In a nutshell

History and traditions of Cape Verde and the island of Santiago, the largest in the archipelago in terms of size and population.

Main stops

Praça Alexandre Albuquerque, Nossa Senhora da Graça church, Presidential Palace and statue of Diogo Gomes
Fruit and vegetable market and Fortaleza Real de Sao Felipe
Pelourinho and Rua Banana
Avenida Cidade de Lisboa and Sucupira

The programme

In this tour we visit Praia, capital of the island of Santiago, starting from the large Praça Alexandre Albuquerque, one of the most emblematic places of Santiago, surrounded by beautiful buildings from the colonial era; we then move towards the church of Nossa Senhora da Graça, the Presidential Palace and the statue of Diogo Gomes, dedicated to the Portuguese explorer of the same name, who in 1460 founded the first settlement on the island of Santiago.
We walk inside the picturesque fruit and vegetable market, full of colors and intoxicating scents, before visiting the Fortaleza Real de Sao Felipe, a well-preserved memory of the old Portuguese city, built by Philip I, King of Portugal and Spain.
On board our bus we pass in front of the Pelourinho, the obelisk where slaves were exposed and a testimony to the colonial era, and then go down to Rua Banana, characterized by ancient stone houses, where we can dedicate ourselves to shopping among a local craftsmanship and more.
Once we get back on the bus we return to the ship passing through Avenida Cidade de Lisboa, overlooking the crowded Sucupira market, very lively and colourful.

Good to know

Markets are closed on Sundays and bank Holidays.