Cidade Velha, the seat of Ribeira Grande de Santiago, sits at the mouth of a green valley on the south-west coast of Santiago, about 15 kilometres west of Praia. The Portuguese founded it in the fifteenth century as Ribeira Grande, the first European colonial town in the tropics, and it grew rich as a port on the Atlantic slave trade. Pirate raids and the move of the capital to Praia left it to fade. Today it's a quiet town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Behind it, steep farmland rises towards Pico de Antónia.
Exploring the old capital
Start in the square by the sea, where a carved marble pillory from the early sixteenth century still stands. Rua Banana, a lane of low stone houses with thatched roofs, is said to be the first street the Portuguese built in the tropics, and it leads to the church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, one of the oldest colonial churches anywhere. The ruins of the old cathedral and a Franciscan convent stand nearby. High above the town, the Fortaleza Real de São Filipe was built after raids by Francis Drake, and its walls look down over the whole bay. For longer hikes, the trails around Pico de Antónia are within an hour's drive inland.
Booking on adventuro
Most people visit on a half-day trip from Praia, and a local guide makes the ruins far easier to read. Use the Book here tab to see live dates for guided visits and walks around Cidade Velha.
