Cape Verde Windward Islands – Walking Holidays

Itinerary

DAY 1

Arrival to Lisbon

Your leader will welcome you, and after meeting your fellow passengers, an introductory walk will be available if time allows.

 

DAY 2

Transfer to Mindelo – São Vicente

Early morning transfer to Lisbon airport and flight to São Vicente (4h flight). Arrival at São Vicente and transfer to your accommodation in Mindelo (15 min).

An introductory walk will cover the must-see places downtown.

Known for its live music scene, Mindelo is Cape Verde’s second-largest city and the birthplace of the world-renowned morna singer and national treasure Cesária Évora, honoured with a massive mural by the Portuguese contemporary artist Vihls.

There is a surprising amount to do and see in this small city, always very tidy and welcoming, with colourful colonial facades and a cosmopolitan ambience.

Discover the bustling fish market, the produce market with a series of handicraft shops on the first floor, set in a charming building, the Belém Tower (a replica of the Lisbon one), and the contemporary design centre.

At Praça Estrela, a multitude of traders offer their goods (clothes, shoes, electronic items, bric-a-brac, but also fruit and vegetables, which come from Santo Antão.

The city is nested in a deep-waters bay surrounded by mountains, and the marina or the sandy beach of Laginha are perfect places to enjoy the sunset or a drink.

 

DAY 3

Santo Antão

Take the modern ferry from Mindelo to the city of Porto Novo in Santo Antão (1h), passing through an imposing inhabited rock in the middle of the channel, Bird Island, and transfer by road to the start of your first walk.

Our trail winds through diverse landscapes of desert hills, small agricultural hamlets with corn, sweet potato and bean fields, and patches of forest, offering panoramic views over each of the island slopes when the weather is clear.

It will serve as a presentation of the extraordinary diversity of this magical island, virtually untouched by tourism.

In the afternoon, transfer from the end of the walk to your hotel.

 

DAY 4

Paúl Valley

A short transfer will get us to the lush valley of Paúl (marsh). Follow the small paths from hamlet to hamlet, passing through cultivated terraces carved in the steep hills in the area of Cabo de Ribeira.

Here, the locals grow coffee, oranges, guavas, and vegetables, depending on the season; this is also where the delicious grogue (local rum) is distilled, still in traditional mills. The grogue from Paúl valley is considered one of the finest in Cape Verde.

At lunch, we prepared a treat: a local family will welcome our group to taste their homegrown produce in the small valley of Figueiral.

After lunch, the walk follows a spectacular path along the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean.

 

DAY 5

Cruzinha, Fontaínhas and Ponta do Sol

A morning transfer takes us through the mountainous and fertile valleys of Ribeira Grande and Garça to the picturesque coastal village of Cruzinha.

Here, our walk ventures along a trail bordering the ocean. Keep an eye out for the sight of turtles, dolphins or whales.

Enjoy a picnic lunch in the isolated hamlet of Corvo before continuing to Fontainhas, a cliff-clinging village famous for its multicoloured houses and already featured in the National Geographic magazine for boasting one of the most formidable views in the world.

Our walk ends at the attractive fishing town of Ponta do Sol, the northernmost point of Cape Verde, with a striking yellow town hall, whitewashed church and waving palm trees.

 

DAY 6

Grogue Tour

Today, we take a cultural and sensory journey when we visit some local producers of grogue! Santo Antão is a famed producer of this spirit, the local rum, reputed as the best in Cape Verde.

The grogue production is still mainly artisanal, in a device called trapiche.

We will not only visit production areas but also experience living museums which use ancestral techniques of sugar cane grinding. The extracted juice is fermented in large wooden barrels, followed by distillation in a copper still, where the wood-fired fire gives life to the grogue.

The dedication and knowledge passed through generations guarantee the exceptional quality and authenticity of this much-loved product.

Explore and taste a cultural treasure, speak with local producers, and get a bit more of the essence of Cape Verde through its flavours and stories.

In the afternoon, we say goodbye to Santo Antão and hop on the ferry to return to Mindelo.

 

DAY 7

Mindelo

In Mindelo, we can have a free day to enjoy the beach, shop, or organize a tour to visit the Island of São Vicente.

Know Salamansa, Calhau and the famed Baía das Gatas, where the biggest Cape-Verdean music festival takes place on the first full-moon weekend in August.

 

DAY 8

Return to Lisbon

Transfer to São Vicente Airport to take the return flight to Lisbon.