Land Ahoy! We have crossed the Atlantic Ocean and made landfall on Cape Verde. Our journey to explore these islands started with a thorough tour of Santiago Island. A great place to start was Cidade Velha, the old Capital of Cape Verde with its impressive fort and quaint town with cobbled streets and whitewashed homes.
We started our climb into the mountainous interior where the island’s volcanic origins were very evident. With some stops at the botanical gardens and a market, we made our way along the spine of the island to Tarrafal, where a delicious lunch awaited us. Some guests decided to add a quick swim at the beach with an array of colorful fishing vessels.
The history of the political struggles of the island in the early and mid-20th century was clear when we visited the concentration camp near Tarrafal.
We wended our way down the eastern coast of the island enjoying the scenery, occasionally being stopped by goats meandering across the road, oblivious to the traffic! We finished with a wander through the center of the current capital, Praia, seeing the market, churches, and squares, ending by the Presidential Palace.
