Easier Hiking in Cape Verde

You land on São Vicente and are transferred to your accommodation in Mindelo, Cape Verde's cultural heart. Here awaits colonial architecture, music streaming from the bars, and the relaxed and welcoming feeling known as morabeza in Creole. The rest of the day is free for a first stroll along the bay, a drink at a café, or simply rest after the journey.

Get more out of São Vicente with one or more optional excursions: a colourful guided city walk in Mindelo, a tour around the island, and a hike between the mighty Praia Grande beach and the fishing village of Calhau. Read more below and select these when booking.

In the morning you take the ferry from Mindelo to Porto Novo on Santo Antão and then follow the legendary Corda road up towards the island's high plateau. Here you hike among fragrant pine forest, mimosa, and open mountain ridges with wide views over the island's dramatic landscape. The path follows airy ridgelines before you meet the Corda road again. After the hike you descend into the green Ribeira da Torre valley and check in to your accommodation in the middle of the banana plantations, with a pool for a refreshing dip.

Today's hike starts right at the accommodation. You do a round trip through the Ribeira da Torre valley, through terraced plantations of yams, sugar cane, bananas, and coffee. The path runs like a balcony high above the steep valley, framed by mighty volcanic cliffs. Along the way you pass small villages, dragon trees, and palms, getting a glimpse of everyday rural life. A short, varied hiking day with plenty of time for breaks and photos.

You leave the valley and drive to Ponta do Sol, where the taxi continues up to the colourful village of Fontainhas – the starting point for today's classic coastal hike. A fine cobbled path leads high above the sea via the villages of Corvo and Formiguinhas. The path clings to the cliffs and offers magnificent views over the Atlantic. In Formiguinhas you enjoy a home-cooked lunch at Isabel's, with the sea as a backdrop, before following the same beautiful route back to Fontainhas where your taxi awaits. Short transfer back to Ponta do Sol.

After a short transfer you reach the village of Coculi. From here you walk up through the green, rural João Afonso valley with small farms and cultivated fields. The hike continues into the neighbouring Chã de Pedras valley, where the terraces climb up the slopes. At the end of the day you are picked up by taxi for a spectacular journey south, now through dry, desert-like landscapes in warm ochre tones, to the secluded fishing village of Tarrafal de Monte Trigo, where you spend the last nights.

Today you decide the pace and content entirely yourself. Stroll through the small fishing village where colourful boats are pulled up on the black lava beach and daily life carries on at a calm pace. Take a dip in the sea, go snorkelling, or join a trip on a local fishing boat. If you want to hike more, you can do an extra coastal tour to the village of Monte Trigo and take a boat back to Tarrafal – a great opportunity to see the coast from the sea (optional, booked on site or in advance).

The morning is free in Tarrafal. Enjoy a last stroll along the beach or a coffee in the village before heading back by taxi across the island to Porto Novo. From there you take the ferry back to Mindelo on São Vicente. The evening is free for a last dinner in town, perhaps with live music, or a quiet evening stroll along the palm-lined bay. There is also the option to do some hiking in the surrounding area.

After breakfast, the only thing remaining is the transfer to the airport in Mindelo, unless you choose to extend your stay with extra nights or more islands.