Things to do in

São Vicente, Cape Verde

Celebrate an exhilarating and exclusive sea turtle encounter in São Pedro, meticulously tailored for the delight of travelers. Your journey kicks off with the thrill of a pickup, whether at the Port of Mindelo or your accommodation in Mindelo, laying the foundation for a day etched in your memory. As you step into São Pedro, your seasoned guide warmly welcomes you, equipping you with premium snorkeling gear, sharing essential safety insights, and imparting snorkeling expertise. Next, embark on a brief boat voyage to a concealed, unspoiled sanctuary where sea turtles hold court. Submerging into the azure depths reveals a surreal world unfolding before your eyes. Glide in harmony with these splendid creatures in their natural habitat, engaging in a heart-pounding, hour-long aquatic ballet. With guaranteed turtle sightings, your senses ignite with the profound connection to one of Earth's most ancient residents. As your heart fills with wonder and your pulse steadies, your extraordinary journey concludes with a return to either the Port of Mindelo or your Mindelo accommodation. This cherished memory transcends time and place, a testament to the beauty of São Pedro that you carry with you.

Get up close with sea turtles at São Pedro, home to an abundance of sea turtles. Great for beginners, this is the perfect adventure for all the family. Start the tour with pickup from your accommodation then head to São Pedro. Upon arrival, your guide will hand out the snorkeling gear, give you a quick safety briefing and teach you how to snorkel. Next, take a short boat ride and travel to a designated bay to admire sea turtles in their natural environment. Here, spend approximately 1-hour swimming and snorkeling. Get up close to these spectacular creatures with sightings guaranteed and enjoy an adventure that you won’t forget, swimming with one of the planet's oldest living species. Finally, get dropped off back at your accommodation where your memorable experience concludes.

Starting from Mindelo, this full day trip includes most highlights of São Vicente Island. Explore Mindelo, the capital of the island, known as the most welcoming and attractive city in the country. Walk through the colonial buildings, visit its church, municipal and Afrikan markets, and enjoy a panoramic view of the capital from the top of Fortin.  Drive to the eastern part of the island where animals, endemic plants and farmland can be seen along the Calhau Valley. Here, take time for a delicious lunch in a local atmosphere, and enjoy the local cuisine. Next, visit the fishing village of Salamansa, Baía das Gatas, and pause for a swim at its beautiful beach before heading to the sand dunes brought by the wind from the Sahara Desert. Finally, drive to Monte Verde Natural Park and admire the stunning scenery of the entire island and, weather permitting, take stunning photos of other Cape Verde islands.

Hear about our history, culture, lifestyle. Enjoy the architectural style of our colorful buildings. Visit the bustling markets of Mindelo; Fish Market, African Market, and Municipal Market (closed on Sundays). From the lookout point, we will have the best views of Mindelo, Monte Cara, and Laginha Beach. Take a scenic drive to the top of Monte Verde, natural and protected park, the highest peak in Sao Vicente. Head to the small charming sea side fishing villages on the Island. Take a swim in the clear blue lagoon of Baía das Gatas, and marvel at the contrasting long beach coastline. Calhau is an oasis! A charming small farming and fishing village also home of Vulcao Viana, one of the of last extinct volcanos on the Island. In the valley of Calhau we will see traditional farming by hand, animals, water wells, and windmills.

Start your adventure with a pick-up from your accommodation in São Vicente followed by a transfer to the port for a 1-hour ferry ride to Santo Antão. Upon arrival, meet your local expert and drive through the mountains to Cape Verde's largest volcanic crater, Cova de Paúl, an extinct volcano used for the cultivation of potatoes, carrots, onions and more. After visiting the Cova Natural Park, take the Corda Road and traverse the island' smost spectacular landscapes. Enjoy a photo stop at the Delgadinho mountain viewpoint and be amazed by stunning views of sharp cliffs and beautiful valleys. Proceed to the fishing village of Ponta de Sol, meet the locals before a scenic drive to Ribeira Grande. Next, take a break for lunch before arriving in Vale de Paúl, surrounded by greenery, thatched-roof houses and stunning scenery. After discovering one of Cape Verde's most beautiful islands, be transferred to Porto Novo and catch your ferry back to São Vicente. The tour ends with a drop-off at your hotel in Mindelo.

After picking you up at the cruise port or at your hotel we will drive 15 minutes to the beach of S. Pedro where the turtles are, after a short briefing with instructions and safety measures with an expert tour guide you will get on the wooden boat and enter the sea, suddenly dozens of youngs and old species of turtles start approaching the boat curious, this is a perfect moment to jump into the water and snorkel arround and enjoy the moment guided by an personal tour guide. After this amazing experience your driver will you back to the starting point.

We will meet you at the reception of your hotel or at the exit gate of the harbor in Mindelo and head for a Guided visit into the city center of Mindelo, depending on the day of the week, here you will visit the main attractions in the city of Mindelo, such as the cultural center of Mindelo or the fruit and vegetable market, and the central square. After visiting Mindelo we will drive to the highest point of the island to enjoy a memorable panorama from the top of Monte Verde, which offers a panorama view of a deserted island full of very interesting volcanic landscapes. Than we will drive to Salamança fishing village to walk Barefoot on the peacefull white sand beach on the north of the island. Then you discover an an amazing village with the name of Baía das gatas, this is the place where the biggest music festival in Cape Verde is celebrated all year round, it is located few km from the center of the city of Mindelo and offers to visitors moments of calm and a beach of shallow waters with an ideal temperature to (short) swim in the Atlantic. At the end its time to come back to our starting point

Get picked up from your accommodation for an exciting day of exploring and learning more about São Vicente’s history, culture and daily lifestyle! Depart to our Islands Old Fort, Fortim del Rei where you will have phenomenal views of the Bay City of Mindelo and our popular city Beach, Laginha. Take a walk through the city where you will visit the Cultural Center to observe the current talent on display, walk through the bustling markets of Mindelo; Fish, Municipal (vegetable / fruits) and African* (Closed on Sundays). Departing the city we will pass by the home of our famous Barefoot Diva, Cesária Évora, taking a scenic drive through the mountains to Monte Verde, 774m or 2,539ft, the highest point of Sao Vicente, at the summit we will enjoy a cup of locally grown tea or coffee at the Tea House, while taking in the spectacular views of the Island; On a clear day you will see the Islands of Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Santa Luzia, Ilhéu Raso and Branco - Mindelo and the Coastal beaches are stunning from the top! Head to the town of Salamansa, this is a charming, lively fishing village; people are busy here, with the village lifestyle, and always happy to welcome guests! Also, at Salamansa you will find our windsurfing, and kitesurfing activities with local places to stop for a refreshing beverage on the beach. At our famous beach of Baia das Gatas, enjoy a swim or dive off of the trampolim into the clear blue lagoon. Return to Mindelo after a fantastic day of exploring the Best of São Vicente!

Snorkeling with sea turtles in the ocean truly is a magical experience. Use this rare occasion to explore the clear waters together with these historical sea creatures. Sao Vicente is the only island in Cape Verde where you can swim and snorkel with turtles in their natural habitat. With a local fishermen's boat and our tour guide you’ll leave Sao Pedro beach behind. After a short boat ride you’ll see the turtles approaching. Take a minute to admire them, put your fins and goggles on and jump in the clear ocean water. This is your chance to approach the turtles while you snorkel around them! It's 100% guaranteed to see turtles year-round.

We pick you up in front of the "palacio do povo " the pink coloured building at the end of "rua lisboa" in the center of Mindelo. Together, we visit the markets to buy the fresh ingredients for our cooking class and take the bus home to our private house. It takes 10min. In the course you will learn how to prepare typical capeverdean dishes, we share with you our secrets how to make really tasty rice, vegetables, fish or meat and desserts/entrys. Your instructor is Catia Sofia Andrade, she is well known in Mindelo for her excellent cooking and already appeared in german television cooking shows. After enjoyng our lunch we will bring you back to your accomodation.