Santo Antão
Cape Verde
The mountain island: green ravines, cobbled mule paths and a ferry ride from the nearest airport
Best time to visit all of Cape Verde
November to April (after the rains, when the valleys are still green)
Climate month by month
The next sixteen daysOpen-Meteo
Average high and low · °C
Rainfall · mm per month
Best months to visit This month · wettest 90mm in Sep
Where it is
17.18°N, 25.07°W Open in Google Maps
Things to do
A week easily- Walk from the rim of the Cova crater down into the Paul valley, the island’s classic, mostly downhill and still hard on the knees
- Walk the cliff path from Ponta do Sol to Fontainhas, and on to Cruzinha if you have the day
- Drive the Estrada da Corda over the ridge between Porto Novo and Ribeira Grande for the views, if the cloud allows
- Visit a trapiche in the Paul valley when the cane is being pressed, and taste the grogue from the still
- Stay on the green north-east side, where the valleys are; the south-west around Porto Novo is dry and is where you arrive
- Allow a spare day before an onward flight, because the ferry can be cancelled in a big sea
Santo Antão travel tipsthe general rules
Currency budget Cape Verde
Good valueThe escudo is pegged to the euro at a fixed 110.27. Guesthouses often quote and accept euros, but the aluguer drivers, the village bars and the grogue distilleries want escudos, so arrive with some. Escudos cannot be changed back after you leave.
ATMs & cards
There are a few machines in Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande and Ponta do Sol, and none in the valleys. Draw in Mindelo before the ferry as well, because a machine that is empty on a Saturday is the only one for miles.
Avoid these
- counting on a machine in the valleys or at weekends
Use these instead
- Banco Comercial do Atlântico
- Caixa Económica — in Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Ponta do Sol, or Mindelo before the ferry
Escudos for the aluguers, the bars and the stills. Draw in Mindelo too, and only what you will spend.
Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.
Safety all of Cape Verde
SafeThe terrain is the risk, not the people: crime against visitors is rare. The paths are steep, cobbled, slippery when wet and exposed in places, the ridge can go into cloud in minutes, and the heat in the lower valleys is real — start early, carry water, and hire a guide for the longer routes. The UK FCDO notes that Santo Antão has no working airport, so medical evacuation is difficult; insure for it, and take the ferry crossing seriously in a strong wind.
Where to walk, and where to pay attention (7 areas)
Comfortable, including after dark
Worth more attention
- Fontainhas — the cliff path to it is narrow and unfenced, and wet after rain
- The ridge paths when the cloud comes in, which happens quickly — carry a jacket and know the way down
- Long hikes without water, a guide or an early start in the heat of the lower valleys
- The ferry crossing in a strong trade wind, which is rough and is sometimes cancelled
Our own assessment, not a sourced index.
Entry & visa Cape Verde visa rules
No visa neededup to 30 days
No visa, but every visitor must register on the EASE portal and pay the airport security tax before travelling — about 3,400 escudos. Children under two are exempt.
Other passports
e-Visa requiredup to 30 daysEUR 36
Entry rules change often and depend on your passport, not where you live — the official page above is the authority, and the airline checks before you board.
Health & emergencies all of Cape Verde
LimitedRequired to enter
- Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present
Jabs worth having, and what happens if you need a doctor
Worth having
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Tetanus up to date
- Rabies for a long or rural stay
Getting treated
Thin outside the two main islands. Praia and Mindelo have hospitals; Sal and Boa Vista have private clinics used to resort visitors and to charging them accordingly. Anything serious is flown to Praia or to Portugal, so evacuation cover is the clause that matters. There is no recompression chamber on the islands.
Dengue has flared in the past and mosquitoes are present on the wetter islands. Tap water is desalinated and better avoided for drinking. The Atlantic swell is the real hazard: beaches with no flags, no lifeguards and a serious undertow.
Orientation, not medical advice — entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history. Check with a travel clinic four to six weeks before you go.
Food tip
GoodCachupa, goat’s cheese, and fish grilled in Ponta do Sol. Grogue — sugar-cane spirit pressed in the trapiches of the Paul valley — is the island’s product and is sold from the still; ponche is the sweet version with honey or molasses. Guesthouse dinners are usually set and usually good.
Travel tipsGetting around
Car needed- UberNot here
- BoltNot here
- From the airport
- Sal airport to Santa Maria €12–18 by taxi
No ride-hailing. Taxis are cheap and mostly honest, and the aluguer shared minibuses are cheaper still.
Time zone and your working day
Atlantic/Cape Verde — 3 hours ahead of you
5 hours of overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are — 09:00–14:00 your time, 12:00–17:00 theirs.
No overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are. Working from here means one of you keeps odd hours — their day starts at 06:00 on your clock.
office hours both at once night
Their 09:00–17:00 is 06:00–14:00 on yours.
The difference from the UK, Europe, the US and ten more
Worked out against America/New York, which is where this request looks like it came from.
eSIM
A data eSIM for Cape Verde, installed before you fly and working the moment you land:
Works here
Not hereRevolut No local plan
Must-see
Travel tipsNearby day trips
Travel tipsSay a few words
Cape Verdean Kriolu
- HelloOi / Bon diaoy / bon DEE-a
- PleasePur favorpoor fa-VOR
- Thank youObrigadu / Obrigadao-bri-GA-du
- Yes / NoSin / Nauseeng / now
5 more phrases
- Excuse meDiskulpadish-KOOL-pa
- How much is it?Kantu ki e?KAN-too kee eh
- The bill, pleaseKonta, pur favorKON-ta
- No stressNu stressnoo stress
- GoodbyeTe loguteh LO-goo
Portuguese is the official language and what you will see written; Kriolu is what is spoken, and it changes noticeably from island to island. Portuguese is understood everywhere.
Travel tipsReligion
Roman Catholic, with a Protestant minority
Church is a social anchor as much as a religious one, and the island saints’ days are the biggest events of the year. Music is not separate from it — the same voices sing in both places.
Travel tipsDo's and don'ts
Do
- Greet with bom dia and a handshake; Cape Verdeans are formal on first meeting
- Learn that "no stress" is not a slogan but a schedule — buses and boats leave when they leave
- Ask before photographing people, especially in the smaller villages
- Dress modestly away from the resort beaches on Sal and Boa Vista
Don't
- Do not assume Portuguese will be answered in Portuguese — Kriolu is what is spoken at home
- Do not swim where locals do not; the Atlantic here has undertow that has drowned strong swimmers
- Do not take the last aluguer of the day for granted; there may not be one
- Do not photograph inside churches during a service
Where to stay in Santo Antão
No Holistay rentals in Santo Antão yet — the platform is just opening up. Every listing here will have a video tour and the option to negotiate the nightly price directly with the host.
In the meantime, here is Santo Antão on the sites that do have the inventory — each search is already filled in:
- Booking.com hotels, guesthouses and apartments — the widest coverage almost everywhere
- Airbnb whole homes and apartments, and the better option for a week or more
How to get there
Fly into Cesária Évora, São Vicente VXE
3hfrom the airport, roughly
Taxi to Mindelo port, then the ferry to Porto Novo and an hour by road.
Google Flights · Rome2Rio for the trains, buses and ferries as well as the flights
