but manageable—pure bliss.









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To get back to the hotel, you just wait for a passing *aluguer* or call a taxi. Either way, in this valley, there’s only one drivable road!

The next day, rest. The pool is calling our name, the weather’s perfect—time for reading and chilling. Plus, drinks in the evening. 😉

His name’s Lenny! !

Day 3, we're tackling the real deal. Cova Crater. Tourists usually visit the crater from the top, getting dropped off from Ribeira Grande, descending to Pombas, and then getting a taxi back. We're doing it the other way around.



5.2 km of trails with 1200 m of elevation gain, which we'll tackle—not without difficulty—in 3 hours. I'm happy; my barely healed calf is holding up...

Luckily, today the sky is overcast, temperatures are very manageable, and we set off at 8:30 AM. The clouds even do us a favor by clearing once we're up there, so we can admire the crater and the view of Porto Novo and São Vicente on the other side.







We even find a little hut run by a father and his daughter, who treat us to their homemade Cachupa! What a great idea!



The descent along the same path is trickier—the clouds have really taken over the valley, and our knees are feeling it... Luckily, the pool at the end does its job, helped by a bit of sunshine.



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But the day isn't over yet. It's Saturday, July 5, 2025, and it's a special day here: Cape Verde is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its independence, and let me tell you, they know how to party... First, a special menu at the hotel (tuna tataki to die for). Then the hotel owners warn us: tonight, there's a celebration in the village, and there might be some noise outside. What's the easiest way to not be bothered by the noise? Join in...

So, Lenny, the 30-something nephew of the owner and the hotel manager, offers to take me to the village after his shift... Of course, everyone knows him, and I'm the friend of the friend (my girlfriend sees it coming and declines).

I won't say what time I got back, but it was starting to get light... Just know that by the end of the night, I was trilingual in French, Portuguese, and Creole.🤣

... Too old for this kind of nonsense now.

Awesome, I love the ending of your story (hope you didn’t take too much of a tumble though! 😄) Where was the nightlife fiesta: bars, street parties, nightclubs? Was there singing? Dancing? Yeah, yeah, I wanna know all about the vibe! 😊

Awesome, I love the ending of your story (hope you didn’t take too much of a tumble though 😄) Where was the nighttime fiesta: bars, a village dance, a nightclub? Was there singing? Dancing? Yeah, yeah, I wanna know all about the vibe 😊

It all goes down in the street!

One neighbor has a sound system, a DJ setup, another opened a tiny grocery selling soda , and the party’s on the pavement all night long! After that, things wound down for lack of able-bodied participants, so we ended up with a plate of Cachupa around 2 AM at a third buddy’s place 😊

Well, you're in great shape... 1200m of elevation gain and partying until the early morning, your crazy leg is now just a distant memory 😉

Hello

The hotel had reopened the week before, and we found a family of owners from Lyon who welcomed us like we were at home

It seems like most accommodations are run by foreigners? I’m planning to go through the Paul Valley but since I want to stay by the sea (I love being lulled by the waves), I’ve spotted several beachfront places (Cidade das Pombas). When I checked their websites, I realized they’re run by Germans, Dutch people, etc... Same in Tarrafal!

5.2 km of trails for 1,200 m of elevation gain, which we managed—though not without difficulty—in 3 hours.

A 23% average slope—wow, that’s steep!

History won’t say what time I got back, but it was starting to get light... Just know that by the end of the night, I was trilingual in French, Portuguese, and Creole.🤣

I checked the calendar... I’ll be in Cape Verde on January 20th—it’s Heroes’ Day! Awesome, there’ll definitely be music and dancing at the meet-up!

Hello

It seems like most of the accommodations are run by foreigners? I’m planning to go through the Paul Valley but want to stay by the sea (I love being lulled by the waves). So I’ve spotted several places right on the beach (Cidade das Pombas), and when I checked their websites, I realized they’re run by Germans, Dutch people, etc... Same in Tarrafal!

In our case, most of our accommodations were run by Cape Verdeans, sometimes expats though…

Cidade das Pombas isn’t really the prettiest in the area. If you want to hear the waves, Ponta do Sol is more suitable (and even then, just near the port). Be careful about staying downhill—it forces you to hike uphill or start with a taxi.

23% average slope—it’s steep, isn’t it!

And then some… Personally, I’d rather go up than down any day.

I checked the calendar... I’ll be in Cape Verde on January 20th—it’s Heroes’ Day! Awesome, music and dancing will definitely be on the meet-up!

Some great evenings ahead!!

Wow, you're in great shape... 1,200m of elevation gain and partying until sunrise—your wild side is just a distant memory now 😉

You forgot the poolside naps in between! 😉

Alright, let’s continue the story!

The next day, we had to leave our hosts for Ponta do Sol. The perk of traveling off-season and partying with the manager was that he let us keep the room until I (and he, for that matter) had woken up properly. We took a private taxi for the transfer—on a Sunday and the day after a festival, it’s not really advisable to mess with the aluguers—and arrived in Ponta do Sol in the late afternoon. Ponta do Sol, how can I describe it? This little fishing village seemed pretty quiet at the start of July. Well, it was the day after a festival for them too.

The Airbnb we’d booked—a spotless apartment with a balcony and terrace facing the harbor—let us enjoy whatever little nightlife the town had to offer.

Our go-to spot was the restaurant Caleta, a place mostly frequented by tourists where we soaked up the laid-back vibe of the musicians in the evening.

The pier, seen from my terrace—our regular spot is on the left. The harbor exit. The church.

The town hall. And, as everywhere in Cape Verde, street art.

Over these three days, we split our time between Ponta do Sol and Ribeira Grande, which is livelier and just a 10-minute aluguer ride away.

Ribeira Grande.

If I have one goal here, it’s to do the coastal hike between Ponta and Cruzinha—one of the most popular on the island. Actually, running isn’t the best idea for this 15km round trip... Locals say there’s little elevation gain. Sure, you start at zero and finish at zero, but what a rollercoaster!!! The trail is very well marked, the colorful village of Fontainhas is as Instagram-worthy (and Instagrammed) as it gets, but what zigzags! So many ups and downs! What a relief to arrive! Once again, I set off early to escape the heat, and the sky is still overcast. But it’ll be almost noon by the time I reach the village of Cruzinha. I crossed paths with four other hikers, and the village is deserted... I’ll play it safe—no *aluguer* in sight, so I’ll take the only taxi available to get back to Ponta do Sol (for a negotiated 20 €, mind you...). A few photos from this stunning hike:

Starting with a visit to the "pig HLM" (high-rise pigsties)

Ponta do Sol quickly fades into the distance

And Fontainhas appears in the distance

Then closer

The road is long

Goodbye, Fontainhas

The magic of erosion, just before the *chemin de croix* (literally!)

Speaking of which, here it is.

If you zoom in, you can see the trail

When the holy grail appears (and the driver too, by the way)

If you zoom in, you can see the path

It’s really gorgeous, but it’s missing a bit of greenery. Makes you wonder why this country is called Cape Verde 😄

Same in November after the rainy season...



and green

The same in November after the rainy season...



It really is the same, but even better!

The same in November after the rainy season...

Love the contrast! Thanks, Marie. When exactly is the rainy season, and what’s it like? More like short but heavy downpours or light but continuous rain for days?

Like Solène said, "what a contrast!" (in February, we were between the two 😉).

This rock formation is tied to a very memorable moment for me: we were taking a break at its base when we saw a heavily loaded family approaching....



We exchanged a few words. They explained they were in the middle of moving, carrying everything they owned themselves . Everyone (both parents and their three kids) was carrying something, and everyone was smiling (except the teen, lagging behind ). Already exhausted with just our small backpacks ... we were speechless (but I still remember that moment!)