Don’t miss Cidade Velha when you’re in Santiago. This is where Cape Verde’s colonial history began – and you can feel it in everything: the cobbled streets, the impressive Fort Real de São Filipe that still watches over the city, and the ruins that show how this place was once the heart of the slave trade. The view from the fort is special and shows how strategic this place once was.

Tip from flip: Cidade Velha is easily reached by a aluguers (local minibus) from Praia.

Tarrafal is the place where you don't have to do anything. Perfect for that good break, after all that walking. Feet in the white sand with a view of clear blue water, where (still) no mass tourism is involved. Don't think too much, just order that cocktail and listen to the locals playing dominoes under the palm trees. 

All you need, you might say. But if you want, there are also plenty of (and important!) things to do in the area: visit a former concentration camp, which is now a museum where you can learn about the political prisoners who were held here during the Portuguese occupation. Not a light-hearted outing, but a place that will stay with you. In addition, there is also a market to visit in Tarrafal; smaller than the one in Assomada, but perfect for scoring a snack or some clothes.