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Santiago Highlights: Culture, Cuisine, and Nature Tour
4.9
121 Ratings
Praia
Discover Santiago Island’s highlights on this full-day tour. Experience a workshop with a local family, visit a vibrant market, and relax at Tarrafal beach.
Discover Santiago Island’s highlights on this full-day tour. Experience a workshop with a local family, visit a vibrant market, and relax at Tarrafal beach.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Praia - Get picked up at your accommodation, then depart toward the interior of the island.
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São Lourenço dos Órgãos - Make your first stop at Mrs. Luisa’s house. There, learn to cook and savor cuscuz (a traditional cake made from corn flour) and fidjós (fried banana mixed with wheat), the typical breakfast for Cape Verdean families.
-…
- Praia - Get picked up at your accommodation, then depart toward the interior of the island.
- São Lourenço dos Órgãos - Make your first stop at Mrs. Luisa’s house. There, learn to cook and savor cuscuz (a traditional cake made from corn flour) and fidjós (fried banana mixed with wheat), the typical breakfast for Cape Verdean families.
- Assomada Market - After the workshop, head to the city of Assomada and visit its famous market (Wednesdays and Saturdays only), meet locals and admire the vibrant colors of the local fruits and vegetables.
- Serra de Malagueta - Move on to the Serra Malagueta natural park and marvel at the incredible views from 1000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level.
- Tarrafal Beach - Next, swim at Santiago’s most beautiful beach, Tarrafal, surrounded by white sand, hills and palm trees. Next, take a break for a delicious lunch at your own expense at a local restaurant and enjoy the local cuisine.
- Calheta de Sao Miguel - After lunch, drive back along the beautiful east coast, discover the community of Rabelados and experience the local culture with the natives who still live in thatched houses and preserve Cape Verde’s oldest customs.
- Pedra Badejo - Drive between the country’s verdant agricultural fields before heading to Praia.
- Praia - The tour concludes with a drive back to Praia, the capital of the country.
- Santiago - After discovering Santiago’s highlights on this full-day tour, be dropped off at the inicial pickup point.
What's Included
- Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Praia
- Liability insurance included
- Transportation provided
- Workshop of Cuscuz and Fidjós (local delights)
- Professional Tour Guide
- Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Praia
- Liability insurance included
- Transportation provided
- Workshop of Cuscuz and Fidjós (local delights)
- Professional Tour Guide
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Lunch
Additional Information
Discover Santiago’s highlights on this full-day tour. Experience a workshop with a local family and learn to make Cape Verde’s famous cuscus. Visit the colorful Assomada Market and cross the Serra Malagueta Natural Park to take a dip at Tarrafal beach, the most beautiful on the island. Meet the community that preserves Cape Verde’s oldest customs and…
Discover Santiago’s highlights on this full-day tour. Experience a workshop with a local family and learn to make Cape Verde’s famous cuscus. Visit the colorful Assomada Market and cross the Serra Malagueta Natural Park to take a dip at Tarrafal beach, the most beautiful on the island. Meet the community that preserves Cape Verde’s oldest customs and learn about the local culture.
- Please note that the fair in Assomada Market takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Location
Praia
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(121 Ratings)
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1 star
Tenthlisten
Sep 16, 2024
Excellent and Fun Tour of Santiago Island - This is an excellent tour of Santiago Island. It stops at key highlights and includes a cooking experience where we were able to eat two local foods. The only thing to note is that the roads are quite windy, so come prepared if you are prone to car sickness.
Our group consisted of people who spoke French, Spanish, and English, so we had three separate guides who spoke each of those languages. As my friend and I were the only two who spoke English, it almost felt like a private tour with our guide. Ricardo was excellent. He showed us our route on the map throughout the journey, went out of his way to show us around, and made sure that we were comfortable. He walked us through a local market, ordered lunch on our behalf, and guided us to the beach at Tarrafal. The conversations in the car with him were very easy and his English is excellent. Thanks for a great day, Ricardo!
I highly recommend this tour for a comprehensive overview of Santiago's beautiful culture and nature.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roryjdoyle
Jul 17, 2024
Santiago Island - Best way to see the island is to hire a driver and car and to drive you up through the island and down the right side of the island coast. So much overwhelming natural valconic beauty. Highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
988aurorel
Jun 9, 2024
Great excursion to discover Santiago - We had an excellent time in the company of the two guides as well as our excursion companions. The first stop at Mama Luisa’s was great! Preparation of traditional cuscuz and banana fidjós. Then we were able to taste it all together. The ride with the view of the mountains and valleys is incredible. And our favorite from the Tarrafal excursion. A magnificent setting, a beach with very few people. The water is perfect for swimming!
Thanks again to our guide who started recently and who taught us a lot about Santiago and the history and culture of Cape Verde. We wish you the best for the future, you are a wonderful person.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julia_d
Jun 4, 2024
magical experience - beautiful one day trip. i enjoyed everything, starting with the workshop through the beautiful Tarrafal beach and lunch. multiple photo stops just made it more memorable. and my tour guide Ivana was amazing! i would do it over and over again.
Review provided by Viator
Finn_p
May 21, 2024
A very fun day out - I had a fantastic time with this day tour. They fit in lots of things and the cooking workshop and market visit are particular highlights. Ivana and Nilton were really friendly and knowledgeable guides. Would recommend to anyone looking to visit Santiago island.
Review provided by Viator
Dromako
May 13, 2024
I'll be back - I highly recommend BU COUNTRY TOUR because the organization of the pick-up at the port of Praia until our return was perfect, smiles from our 2 guides Noria and Rosiane explanations in French we had an excellent day visiting the complete island , restaurant on the beach very plentiful and well chosen only downside to the restaurant they forgot our order so waiting for intervention from our attendants which made us waste time and a somewhat quick return but our boat would not have waited for us but otherwise perfect idyllic beach
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paula_s
Apr 13, 2024
Amazing - We had a great time cooking and meeting the locals. Tarrafal beach was beautifull.
Great food at the beach.
Review provided by Viator
T_l_b0s
Aug 18, 2024
A busy day - A great excursion despite the rainy weather. Largely thanks to Affi and his 2 fellow guides. They taught us a lot about Cape Verde culture and history. A very, very nice day. Unforgettable memories
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roam470742
Jun 16, 2024
The visit to the locals for a cooking class was very good and the explanations very clear, the crossing of Santiago in - The homestay visit for the cooking class was very well organized, the tour of the Santiago island was well documented by the guide and the tarrafal beach is very beautiful
Review provided by Tripadvisor
192dennise
Apr 9, 2024
Tour operator does not comply with services - Tour operator advertises services that are not provided.
- Visit to the banana plantation
- Picking coconuts
- Stops at places that people only drive through.
Scam/fraud, please be careful.
If you still decide to take the tour, please book through Getyourguide.
Despite the lowest price guarantee, you can find the tour on Getyourguide for €70 instead of €89
Review provided by Tripadvisor
