An Island hopping adventure in Cape Verde

Transfer to the port of Mindelo. Board the ferry for the famous crossing between Porto Grande, the main port on the island of São Vicente, and Porto Novo, on the island of Santo Antão. You’ll be swept up in the hustle and bustle of the locals when you embark and disembark!  For your first hike on Santo Antão, you'll set off to discover the Janela and Penedo ribeiras. After the "rocha scribida", a monolith bearing enigmatic inscriptions, you head up the valley along a paved path that leads from house to house. Banana, mango and orange trees punctuate your walk to a small pass with spectacular views. Descend through the prosperous Janela valley to the ocean. Transfer to Vila das Pombas (Simple version) or to the top of Paul Valley (Comfort version)

Walk : Ribeira de Janela > Faja de Janela > Ribeira de Penede | 03h30 |6.5 km | Elevation : + 550m / - 550m
Meals included: breakfast, dinner
Night : Vila das Pombas (Simple  version) or Paul Valley (Comfort Version)

Today, you will walk up the greenest and most fertile valley of Santo Antão 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. We recommend a stop for refreshments on Sandra and Alcinda's terrace, who live on the pass, before continuing to the hamlet of Cha de Joao Vaz. 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.

Walk : Boca de Figueiral > Pico do Antonio > Cha de Joao Vaz | 4h00| 6 km  - 3.8 miles| Elevation: + 550m / - 280m
Meals included : breakfast, dinner
Night : Vila das Pombas (Simple  version) or Paul Valley (Comfort Version)

Note: On Confort version, the hike is reversed, starting from the hotel and arriving at Boca de Figuerial. 

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. Transfer back to the central valleys (Simple version) or arriving by foot at your accomodation (Comfort version).

Walk : Ponta do Sol > Fontainhas > Cruzinha | 5h00 | 14 km - 9 miles | Elevation : +750m/-750m
Meals included : breakfast, dinner
Night : Boca de Coruja (Simple version) or Cruzinha (Comfort version)

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 João Afonso and Cha de Pedras. An agricultural region dotted with lively hamlets, terraces with tropical crops such as banana, coffee, cassava and cabbage. In João 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 with meat. You explore this agricultural region dotted with hamlets, terraces and tropical crops ranging from bananas and coffee to cassava and sugar cane...

Walk : Coculi > Valleys of João Alfonso > Cha das Pedras > Boca de Coruja | 4h00 | 13 km - 8 miles | Elevation : +630m/-570m
Meals included : breakfast, dinner
Night : Boca de Coruja (Simple version) or Cruzinha (Comfort version)

Short transfer to the departure point of your last hike. Following a magnificent and spectacular path, some of which is paved, you climb up the João Alfonso valley through maize terraces and sisal groves. Arrive on the high plateaux dominated by grasses and maize, before reaching the ridges with spectacular views of the northern valleys and the ocean in the background.  Transfer to Porto Novo to catch the return ferry to Mindelo.

Walk : Manuel Ribeiro > Espongeiro | 5h00 | 8.5 km - 5 miles | Elevation : +1200m/-115m
Meals included : breakfast, 
Night : Mindelo

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, the pedestrian area and the popular and colourful Sucupira market. You can also visit Cidade Velha, the first colonial trading post established by the Portuguese in 1460, where the ruins of the Sao Filipe fortress, the cathedral and the sleepy village around the Pelourinho give off an unusual vibe. In the evening, soak up the atmostphere of the city in one of the Churrasqueiras, local restaurants specializing in grilled meat.

Meals included : breakfast 
Night : Praia

We recommend :
. Enjoying the services of a local guide to discover the meandres of Praia and its history. The visit can be adjusted according to your wishes and the time available. The guide knows Praia like the back of his hand and will take you on a unique discovery of the the unmistakable features of the city such as the pedestrian area of the Plato, the Governor's Palace, the Abuquerque square, the Sucupira market and some secret hideouts for a well earnt drink! (from 47€ half day).
.  Enjoying the services of a local guide to explore Cidade Velha. Walk through the Ribeira Grande valley, which was used throughout the 16th century as a laboratory for acclimatising plants before being exported to America and Brazil. Discovery of Cidade Velha, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. It was the first colonial city built by Europeans in the tropics. Discover the exterior of the fortress built in 1587 after the attack by the famous pirate Sir Francis Drake, the pillory square, the ruins of the Cathedral and Banana Street, the oldest street in sub-Saharan Africa. Lunch in a local restaurant (from 100 € per person -  full day)

Transfer to the airport and flight to Fogo. Transfer to the caldera. On 23 November 2014 the volcano erupted for a month. The lava buried the hamlets of Portela and Bangeira. Just a few months later, the population returned to the caldera to rebuild and resume farming. Enjoy a self-guided exploration of the crater and its petrified lava to soak up the atmosphere before your guided tour tomorrow.  Settle in for 2 nights in the Caldeira.

Meals included : breakfast,  dinner
Night : Cha das Caldeiras

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€).

Guided Walk : Ascent of Pico Grande  | 4h30 | 6 km - 4 miles | Elevation : +1000m/-1000m
Please note: This hike is a more "challenging" hiking level
Meals included : breakfast,  lunch, dinner
Night : Cha das Caldeiras

We recommend :
. Descending via the small Pico (about 30€ extra for the guide) along a handrail installed on the cliff side with some dizzying passages. The Small Pico, an active volcano with many holes surrounded by sulphur from which fumaroles escape, offers a magnificent view of the big volcano.
. Adding a night in the Caldeira for a guided hike on the ridge of the Bordeira at 800m above the caldera - Level 3 hike with some dizzying passages, similar to via ferrata. Equipment provided on the spot - 5h walking + 800 m

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 stunning 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.

Walk : Cha das Caldeiras > Pai Antonio  | 4h30 | 12 km - 8 miles | Elevation : +100m/-1200m
Please note: This hike is a more "challenging" hiking level
Meals included : breakfast 
Night : Sao Felipe
. Option COMFORT : The accommodation is a traditional colonial house (Sobrado), transformed into a hotel. 4 of the rooms have a private bathroom but located outside the room with access through a corridor that crosses the common patio. We will do our best to avoid these rooms but if this is the case we will inform you at the time of booking.

Transfer to the airport and flight to Santiago. Depending on flight times, your day will be spent at your leisure on Fogo or on Santiago.

Meals included : breakfast 
Night : Praia

Transfer to the airport for your return flight. End of your island hopping adventure in Cape Verde !