Santiago is not the most famous island in terms of beaches, although it has some of the best such as Tarrafal, but you will experience the pace of life of Cape Verdean families in its main beach areas. There are white sand beaches, black sand beaches and almost deserted coves where you will only see Cape Verdeans enjoying the power of the ocean.
Quebra Canela
This black sand beach is located south of Praia, the capital of Santiago Island, and is a popular spot for the Cape Verdeans who visit it on the weekend.
It has a large white sand area, surrounded by a few bars and restaurants which are ideal for watching the sunset and the fishermen with their colourful boats arriving on the shore.
Located in Prainha, it is very popular with Cape Verdeans, especially at weekends, who go there with friends to play football or with their cool boxes full of grogue rum to enjoy themselves by the sea.
Prainha
This sandy beach with turquoise waters that is very close to the city can be considered an urban beach area. It is one of the most popular among the inhabitants of the Cape Verde capital because it is also very shallow, which makes it ideal for for families or children.
Several bars and restaurants make Prainha (small beach in Portuguese) an ideal place to have an evening cocktail or midday meal.
Tarrafal beach
It is the most famous beach on the island of Santiago due to its spectacular nature and the beauty of its sandy beach full of coconut trees. It is located in a small village called Ribeira da Prata, where many fishermen live and sail their brightly painted boats every day to face the sea.
Although Tarrafal is the best known beach area on Santiago, it is not very crowded either, so it maintains that paradisiacal halo resulting from the sound of the waves and the wind moving the leaves of the coconut trees, together with the shade that protects you from the strong sun.
On bank holidays, you will find Cape Verdeans also taking time out on the sandy beach to enjoy its calm waters. It is a perfect place for swimming and snorkelling as it has an impressive marine life.
Another magical place in Tarrafal is the Cuba pool, a basin created by the erosion of lava that solidified when it reached the sea and which only fills up when the tide is high. When the sea recedes, it becomes a fun saltwater pool surrounded by black rocks.
Gamboa beach
This beach area is very close to the more industrial area of Praia and can be considered an urban beach. It is a quiet and very popular place as it is close to the centre of the capital, but it lacks the spectacular nature of other more natural and hidden areas of Santiago.
São Francisco beach
São Francisco beach is located on the outskirts of Praia and is a more unspoilt and natural beach area where you can find solitude to enjoy nature and the sound of the sea.
The road leading to it is usually almost deserted on weekdays and only gets busier on weekends when many Cape Verdeans who do not go to Tarrafal set up their parasols and colourful towels on the sand, limit an area to play ballgames and have a grogue rum with friends while listening to music.
São Francisco has a sandy area among cliffs and some small coves where you can also swim almost in solitude.
Remember that there is no shade or bars, so you should take everything you might need in your backpack, including water and a parasol.
There is a parking area a bit far from the beach where you can leave your car without any problem.
Water activities
There are many water activities on the island of Santiago and throughout the Cape Verde archipelago. The country has good infrastructure for diving and snorkelling, especially in the most popular tourist spots.
There are famous expeditions to explore the coral banks, where marine life is very rich, and also get close to the wrecks of some of the ships that have sunk off the Cape Verdean coast during its history.
Other sports that can be practised on some of the islands are kitesurfing, kayaking and paddle surfing in areas where the sea is calmer. Due to its location on the Atlantic, it is easy to find windy beaches such as Tarrafal, where you can go windsurfing or kitesurfing.
If you have the opportunity, sailing around the islands and islets is also a fun option and it is easy to do some recreational fishing in the waters.
