Hiking / Trekking
The Cape Verde Islands: An undiscovered hiker’s paradise
Cape Verde is a hiker’s paradise. Especially the five mountainous islands of Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Santiago, Fogo and Brava are ideal for a hiking holiday.
In the mountains of these islands, there are old, often paved mule trails that were used for all transport in the past, when there were no roads. Along these connecting paths, which are still often used in everyday life and which are constantly being repaired and renewed, there are numerous fantastic hiking opportunities. Again and again you pass remote villages and everywhere you are greeted by the friendly people of the country.
The year-round summer weather with only a few rainy days and pleasant temperatures make hiking a real pleasure.
There is a good choice of Individual Hiking Tours for those who prefer to travel individually, without a group.
Santo Antão is the number 1 hiking island with its great diversity.
Spectacular, rugged mountain landscapes alternate with tropical green valleys and impressive cliffs. Whether you are hiking in the green Paúl Valley, taking a high-altitude hike or walking along the cliffs from Cruzina to Ponta do Sol (or vice versa) – one hike is more beautiful than the other. Fascinating tours can also be undertaken in the south and west of the island – volcanic landscapes and remote deserts await the visitor there.
On the island of Santiago, the two mountain ranges are particularly inviting. The one further south is Rui Vaz and Pico da Antónia, the highest mountain on the island. In this area you get a good impression of Cape Verdean agriculture and, if you like it challenging, you can climb the two secondary peaks of Pico da Antónia. Monte Tchota (1,041m) and Monte Gamboa (1,099m). Further north is the second mountain range called Serra Malagueta. A dreamlike mountain scenery, deep valleys and remote settlements characterise the picture and are an Eldorado for hikers.
On Fogo, the ascent to Pico do Fogo, at 2,829 m the highest mountain in Cape Verde, is a highlight. The tour along the crater wall is also a challenge. People who prefer less demanding hikes also get their money’s worth. The area with the lava flows of various eruptions that the crater has experienced and the small Pico can be explored. And in the north of the island, the largest contiguous forest in Cape Verde, including coffee, banana and papaya plantations, invites you to take a hike.
São Nicolau, Santo Antão’s “little sister”, offers similar landscapes – but the mountains are not quite too high and less rugged. And the island is more pristine and still waiting to be properly discovered. São Nicolau is very much to be wished for and more than deserves it.
Brava, the smallest inhabited island of Cape Verde, which is rarely visited by travellers, also offers some hiking. There are some beautiful trails in the mountainous landscapes of the island’s interior. The tour to Fajã de Água is particularly recommendable. It descends in serpentines from the island’s capital Nova Sintra to the Atlantic Ocean, passing oases with palm and mango trees.
Some hikes are also possible on the flat islands of Sal, Boavista and Maio as well as on São Vicente. However, these cannot be compared with the other hikes just described. On these islands, however, really beautiful, extended beach walks are possible and recommendable.