The 11 Best Town Tours in Cape Verde

1.Espargos City Tour, Local Life, and Cape Verde Tapas

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 200 reviews · 2h 30m · from $35Our pick

Join a local guide, often Chan, for a 150-minute look at Espargos, Sal’s capital. Visit the airport area, historic center, street art, a viewpoint, and local neighborhoods, then share Cape Verdean snacks, cheese, and drinks at a café. Hotel pickup and return are included.

“Great tour. Our tour guide was superb. Knowledgeable, relaxed and super friendly. Picked up from hotel, driven around various parts of the city. Some parts we wolked. Ending the tour with samples of local cuisine. The food was great and owner genuinely lovely and welcoming. Would absolutely recommend!”

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2.Beaches, Villages and Monte Verde (excludes city)

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 87 reviews · 5 hours · from $82

Spend five hours touring São Vicente beyond Mindelo, with stops in fishing villages, Calhau’s farming valley, Baía das Gatas, Praia Grande, and Monte Verde. You’ll swim or stroll by the lagoon, taste tea or coffee at the summit tea house, and learn about island life from guides such as Sonia or Lino. Lunch costs extra.

“Very nice trip! Our guide Sonia ans the driver Albino were very kind ans excellent. The lunch at Calhau was vert good!”

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3.Praia & Cidade Velha: Guided City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 80 reviews · 4 hours · from $53

Join a local guide such as Amerigo or Walter for a four-hour tour of Praia and Cidade Velha. You’ll visit Plateau, a food market, Banana Street, Pelourinho Square, old church ruins, and Fortaleza Real de São Filipe. Hotel or harbor pickup and drop-off are included, while the fortress costs an optional €5.

“Amerigo nous a fait partager sa connaissance de l'histoire de son pays avec beaucoup de professionnalisme dans un français plus que correct. si vous en avez la possibilité demandez à faire le circuit "à l'envers"( comme nous avons dû le faire du fait des embouteillages du lundi matin): vous commencerez alors par Santiago "historique" et terminerez par Praia "contemporaine". J'airais même préféré commencer par la citadelle de Cidade Velha avant la ville de Cidade Velha. Attention, l'entrée à la citadelle coute 500escudos (5€) par personne.”

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4.Santa Maria City Tour & Cuscuz Tasting with a Local Family

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 50 reviews · 2 hours · from $41

Spend two hours exploring Santa Maria with a local guide such as Alejandro or Djibril. Visit the market, meet a Cape Verdean family for homemade cuscuz and fidjos, see Shells Beach and the salt pans, then finish at Ponta Preta Beach. Pickup, transport, and drop-off in Santa Maria are included.

“Adoramos tudo....desde saber um pouco da história de cabo verde, o passeio em si...e terminar em casa de uma família e ter para comer cuscus e fidgi feito na hora foi muito bom.”

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5.Guided Sal Island City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 39 reviews · 4 hours · from $39

Explore Espargos or Santa Maria with a local guide during a four-hour private or group-friendly city tour. Expect markets, churches, local shops, traditional restaurants, crafts, and practical cultural insight. Guides may include Djhon, Inorlando, Dany, Dias, or João, with pickup and drop-off included.

“Perfecto....nuestro guia inorlando sabe lo que hace....buen profesional”

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6.Santa Maria city tour, street art and tapas

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 37 reviews

See Santa Maria with a local guide, from the fish-filled Pontão and beach to colorful street art, historic sights, photo stops, souvenirs, and Cape Verdean tapas with drinks. Pickup is available from Santa Maria, Murdeira, or Espargos. Guides speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Sean is one guide who may lead the tour.

“Ist leider Preis leistungsorientiert viel zu teuer aber der Service war gut”

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7.Mindelo Cultural: city tour “Mindelo by Night”

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 35 reviews · 2 hours · from $81

Walk Mindelo with an English-speaking guide such as Marion, Suzy, Mario, or Valeria, stopping at music bars, restaurants, and lesser-known local spots. Hear live Cape Verdean music, watch traditional dance, try grogue or ponche, and get practical advice on where to eat and listen to music after the tour.

“My experience of this intimate tour was outstanding. Marion, the tour guide, was quite knowledgeable and highly passionate in sharing Cape Verdean culture. Her knowledge of local artists as well as the history of Cape Verde is quite extensive. I highly recommend this tour. It deepened and enhanced my brief visit in Mindelo.”

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8.Rabil, Shipwreck, City, Snacks & Drinks – 4×4 Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 17 reviews · 4 - 5 hours · from $76

Spend 4 to 5 hours exploring northern Boa Vista in a comfortable 4x4. Visit Rabil’s pottery school, the Santa Maria shipwreck, Fatima’s Chapel, and Sal Rei. Guides such as Cristian, Cristiano, Julie, and Tatiana bring local context, while snacks and drinks at Sodade Restaurant add a genuine taste of the island.

“Adoramos a excursão. A guia e o motorista foram muito gentis, os lugares muito incríveis. A degustação de produtos locais excedeu completamente nossas expectativas.”

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9.Beaches, Villages and Monte Verde, São Vicente Excludes City

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $81Top rated

Leave Mindelo with a local guide such as Paulo, Danny, or Kalu for a five-hour circuit of São Vicente. Visit Monte Verde for tea and wide island views, then stop at fishing villages, beaches, Baía das Gatas, Calhau, and a farming valley. Lunch costs extra, and groups are limited to 10 people.

“The island was beautiful-The Tea House(indoor visit) was great and the beaches were great. However, we did not have much time to swim (only 15 minutes) because we were the only ones who wanted to. Disappointed about that, as it was the reason we chose this tour. Instead Kalu took us to see turtles, which was wonderful. They took good care of us.”

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10.Turtles, Sharks, City of Sal Rei, Santa Monica Beach, Shipwreck …

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $84

Spend a full day crossing Boa Vista with an English-speaking guide, stopping at Rabil pottery school, Viana Desert, the Santa Maria shipwreck, Sal Rei, Turtle Bay, Varandinha caves, and Santa Monica Beach. Sandboarding, hotel pickup, and beach time are included. Guides such as José, Josy, and Nicole bring local stories and humor to the route.

“The tour was awesome, the tour guide spoke great German. An absolutely perfect day And everything according to the motto of Boa Vista "No Stress" I (we) can only recommend.”

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11.City Tour with a Splash at Estoril Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 3 reviews · 4 hours · from $88

Spend four hours exploring Sal Rei with a local guide, visiting Museu dos Naufragos, the Catholic Church, Municipal Market, colorful streets, and Sodade House of Memory. Taste local snacks and drinks, then cool off at Estoril Beach. Hotel pickup, drop-off, and English, French, or Portuguese guiding are included.

“Very good, the tour guide was very nice and helpful. The scorching sun was a bit 2 much for me and I felt sick for a little bit, she stayed with me in the shade until I felt better before we resumed our tour. I really appreciated the fact that there was no rush to move along and she didn’t let a couple of people harass us to buy stuff.”

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