INFO

Regions covered : click

Departure
Tour designed for passengers of TAP direct flight to São Vicente.

Day 1
Transfer from São Pedro airport on the island of São Vicente to our hotel. We take our first breath of Cape Verdean oxygen, enjoy freshly caught fish in a restaurant and let a less hectic and more human pace of life, filled with smiles, overwhelm us. We just love this wide bay with bright colours - did you know that it is the crater of an extinct volcano? Night in the historic heart of Mindelo.

Included services:
- Transfer airport - accomodation
- ON/DBL Aparthotel Avenida, Mindelo
- (-/-/-)

Day 2
Transfer to the airport. Time to brace ourselves: we're about to dive into a fascinating culture. São Nicolau is one of the most preserved islands of the archipelago: friendly inhabitants and incredibly diverse landscapes, yet very few tourists. Night in Ribeira Brava.

Included services:
- airport transfers in São Vicente and São Nicolau
- domestic flight São Vicente > São Nicolau
- ON/DBL Pensao Jardim, Ribeira Brava
- (F/-/-)

Day 3
It's in the vicinity of Ribeira Brava that the island reveals all its beauty. In order to fully appreciate the numerous panoramas of the region, you'll find plenty of hikes (all levels) in the Hikes section of Cape Verde Trekking. Night in Ribeira Brava.

Included services:
- ON/DBL Pensão Jardim, Ribeira Brava
- (B/-/-)

Day 4
Change of scenery today: the coast is awaiting us! Transfer to Tarrafal - hikers have the possibility to send their luggage and make the journey on foot. The Northwest region is the greenest and the most populated - and happens to be a paradise for hikers. Night in Tarrafal.

Included services:
- Transfer to Tarrafal
- ON/DBL Pension Alice (host-family-like guesthouse), Tarrafal
- (B/-/-)

Day 5
In Tarrafal, we have to witness the return of the fishermen to the port, around 1 pm, unloading the fish they caught in the morning. Enjoy the Cape Verdean pace; even without understanding Creole, we're still able to grasp the intensity of the lively discussions. Did you have time to visit the small, yet charming village of Praia Branca? It's where many hikes either start or end. Night in Tarrafal.

Included services:
- ON/DBL Pension Alice (host-family-like guesthouse), Tarrafal
- (B/-/-)

Day 6
Return to Ribeira Brava. We have the possibility to send our luggage to Ribeira Brava while we trek up to Monte Gordo - the fat mountain. The highest point of the island (1312m) is located in a natural park with a great system of trails and paths. Let us talk with the staff of the Casa do Ambiente; they will help us pick the right hike for us. Night in Ribeira Brava.

Included services:
- Transfer to Ribeira Brava
- ON/DBL Pension Jardim, Ribeira Brava
- (B/-/-)

Day 7 & 8
Goodbye São Nicolau - within only a few days, this island surely managed to make its way through our heart. It's time to immerse ourselves into Mindelo's covered markets, toma bonhe (have a swim) in Baia das Gatas or relax on the most Brazilian beach in Cape Verde: Laginha, the pride of the inhabitants and incidentally a pick-up hotspot.
Although the topography of São Vicente may be less spectacular than its sister islands, we just need to go with the flow: that's enough to fall under the spell of Mindelo. Night in the historic centre of Mindelo.

Included services:
- airport transfers in São Nicolau and São Vicente
- Domestic flights São Nicolau > São Vicente
- 2 x ON/DBL Aparthotel Avenida, Mindelo
- (B/-/-)

Day 9
Ferry to the island of Santo Antão - São Nicolau's big sister. Be careful: the landscapes of this island are of breathtaking beauty. Upon your arrival, find a private taxi or take a public minibus (aluguer). The private taxi, more expensive, will lead you to your destination via the wonderful 'road of the Rope' (and it will stop if you want to take pictures), while most minibuses take the new coastal road, faster and more comfortable - also beautiful, but far less impressive than the road of the Rope.
You are free to decide where you want to spend your 5 nights in Santo Antão: may we suggest you stay in either Paúl or Ponta do Sol.

Included services:
- Transfer to the harbour
- ferry tickets São Vicente > Santo Antão
- ON/DBL Aldeia Jerome, Vila das Pombas
- (B/-/-)

Day 10
We won't lie to you: the Northeast region of Santo Antão is truly a paradise with green-carpeted valleys filled with tropical vegetation, including papayas, mangoes, bananas, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, sugar cane... Santo Antão remains very rural and exports a lot of products to Mindelo.

Included services:
- ON/DBL Aldeia Jerome, Vila das Pombas
- (B/-/-)

Day 11
If you want to make the most of Sentonton (name of the island in Creole), you can combine hikes with this stay. See our selection of hikes available on Cape Verde Trekking - there is something for everyone and for all different levels.

Included services:
- ON/DBL Kasa Tambla, Ponta do Sol
- (B/-/-)

Day 12
Learn more about the production of grog, the local rum, by visiting a traditional trapiche. Attention, to be consumed in moderation, otherwise you may experience difficulties finding the way back to your hotel.

Included services:
- ON/DBL Kasa Tambla, Ponta do Sol
- (B/-/-)

Day 13
Do you know how to recognise someone returning from vacation in Santo Antão? He walks around in the streets of his city with a smile on his face, greets everyone, inquires about their health and asks about their family. In Sentonton, it is frowned upon to encounter somebody without greeting or wishing him or her a good day. A stress relief, if not life-saving custom!

Included services:
- ON/DBL Kasa Tambla, Ponta do Sol
- (B/-/-)

Day 14
Ferry back to São Vicente for a bit of relaxation and idleness at the beach in a comfortable hotel.
Walk along the white sand beach, have a drink on the terrace at sunset, reflect on the time you have spent in this small country, then fall asleep to the sound of the crashing waves. Night in a comfortable hotel.

Included services:
- ferry tickets Santo Antão > São Vicente
- Transfer from the harbour to the hotel
- ON/DBL Hotel Foya Branca
- (B/-/-)

Day 15
Alas, the time has come to carefully pack your bottle of grog in your suitcase - it will help to mata sodad (kill the nostalgia) once you're home. If you've caught the virus of Cape Verde, you'll come back; don't worry, it happens to many people. See you soon!

Included services:
- airport transfer
- (B/-/-)

Info
During your stay in Cape Verde, you will see many valleys covered with sugar cane. The cane is harvested and used to produce grog (or grogue, grogu depending on the islands), the local rum drank throughout the archipelago and sold by the glass in every bar and grocery store.

It is produced in a trapiche (rhum distillery): traditionally, an ox turns a press that crushes the cane and doing so, extracts the juice. After fermentation and distillation, the grog may be drunk like this or mixed with molasses, which gives ponche - much sweeter. You can make delicious liqueurs if you flavour your grog with herbs or fruits. Finally, the ultimate by-product of grog is the stemperod, a mixture of grog and ponche.

Grogim is short for grog and used fondly to say “I wouldn't mind having a little grog”.

PRICES

Included
Included services:
Domestic flights São Vicente > Sao Nicolau > São Vicente incl. Taxes
Ferry tickets São Vicente - Santo Antão - São Vicente
14 overnights with breakfast, incl. Overnight tax
All airport transfers, the harbour transfers on São Vicente
Our 24/7 emergency service

Not included services:
Visa for Cape Verde (25 EUR)
Travel insurance
Not mentioned meals and all drinks
Tips
All services that are not mentioned

Included meals are mentioned as follows:
B = breakfast; LB = Lunchbag; CB =coffeebreak; L = lunch; D = dinner

Price per person

920 € based on two persons in a double room

896 € based on four people

Extra charge (optional, price per person)

273 € for a single room (when available)