Santiago Old Town: Cape Verde's Historic Birthplace

Discover the birthplace of Cape Verde and its historic ruins in Santiago’s Old Town. Explore the remnants of Ribeira Grande, the former capital of the Cape Verde archipelago, and experience a journey of quality, comfort, and safety.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Fortaleza Real de San Felipe - The Fortress of S. Filipe, one of the great historical monuments of the city of Ribeira Grande is the testimony of the Portuguese presence in these islands. It was built after Drake’s attack. in 1585. The city was garrisoned from this fort, whose construction would have started in 1593. Another historical monument…
What's Included
  • Private transportation
What's Not Included
  • All fees and/or taxes
Additional Information

Come see Santiago’s Old Town, which is the birthplace of Cape Verdeanity. It is also the toponym of what was once the old city of Ribeira Grande, which was the capital of the Cape Verde archipelago for some centuries. It was the first city that the Portuguese had in Africa, in their adventure of discoveries. Hence it is a mandatory reference in the…

Location
Fortaleza Real de San Felipe
Rua de Forteleza,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(7 Ratings)
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1 star
Sispen123
Oct 1, 2024
Memorable Old Town Tour - I made the most of my 6 hours layover in Praia to visit Santiago that Carlos arranged. Junior picked me up at the airport and enjoyed the scenic drive to the Cidade Velha where he showed me the historical spots. I then spent some time in Praia center town/market area and he drove me back to the airport for the next flight. I would highly recommend this operator. Thanks Junior for a truly enjoyable island tour and memorable Praia half-day. You are the very best!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ardice_h
Nov 22, 2022
Well-paced mix of old and new - Nelson was an excellent guide, very warm, and we had a great visit. The visit was well-paced, interesting, and comfortable. This tour was a good mix of the modern, traditional, and historical. At the end of our trip, Nelson recommended a good place for lunch. He has a great sense of humor, too.
Review provided by Viator
T_stefanits
May 8, 2022
Nice half day tour - I visited Cidade Velha in May with Lorenco. From the first minute on, he was more like a friend than a guide. He drove carefully and on the way back to my hotel, we made a little detour, where he showed me the "other" side of Praia.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Philippn619
Jan 22, 2022
Fantastic experience - Highly recommended! I had a great time with Nelson who was a very knowledgeable, relaxed and kind host. He showed me all the important sights in the Old Town and took time to answer all my questions over a very nice lunch at a seaside restaurant.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
221justynaf
Dec 21, 2019
Old Town Experience - Really enjoyed the trip, saw the most important places in Cidade Velha. I was picked up at my hostel, taken care of profesionally by the guide who showed me the cultural and historical spots.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kit_c
Nov 6, 2024
So Much To Learn - From Someone - We didn't know what to expect for our half-day tour. We saw the list of sites in Old Town and got excited. After finding us (no Welcome sign as promised), our driver squeezed 4 people into his small sedan. As we drove along one of the people asked if there was anything to share of the areas we were driving through. He talked a little bit, but we didn't get much from him. Once we got to the fort in Old Town he walked ahead of us and shared information of what we walked through. We had to repeatedly tell him we couldn't hear him. We got to the point of asking questions as we saw things that interested us. But, we felt there was much more to learn. It was a hot day, we were squeezed in his small car and the air conditioner stopped working. When asked why he had such a small car for 4 people he replied that his larger car's air conditioner was broken. Ugh! Back on the ship I heard one person comment that the police officer that escorted her to the gate proudly told her party of the people in his country and it's history. Oh, to have had him as our tour guide! Our guide was a nice guy, sadly he wasn't engaged in his tour.
Review provided by Viator
Jane_b
May 18, 2023
Not as expected and not as advertised - We booked this tour in order to learn more about the island. The stated duration was approximately five hours. We were finished with the itinerary in 2.5 hours and were asked to pay more if we wanted to do something else. Our driver, Nelson, did not speak English very well so there was very little information given. The car was a small VW with no AC, so we drove with the windows down. All windows in the car were tinted so it would have been impossible to see out if the windows were not down. There was no bottled water available or offered. Overall it was not what was advertised.
Review provided by Viator
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1 Adult
December 2024
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