What to do in Ilha de Santo Antão?

Santo Antão Island

Cape Verde’s best kept secret

Cape Verde’s best kept secret is Santo Antão. This island, which often passes by the main tourist guides, is a dream for anyone who appreciates trails, mountains, and nature in its raw state.
Its rugged terrain, its vegetation, the villages of small houses, and a population mostly dedicated to agriculture, provide curious hikers with a unique landscape.
Hiking on foot or by bike, picnics, and the opportunity to marvel at its natural beauty are some of the things this island provides. Even better, only the people who are part of this place.
Santo Antão is ideal for walking, relaxing and contemplating.

How to get to Santo Antão Island?

Santo Antão does not have an airport; therefore, the only way to get to the island is by ferry boat. To make the trip, you must go to the island of São Vicente and then take the boat in Porto Grande to Porto Novo in Santo Antão. The boat trip between the two islands takes about an hour and costs about 800 CVE (8 EUR).

How to obtain your visa for Cape Verde?

Whether or not a visa is required depends on the place of origin and the length of stay. Information on this can be found at https://travel.gov.cv/

How to get around in Ilha de Santo Antão?

There are several ways to get around among the hilly (and therefore quite rugged) trails that make up the island. The options are by bicycle, on foot, by cab, or by hiace.

What money do I need on the island of Santo Antão?

Eventually some venues (major hotels and restaurants) may accept euros. But it will be necessary, especially considering that Santo Antão is not one of the more touristy islands, to change some money into Cape Verde Escudos in order to buy locally.

What to bring to the Santo Antão Island?

• Sunblock
• Clothes for both warm weather and slightly cooler days and for walking in the mountains
• Comfortable shoes (very important for trekking)
• Camera
• Smartphone with GPS Map
• Cape Verdean Escudos
• Backpack and mountain walking gear

What to visit in Santo Antão Island?

Crater (Cova)

The Crater (Cova do Paúl) is one of the magnificent places to visit on the island. An ascent (and descent) that involves several hours of walking, but whose landscape is worth the effort. And surprisingly, inside the crater there is life: it is a fertile place, which farmers take advantage of for their crops. A magnificent view and fantastic plants to see along the way: not to be missed.

Crown Top

The top of the Coroa is the highest place on the island of Santo Antão. Needless to say, on such a beautiful island, with color contrasts between the reddish gray of the rock and the green mantle of vegetation that covers part of the island, along with mountains of volcanic origin sculpted by time, the view from its highest point is fantastic.

Grogue Production

Grog is a drink similar to aguardente or cachaça. and in Santo Antão part of the Cape Verdean grog is produced. And it is an opportunity to see how this drink is produced, and if you are a connoisseur, take the opportunity to taste it.

Statue of Cape Verdean Woman

The statue honoring Cape Verdean women is in a prominent place on the island of Santo Antão. This statue, in which the woman is accompanied by a child, represents her importance in the education and identity formation of the people in Cape Verde. This monument also has some typical objects, in an allusion to work.
The statue is in a beautiful spot on the island, and you can also enjoy the surrounding area. Not to be missed.

Delgadinho Road

On an island known for its fantastic landscapes, the Delgadinho road is an iconic place. With the Delgadinho on one side, and the valley on the other, we have the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the island in all its splendor.

Delight yourself while strolling or driving along the roads in Santo Antão and fall in love with the wonderful mountain formations, such as Delgadinho.

Ponta do Sol

Ponta do Sol is a calm and beautiful place. The coastal village lies at the foot of the mountains, next to the sea. There, you can find beautiful buildings, such as the City Hall.
Ponta do Sol is one of the most important villages in Santo Antão.

What else to try?

Cape Verde is known for the taste of delicious fish caught off its coast. A local delicacy is fish broth. With the richness that the island has, in terms of vegetables and fish, it was impossible for this broth not to be tasty.
Besides Grogue, mentioned above, there are liqueurs produced on the island of Santo Antão that you can try. Its flavors, derived from locally grown fruit, are something to be enjoyed.

Santo Antão Beaches

Escorralete Beach

Escorralete beach is the best known in Santo Antão. Next to Porto Novo is the beach where the local festival is held every year.

Eat, Sleep and Socialize

What to eat?

Santo antão has, besides the traditional Cachupa, specialties such as caldo de peixe (fish broth), which you won’t want to miss. At the end of these wonderful dishes, enjoy one of the island’s liquors and discover wonderful flavors.

Where to sleep?

In Santo Antão, there are several accommodation options, most of which are located in Ponta do Sol – Ribeira Grande.

Where to live together?

Even when you are in trekking mode, there are places to rest on your trip. And any location has opportunities for conversation and sharing with an affable and welcoming people.