Search hotels on Santiago, Cape Verde

Santiago was an interesting and scenic island, more so than the standard tourist locations of Sal and Boa Vista. We found some good local restaurants and enjoyed many trips out although the southerly location meant long drives every day, so it may be better to stay in the middle of the island. The town of Praia is spreading fast but many building projects have been abandoned whilst new ones are starting up. The urban sprawl is depressing and much infilling is required.

A questão da segurança que se põe mais para os turistas mas também para os locais, inibe de andar a pé principalmente depois das 20h. No plateau, zona central da cidade, esse problema não existe, depois é táxi seja qual for a distância. Grande contraste entre o Centro e uma imensa área de bairros periféricos onde o cimento impera, as construções NÃO têm acabamento exterior. A não perder o labiríntico Sucupira. Vale a pena sair da cidade e percorrer o interior de Santiago.

Very lively little town. Beach is wonderful. Some good places to eat and enjoy music (something quintessential in Cabo Verde). Recommend Buzio (food - best value and music on several days a week - not on Monday- guaranteed on Thursday and Friday- check the other days). We also enjoyed the Santiago Lounge (drinks, snacks, swimming and playing Oril - don't miss the sunset!)

A great small capital city with bustling local life. Some nice sights to see, but interacting with the locals was the most rewarding aspect of visiting. Praia is very easy to walk around, though best to take a taxi after dusk. Expect to pay between 700-1000 CVE ($7-10) for a taxi to/from the airport and 150-200 CVE ($1.5-2) for a taxi around Praia. There are some nice restaurants with the freshest seafood. Best of all, get out of Praia and see other parts of the island of Santiago, e.g. Cidade Velha, Tarrafal, Boa Entrada, Rui Vaz. Renting a car with a driver for a day will cost approximately US$70.

Lots if local colour - vibrant market and local people going about their business. No mainstream food chains here. Limited selection of restaurants, we ate both nights at Pingo Pingo. A couple in our early 50's who have often travelled and wandered " slightly" off the beaten track we felt safe during the day and at night other travellers may not be as comfortable. Local transport on the Yazz was great, cheap, colourful and at times squashed! We used the Yazz to visit Tarrafal and other costal locations, a sort of north island tour. We travelled holding at different times, shopping bags, a buckets of seafood and a baby on our knees, making it memorable! Everyone was polite and friendly although little English is spoken we got by with our Portuguese phrase book although the island of Santiago is mainly Creole speaking. Don't stay on the beaches, take a hopper flight and see the diversity of the islands and enjoy the experience.

Tarrafal has the only real, sandy beach on the island of Santiago. It was clean and beautiful. The market was worth seeing, and there are several small restaurants where you can eat Cachupa, the local speciality, and much more. The food and the drinks are inexpensive and good. Tarrafal is a small, very safe town. You can walk around any time of the day and night, without problems. Mind you, most bars and restaurants close at 11 p.m. No nightlife there! There is an interesting museum outside the town, 20-30 minutes walk away. It was the concentration camp for opponents of Salazar, the Portuguese dictator, and the prisoners came from Cabo Verde, Angola, Portugal and Guinea. It opened in 1936 and it was closed after the Carnation revolution in 1974, and the prisoners were released. It became a museum in 2016. Immediately after entering the gates, I felt the agony and suffering that had been going on here for so many years, just like I felt when visiting concentration camps from Hitler's age in Poland and Germany. I recommend a visit there, anyway.

Plateau is a charming area to spend half a day, though it's eerily quiet on Sundays and the beaches aren't particularly pleasant. There's live music every night on the main street there too. Cidade Velha is also well worth an afternoon. Do not spend more than a day on Santiago though - Assomada and Tarrafal are overrated, and you should maximise your time on other islands.

We would go again anytime and recommend it to everyone! Magnificent experience! Tarrafal beach is the most beautiful beach of Santiago island. The Vista Mar hotel and restaurant are both excellent! The hotel is very new and modern. Rooms are stylish and very clean. Very comfortable bed, excellent air conditioning. You can see the whole Tarrafal beach from the balconies of the hotel, which is lovely. Actually, the Tarrafal beach is only 100 meters (maybe even less) from the hotel. There is an excellent restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel offering delicious seafood dishes, wide range of local specialities, Italian and international dishes, perfect desserts and all this for a very reasonable price. The restaurant has live music and magnificent singers. The singer had such a voice, absolutely amazing! Both the staff of the hotel and the restaurant are outstanding, efficient and professional, but at the same time limitlessly helpful and welcoming.

Tarrafal is great for a couple of days to rest on the beach. There is one hike that you can do with a guide or you can dive. We spend some time in the Santiago Lounge Bar which is a great place to chill and admire the sunset. The city is not that beautiful but the beach and the people there are worth to stop.

If you are looking for a "non-touristy" location this is it! Authentic and real, great people, very safe. A perfect place to relax if you want to get away from busy places. Santiago Lounge Bar was the highlight of our trip. Beach is small, beautiful & not crowded in January.