6 Island Day Trips in Santiago Worth Booking

1.Santiago Island Tour with Tastings and Tarrafal Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 416 reviews · 7 - 8 hours · from $76Our pick

Travel from Praia across Santiago with Bu Country Tours, meeting a local family for cuscuz and fidjós, visiting Assomada Market on Wednesdays or Saturdays, crossing Serra Malagueta, and swimming at Tarrafal Beach. Guides such as Ricardo, Elton, Ivana, and Bamba may lead the day. Lunch is extra, and the route suits active visitors without mobility limitations.

“It was amazing, we have seen the countryside, villages, the mountains, the beach, tasted delicious local food. The island Santiago is so beautiful, and the guides are great, speak several languages, and have a lot of information to share.”

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2.Island Tour for Cruise Ship passengers

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 190 reviews · 7 hours · from $82

Spend seven hours touring Santiago Island from the Port of Praia in a small group of up to 10. Visit Serra Malagueta, swim at Tarrafal, stop in mountain villages, and share music, dancing, and local food with a Cape Verdean family. Guides may include Zanthony or Juan.

“gut , länger als geplant ,hätte es für uns nicht gebraucht”

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3.Santiago Island Tour: Meet with a Local Family & Tarrafal Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 127 reviews · from $103Top rated

Spend eight hours crossing Santiago from Praia with a small group of up to 15 people. Cook cuscuz and fidjós with Mama Luisa, visit Assomada Market, stop in Serra de Malagueta, swim at Tarrafal Beach, and return along the east coast with guides such as Alex, Maria, Ivana, or Ricardo.

“The tour guides were amazing and so lovely. They had a lot of knowledge and were able to answer any questions we asked. The whole process was very professional and easy to book so I would highly recommend anyone using this company!”

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4.Island tour with German-speaking guide for cruise guests

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 91 reviews · 5 hours · from $88

Spend five hours touring Santiago Island with a German-speaking local guide such as Luisa or Louisa, depending on the assigned guide. You will visit Picos, Assomada, Serra Malagueta, Calheta, Santa Cruz, and Praia, with a Batuque dance session and port pickup included. Food and drinks cost extra.

“Hervorragende Insel-Tourguide Louisa (deutsch) - informativ, lustig, offener Umgang”

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5.Santiago Island Highlights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 40 reviews · 7 hours · from $106

Spend seven hours crossing Santiago Island from Praia to Tarrafal in a private or small-group van. Your multilingual guide leads you through São Domingos, Assomada, Serra Malagueta, and coastal villages, with time for photos, a possible local lunch, and roughly two hours at Tarrafal Beach. Guides have included Elton, Evana, Garcia, and Alex.

“Veldig hyggelig vennlig guide. Kjørte trygt og rolig. Passe mengde aktiviteter. Deilig å få muligheten til å slappe av og bade i to timer midt på dagen. Det hadde vært fint å få navnet på guiden og sjåføren før man blir hentet.”

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6.Cidade Velha, Tarrafal & East Side Island Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 23 reviews · 10 hours · from $141

Spend 10 hours crossing Santiago Island from Praia or Cidade Velha. Explore Cidade Velha with a local guide, make Cape Verdean cuscuz and fidjós with a family, stop in the mountains, then swim at Tarrafal Beach. Guides may speak English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish. Choose a shared or private vehicle.

“Gostei da dinâmica, do conhecimento transmitido, da abordagem simpática e intelectual.”

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