Day 1 - Arrival on the island of São Vicente : Mindelo
Your self-guided walking trip in Cape Verde begins on the island of São Vicente at Cesaria Evora airport. The name of the airport sets the tone of the trip: you have just landed in the living home of Cape Verdean music, in the homeland of the "barefoot diva" who has spread the music and culture of "this little country" around the world. Private transfer to Mindelo centre. Depending on the time of your arrival, you can enjoy a first walk - alone or accompanied by a guide - along its streets lined with old houses that forge the soul of the city. Founded by the Portuguese and developed by the English, the traces of this colonial presence are omnipresent. Once the visit is over, enjoy a moment of relaxation on the beautiful Laginha beach from which you can see the imposing Santo Antao and have a swim. For your first evening, immerse yourself in the Cape Verdean atmosphere in the numerous bars/restaurants of the city (important: live music is played on weekends).
Meals included : breakfast
Night : Mindelo
We recommend :
Add a night in Mindelo to discover Mthe entire island of Sao Vicente.
. In the morning let yourself be tempted by a guided tour to discover the history of Mindelo including visits to the fruit and vegetable markets, the fish market, and the African market as well as a workshop of a luthier who makes all kinds of guitars and stringed instruments, including the very local cavaquinho, a small 4-stringed guitar, ancestor of the ukulele.
. In the afternoon discover the island of Sao Vicente with a private driver, explore Monte Verde which culminates at 750m for beautiful panoramic pictures, Salamansa a colorful village with a long beach (kitesurfing area), the beach of Baia das Gatas known for its music festival in August, Praia Grande with its beautiful white sand dunes
Today, you will walk up the greenest and most fertile valley of Santo Antao island. A magnificent trail to discover the agricultural world of the island. Following the river beds and the traditional hamlets, walk along to the gentle sound of the water flowing here and there in small levadas which come to irrigate the innumerable tropical crops: banana plantations, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, yam fields, breadfruit trees... Everything seems to grow effortlessly here and in abundance, and yet it is indeed the men and women who work hard on each cultivated plot, sometimes in places only accessible on foot. The path ascents to reach the pass where the panoramic view over the valley and the ocean is breathtaking. At the end of the walk, stop off at the bar O Curral in the village of Cha de Joao Vaz. There you can enjoy a traditional rum or a traditional goat's cheese if you are peckish! Return by taxi to your accommodation.
This morning you exchange the peacefulness of the mountains for the seaside and the fishing village of Ponta do Sol, the island's former flourishing port. There reigns a nonchalant (and not unpleasant!) atmosphere as you stroll along the cobbled streets lined with colourful or colonial houses. Here one lives to the rhythm of fishing and a stormy sea. Take the time to stop on the port to observe the colourful boats that battle against the waves to finally land lobsters, blackbirds, moray eels .... But Ponta do Sol is also the starting point of one of the most spectacular trails of the island: a paved coastal path, dug in the volcanic walls. A real human feat! It will lead you first to the village of Fontainhas with its colourful houses perched on a promontory and then to the forgotten hamlets of Corvo and Formiguinhas, where time seems to have stood still. The path continues up high, in a succession of ascents and descents to the magnificent and wild black sand beach of Mocho (caution: swimming is forbidden as the sea is very dangerous) and then to the village of Cruzinha where your taxi is waiting for you. Transfer back to the central valleys.
Transfer to Coculi, one of the historical centres of the great central valleys. You go up the small bucolic valley of Figueiral, before exploring the valleys of Joao Afonso and Cha de Pedras. An agricultural region dotted with lively hamlets, terraces with tropical crops such as banana, coffee, cassava and cabbage. In Joao Alfonso, you meet your host Augusta (important: she doesn't speak English) for a tasting of the traditional dish, "cachupa", a kind of stew made from dried beans and maize accompanied by meat.
This day is subject to flight schedules and depending on the time of your domestic flight, you will spend more time on one of the two islands. Arrival on Santiago Island, the largest and most African of the islands. Transfer to your accommodation. Free time in Praia to discover the city at your own pace. Praia became the capital city in 1772, thus dethroning Cidade Velha. You can visit the Plato district, a pedestrian area and the popular and colourful Sucupira market. In the evening, soak up the atmostphere of the city in one of the Churrasqueiras, local restaurants specializing in grilled meat.
This morning, you wake at dawn to enjoy the most beautiful colors of the Caldeira and avoid the heat. In the company of a local guide you set off to conquer the Pico. After walking among the remains of houses buried by the last eruption in 2014, the trail climbs along the ash cone before reaching the rim of the immense crater. The climb up the ash cone is steep and difficult in parts, but the view from the summit over the whole island is worth the effort. The descent is much easier and enjoyable! Return to your accommodation around midday for your lunch included at your hotel. Free afternoon. If you wish, your guide from this morning can accompany you to visit an amazing lava tunnel (from 30€) or you take a taxi to the Caldeira cooperative where the famous Fogo wine is produced. Wine tasting accompanied by local cheese (Opening days are random, please ask us if you are interested in this option – from 20€ per person included transfers).
Today you enjoy a magnificent descent towards the east coast, the greenest coast of the island! An hour's walk in the caldera leads you into the most beautiful forest of eucalyptus, mimosa and sisals. The humidity generated by the forest allows for important agricultural activity, particularly coffee. During the descent, gaps in the vegetation offer beautiful views of the coast and the ocean. Arrive in the village of Paï Antonio. Transfer to explore São Filipe, certainly one of the most beautiful cities of Cape Verde with its many "Sobrados", old mansions with large wooden balconies.
