I’ve been travelling to Cape Verde with Archipelago Choice for over 20 years now, and it’s the local guides who have always made my visits particularly special. Whether you’re travelling overland in a jeep or heading out on a guided walk, they’ll always surprise you with unexpected experiences and fascinating nuggets of information. That might be stopping to pick fruit growing by the roadside, visiting a village grogue distillery, or dropping in on one of their friends. When it comes to specific experiences and excursions, we like to focus on authentic, locally-led activities. So, I thought it might be useful to point our readers to some very special experiences that take you straight to the heart of what Cape Verde is all about.
In no particular order…
1. Star Gazing in Cha das Caldeiras
One of Cape Verde’s most special islands, in my mind, is Fogo. It’s undeniably volcanic, with a 2,829m volcanic cone dominating your view from all points of the island. At the foot of the volcano is an incredible caldeira called Cha das Caldeiras. Enter the calderia on foot and you’ll feel like you’ve walked into the centre of the earth!
This is an ideal spot for stargazing. And I’m not talking about an organised tour, I mean a mindful moment, all to yourself, where you get to witness the most incredible star-filled sky framing the perfect triangular cone of Fogo Volcano. The high elevation and lack of light pollution make the stars appear especially bright and vivid. To enjoy this experience, I would recommend spending at least one night at Casa Marisa 2.
2. Wine tasting on Fogo Island
If you choose to include Fogo in your island-hopping holiday (and you should), chances are you’ll end up in Chã das Caldeiras. It’s an easy walk onto this huge, dusty volcanic floor and the scenery grabs you straight away. You can wander over hardened lava flows, identify hardy plant species, take a guided walk along the Bordeira wall, and even head to the summit of Fogo itself!
Much like the star-gazing, the wine-tasting on Fogo is an intimate affair and truly authentic. Chã Vinho do Fogo, where you can taste the wine, is a modest building. These are not the grand vineyards that you might find in Northern Portugal, but small ground vines set amongst the most incredible volcanic backdrop. And the grapes that grow here have their own unique flavour.
3. Cooking Classes on São Vicente
It’s always the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds that make any new destination feel exciting. Thanks to Cape Verde’s Portuguese and West African influences, the local cuisine is famously delicious. Joining a cooking class is great fun and a good way to bring a memory of Cape Verde home with you. The cooking class that we offer is part of a full-day guided tour of São Vicente. Your hosts will decide on the dish of the day, but it’s likely to be a variation of Cape Verde’s most famous dish, Cachupa. This popular stew is made from locally grown produce, such as dried corn, beans, cassava, and sweet potato, and meat or fish.
4. Visit a grogue distillery and taste their sugar-cane spirit
Cape Verde’s most popular alcoholic beverage is a drink called grogue, a strong spirit made from sugar cane. Similar to rum, it’s made from sugar cane but this is freshly pressed, unrefined sugar cane, rather than a refined product such as molasses. 80% of the country’s grogue supply is produced on the island of Santo Antão, where sugar cane grows in abundance in the lush green valleys. Santiago is also known for its green valleys, and you’ll find a few grogue distilleries dotted about. If you visit either of these islands, your guide will likely take you for a tasting experience while you explore.
5. Live music and the Cape Verde carnival
Cape Verde is renowned for its vibrant music scene, the product of a mix of creative cultures that have merged over a long history of occupation. Most of the music you’ll hear is a blend of West African, Portuguese, and Caribbean influences.
The genre that Cape Verde is perhaps most famous for is a style of ballad called Morna, where heartfelt, bluesy melodies are paired with nostalgic, poetic lyrics, often reflecting on the sea and a sense of longing. Cesária Évora, fondly known as the “barefoot diva,” is considered by many to be the queen of Morna, much like how Aretha Franklin is celebrated as the queen of soul. She remains a beloved and celebrated figure, and you’ll see a range of street art dedicated to her memory and talent.
If you want to experience the very best of Cape Verde’s music, I’d suggest heading to São Vicente, where restaurants like Le Metalo, Casa da Morna, and Nautilus have live bands performing on most nights during peak season. Or, for the ultimate musical experience, visit during the Cape Verde Carnival.
6. Guitar-making workshop in Mindelo
Another great way to tune in (excuse the pun!) to the musical scene of São Vicente is by visiting a guitar-making workshop. We include this during our half-day guided walking tour of Mindelo. You’ll get to see the different stages of guitar making and there’s usually a musician or two casually jamming away in the background, which adds to the ambience.
7. Swim with turtles on São Vicente
There is something truly incredible about seeing a sea turtle, especially when you consider the fact that they have been around for over 100 million years in one form or another. These beautiful marine reptiles survived the extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs and have been around longer than sloths and even the Megalodon.
You can enjoy a range of turtle experiences in Cape Verde, such as watching them lay their eggs at night or witnessing the tiny hatchlings make their bid for the open ocean. But perhaps the most unique experience is swimming among turtles from São Pedro beach on São Vicente.
Admittedly, there are usually several groups and boats in the bay, but once you’re in the water, you’ll drift off into a private world of your own, silently paddling alongside these enduring aquatic reptiles.
8. Assomada Market
Visiting the markets in Cape Verde is always a fun experience. It’s a colourful window into life on the islands. You get to see what produce is grown in the fertile mountain valleys, the style of clothing that Cape Verdeans wear, and what the fishermen have managed to haul in from the sea that day. These lively, bustling markets are very much at the heart of island life, and it’s common to see road-side fruit stalls and people carrying fish in in plastic buckets. One of the more popular markets is in the plateau town of Assomada on Santiago. The town is in a wonderfully elevated position, with views of the island’s two major mountain ranges: Pico d’Antónia and Serra Malagueta.
9. Visit Cidade Velha, the oldest settlement in Cape Verde
Cape Verde has an interesting history, and the islands played a key, if somewhat dark, role in the dawn of the Age of Discovery, when European explorers staked their claims on uninhabited islands and developed a global network of trade routes. When the Portuguese settlers first came to Cape Verde, they established themselves on the island of Santiago, in the place called Ribeira Grande. For about 300 years, it was the epicentre of the slave trade. The original pillory and ruined remains of the old church and fortress remain in a town they now call Cidade Velha (meaning old city). This little town has now flourished into a relaxed and peaceful town. The Rua Banana is a lovely place to walk through, a cobbled passage that was built in the 1400s, representing the first European street in the tropics.
10. Float in the salt-rich pools at Salinas
The Salt Pans on Sal are known as Salinas de Pedra de Lume. These natural salt pans, first mined in 1804, were formed in the collapsed crater of a dormant volcano. At one point, the sales of salt were so lucrative that it was referred to as ‘white gold’. In fact, it’s the only salt lake in a volcanic caldera in the world, and you can float in the pools surrounding the salt pans because the water has such high salinity and is denser than the human body. It’s a similar experience to floating in the Dead Sea. Whilst the dead sea has 34% salinity, the pools on Sal’s salt pan have 40% salinity, so are even more buoyant! Of course, you can simply walk the paths that run between the gridded pans if you prefer. Our local guides can take you on a tour of the salt pans and can include a stop off at Buracona natural sea pools on the way back, if you fancy a swim.
How do I book these experiences?
You could book any of these experiences as part of your holiday package with Archipelago Choice. All of our holiday are fully flexible, so we would encourage you to call us so we can send you a personalised list of suggestions. I could talk endlessly of swimming in Tarrafal’s bay on Santiago, or walking in the Paul Valley on Santo Antão, so do feel free to get in touch if you’re interested in Cape Verde and want some first-hand recommendations: jake@archipelagochoice.com
