Tarrafal sits at the northern tip of Santiago, at the end of the main road from Praia, some 70 kilometres away. Its bay is one of the few on the island with pale sand, shaded by palms and framed by the slopes of Monte Graciosa, and fishing boats work from a small harbour close to the beach. The town is relaxed and walkable, with guesthouses and seafood restaurants near the water. At Chão Bom, just outside town, Portugal's dictatorship ran a prison camp for political prisoners from the 1930s. It's now the Museum of the Resistance, and it's a sobering visit that's well worth making.
Diving, beaches and the park
The sheltered bay makes Tarrafal one of Santiago's best places for snorkelling straight from the beach. Dive boats visit rocky reefs and a wall a few minutes offshore, and tuna hunt around the deeper sites. Inland, the ridges of Serra Malagueta Natural Park, which reaches into Tarrafal, are close enough for a morning hike, and the popular walk down the Ribeira Principal valley finishes near the road back to town.
Booking on adventuro
The drive from Praia is long and winding, so most visitors stay a few nights rather than coming for the day. Dive and snorkel trips meet close to the beach. Use the Book here tab to see live dates for dives, snorkel trips and walks around Tarrafal.
