CAPE VERDE 2025: 3 weeks, 4 islands. (page 6 of 7)

but you can also take a shared ride since they go down to PN in the morning to take people to the ferry and the town. Just ask your accommodation.

That’s exactly what my sister and I did, but in reverse. We were coming from Tarrafal and wanted to go to Alto Mira. We took the shared ride from Tarrafal to PN, then another one from PN to Alto Mira. Easy and cheaper!

Now that’s a great tip! 😉

But yeah, you’ll arrive later than if you take a private ride at your convenience. Oh well, it’s vacation time! ;O)

Exactly! I’m never in a rush... I think I’ve got the Cape Verdean transport system figured out 😏

Part 5: Return to Santiago

.

Last domestic flight, it's 2 pm, the sky is overcast. Forty-five minutes later, the wheels touch down on the tarmac at Praia Airport. The taxi driver insists on taking us to Tarrafal, but no—he drops us off near the Sucupira market to catch an aluguer. There are tons of people heading that way, a real buzz in the air, and we have to wait for the second van to board. Once I’ve forbidden the driver from tying our bags directly to the roof with a piece of string (the bags will pay for an inside seat but will be saved...) .



We cross the island from south to north—the road, about sixty kilometers long, is a rollercoaster through the mountains, but the surrounding peaks are stunning. The driver drops us off in the city center. Thanks to a great last-minute deal on Booking, I’d reserved a superb apartment in one of Tarrafal’s finest hotels, with a view of the main beach and the port. .





We loved the vibe in Tarrafal. It’s a human-scale town, with almost no tourists, and a laid-back life where you can stroll, relax, and chat with the locals. The hotel’s location is perfect, with plenty of restaurants—both touristy and local. .

.

We spent our last three days in Cape Verde here, lulled by the waves and the comings and goings of the fishermen.





.

On the second day, I took a trip to the Ponta Preta lighthouse—a gorgeous 10 km round-trip hike along the coast, with natural pools at the end (pretty hard to access and often full of sea urchins). The heat made the walk even tougher.

Our last evening, by sheer luck, there was a village festival. We dined to the sounds of a batuque troupe—energetic singing and dancing typical of Santiago.

Here, everything ends with music!

.

Now it’s time to head home. Our TAP flight to Lisbon is scheduled for noon, so a taxi takes us (for 50 €) to the airport, stopping for a few photos along the way—something you couldn’t do in an aluguer.

A little post about the walk:

Tarrafal with, in the distance, Serra Malagueta







Nature’s telling me it loves me… Well, given the sea urchins, not so sure about that!

And in the end?

I’ve already said it—our trip to Cape Verde was quite a shock at first. But we quickly got swept up in the vibe over there.

Each island was a discovery in itself, with landscapes that can be so different.

Of the ones we visited, our heart clearly goes to Santo Antão, which really deserved the full three weeks of our trip. But Santiago also has some hidden gems, especially the center and the north of the island. On São Vicente, Mindelo is definitely our favorite city, though the rest of the island didn’t impress us as much.

As you’ve gathered, Sal wasn’t our favorite—partly because it concentrates everything I no longer want in a trip. Looking back, my only regret is that I should’ve chosen Fogo over Sal.

In my opinion, to really enjoy Cape Verde, you’ve got to love the unexpected, not be too hung up on schedules, and just let the atmosphere carry you. Oh, and if you’re not into hiking, you might want to skip it (or just stick to Sal 😄). Logistically, renting a car isn’t really worth it since the local transport (shared or private if needed) is well-organized—as long as you’re flexible with timing, which I can’t stress enough.

For us, it was a beautiful discovery, unexpected because it wasn’t planned, almost like a surprising dip into Africa.





Thanks for joining me on this journey—I’ll see you for new adventures next year!

Thanks for this discovery! 🙂 If I could manage to skip Asia, I’d definitely consider heading there.

See you for new adventures next year!

So, what are the plans?

Thanks Bruno for this feedback on Cape Verde... And yesss, you should’ve gone to Fogo, our absolute favorite 🤩. Well, apart from Santiago, we didn’t get the chance to visit other islands, but I’m noting Santo Antão 😄. See you soon for new adventures 👋

Thanks for this travel journal and see you soon for new adventures! 🙂

Thanks Bruno for this travel journal that brought back great memories... and made me want to go back to Cape Verde 😏 (especially since we didn’t have time to visit Fogo).

Thanks for this discovery! 🙂 If I could stop going to Asia, I’d definitely consider it…

So, what are your plans?

Well, Asia isn’t the only place in the world 😉 The plans are top secret

Thanks for this travel journal and see you soon for new adventures! 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks Bruno for this travel journal that brought back great memories... and made me want to go back to Cape Verde 😏 (especially since we didn’t have time to go to Fogo).

Well, you know, Fogo seems overrated to me …. 😏😕 Truth is, it’s my only regret ….

Hello Bruno, and a huge thank you for this journey I really enjoyed discovering... revisiting some places I’ve been (Mindelo twice!). Praia, Cidade Velha, Tarrafal, and so on... 😉

Goodbye! See you very soon... warm regards, Lillie

That’s also the point of the travel journal we’re reading: reliving our own experiences!

Thanks Bruno for this travel journal that brought back good memories... and made me want to go back to Cape Verde 😏 (especially since we didn’t have time to go to Fogo).

Well, you know, Fogo seems overrated.... 😏😕 Truth is, my only regret....

We’ll have to go back! Fogo is magical too!! And then Brava! And Maio!!

Thanks Bruno for this travel journal that brought back great memories... and made me want to go back to Cape Verde 😏 (especially since we didn’t have time to visit Fogo).

Well, you know, Fogo seems overrated.... 😏😕 Truth is, my only regret....

We’ll have to go back! Fogo is magical too!! And then Brava! And Maio!!

Oh yeah, you really love your islands, and you’re so right. Anyway, thanks for your help guiding us through your little paradise...

Yes, thanks Bruno for sharing—it’s really fueling my Cape Verde dreams! I’d already spotted TARRAFAL, and from what you’re saying, we definitely shouldn’t start there or we’ll end up spending the whole vacation there 😂.

By the way, you’re on Facebook’s front page too 😲.



Hugs from The Gambia, where we’re waiting for our return flight 😩😂

😎 , I'm a star 😄!

I also think you'd really like Cape Verde, given your travel journals. But make sure you don’t skip Santo Antão.

Thanks for this travel journal!

A few years back, we were lucky enough to visit 4 islands too. We retraced some of your steps, but our 4th island was Fogo, not Sal! I climbed Pico do Fogo, 2829m! Great red wine from vines growing in the volcanic soil! In Praia, we rented a car, had dinner in Tarrafal, and watched the fishermen arrive—we even dropped the car keys in a mailbox! Hikes, adventures, a restaurant in Paul Valley run by a Franco-Cape Verdean couple, the minibus that wouldn’t go further because we were the only passengers, the plane’s smooth tires for the flight to Fogo (20-minute flight), the national dish, cachupa—a real treat. So many great memories from this archipelago, a mix of Africa and Brazil.....

Hey everyone!

If a little Turkish getaway tempts you, check this out:

"Turkey 2026: Riviera, Antalya & Cappadocia".

Thanks for this travel journal. I admire all of your work, but I don’t have your talents or the courage. So glad to be back on this site—I was sad to see it come to an end. I’ve actually been looking for tips on Cape Verde, which I’ve had my eye on for years. We’re planning to go in November 2027 for 4 weeks, and we’ll take the opportunity to visit a niece in Senegal. The downside is that the flight from Dakar to Cape Verde is just as expensive as from France.