Things to do in Praia

Overview

Praia's old town, the Plateau, sits on a flat-topped basalt tableland above the port on the south coast of Santiago. Its streets were laid out in a grid in the nineteenth century, lined with colonial buildings that lead to Praça Alexandre Albuquerque, a shady square with the town hall and cathedral on its edges. The Presidential Palace and the ethnographic museum are a few minutes' walk away. Down in the valley below, Sucupira is a sprawling open-air market, a maze of fabric stalls and street food at its busiest in the morning.

Beaches, the old capital and the hills

South of the Plateau, Prainha is a small sheltered cove where people swim in the late afternoon, and Quebra Canela, a little further on, has calm water and grilled fish at the beach restaurants. Cidade Velha, the UNESCO-listed old capital in neighbouring Ribeira Grande de Santiago, is about 15 kilometres west along the coast, close enough for a morning. For hiking, the cool heights of Rui Vaz in São Domingos are under an hour's drive inland, with trails up towards Pico de Antónia, the island's highest peak.

Booking on adventuro

Praia is where most Santiago trips begin, with the international airport on the edge of the city and ferries sailing to Maio and to Fogo and Brava. Guided walks often collect you from your hotel. Use the Book here tab to see live dates for trips in and around the capital.

FAQs

The Plateau puts you in the old town, close to the markets, museums and main square. Prainha and Quebra Canela, just to the south, are quieter and nearer the sea, and several of the city's larger hotels are there. The two areas are a short taxi ride apart.

For the south of the island, yes. Cidade Velha, Rui Vaz and the Pico de Antónia trails are all within about an hour. Serra Malagueta and the beach at Tarrafal are a long, winding drive north, so many people move to Tarrafal or Assomada for a few nights if the north is the focus.

Prainha and Quebra Canela, south of the Plateau, are the city's swimming beaches, with clean, calm water most days. Skip Gamboa, the beach beside the port, because the water there isn't as clean. Locals swim in the late afternoon when the heat eases, and the beach restaurants at Quebra Canela fill up at sunset.