Santiago: Home of Praia, capital of Cape Verde

Discovered back in 1460 by a Portuguese explorer, António da Noli, Santiago, or Santiagu in the Cape Verdean Creole, is the biggest of the Cape Verde Islands and home to around 50 percent of the country’s population.

Situated between Maio and Foto, Santiago is one of the Sotavento (leeward) islands in the Cape Verde archipelago and one of the first to be settled, as the islands were uninhabited at the time of their discovery.

The first town to be established on the island was Cidade Velha (Velha city), which was originally named Riberia Grande.  However, the island is home to Cape Verde’s capital city, Praia, and one of the archipelago’s four international airports, Praia International Airport (RAI), 3 kilometers outside the city. Unlike the windward island of Sal, which is mostly flat, Santiago is mountainous, leveling out a little in the southeast of the island.  The interior and eastern coast tend to benefit from a wetter climate, while the capital, Praia enjoys a more dry environment.

While the Cape Verde islands are in close proximity to the Sahara, making most of the islands pretty dry, locations like Santiago with higher mountainous scenery, and further away from the African coast, tend to enjoy cooler weather with more moisture.  The steep mountains of Santiago are covered with thick vegetation causing this moisture to condense and soak into the plants, soil and moss, making for an almost rainforest habitat and an interesting area to hike.  The following video shows scenes of the lush interior of Santiago:

The population of Santiago as at the 2010 census was 263,919, making the island the most populous in Cape Verde and the main industries of the island center around tourism, agriculture and fishing, along with a little manufacturing.  The main agricultural products of the island include sugar cane, corn, bananas, coffee and mangoes.

The capital of the Cape Verde islands, Praia is also the archipelago’s largest city and is a major commercial center and port city.  There is also an active fishing industry and there are beautiful resort beaches close to the city.

While the hillier sections of the island attract clouds and moisture, Praia enjoys a mild, desert climate and has a very short rainy season during August, September and October each year.  Average temperatures in the city are warm and range from an average high temperature of 27 °C (81 °F) to an average low temperature of 23 °C (73 °F).

Landmarks worth visiting in the city center of Praia include Albuquerque Square, the old city hall built in the 1920s, along with the Presidential Palace (pictured left), built in the 19^th century to house what was then the Portuguese governor, and also the Monumento de Diogo Gomes.

An interesting visit is the Museu Etnográfico (Ethnographic Museum), founded in 1997 as well as the Jaime Mota Barracks which date back to 1826.

A visitor of interest to this island is Charles Darwin, who was said to have traveled to Praia during his Voyage of the Beagle.

 

Tarrafal Beach 

Some interesting places to stay include the Pestana Trópico four-star hotel on the beachfront in Praia, minutes from Estadio da Varzea, and close to Prainha Beach. This 4-star hotel is within the vicinity of Fort Real de Sao Filipe, another worthwhile visit with stunning views of the coastline.

 

Another four-star option in the same area is the Hotel Oásis Atlântico Praiamar. The hotel offers many recreational amenities including a fitness center and an outdoor pool, as well as an excellent restaurant, a bar lounge and poolside bar.

A video below shows scenes of Praia and the surrounding area, including some views of the Hotel Oásis Atlântico Praiamar and more hotels in Praia and its surroundings can be viewed here.

With its varying and interesting scenery and landscapes, Santiago is well worth a visit on your Cape Verde tour.

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Photo credits:

• Pico da Antónia, Santiago (mountain photo top) CC-by-SA Ji-Elle
• Santiago map CC-by-SA Bela-vista.net
• Presidential Palace Praia CC-by-SA Ji-Elle
• Rua Banana Cidade Velha CC-by-SA no rain corp.
• Tarrafal beach, Praia CC BY-NC 2.0 jbdodane
• Hotel photos, courtesy the hotels.