The 15 Best Walks and Hikes in Cape Verde

1.Fogo Island: Pico do Fogo Volcano Summit Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 92 reviews · 6 - 7 hours · from $51Our pick

Climb Cape Verde’s highest peak on a guided Pico do Fogo hike, enjoy island views, and race down volcanic ash toward Chã das Caldeiras.

“This was an amazing adventure. My driver was wonderful, providing seamless hotel transfers. Throughout the journey, he shared fascinating history about Chã das Caldeiras and local wine, making the travel time highly informative. Our guide was absolutely amazing and very experienced. We were a small group (English and French speakers), and the guide expertly delivered all information in both languages, ensuring everyone was included. He shared a wealth of knowledge about the volcano, lava paths, and local life. Since we were a fit group, we chose the extra route for a supplement (with steel cables) to get better views. The best part was the final descent, where we ran down…”

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2.Day Trip by Car or Trek

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · from $104Top rated

Review of Santo Antão’s full-day car trip from São Vicente, with ferry, mountain views, villages, lunch, and a grogue distillery visit.

“We really enjoyed the trip and highly recommend it. Out tour guide told us a lot about the island life and culture and made the trip very interesting. Definitely a great experience.”

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3.Serra Malagueta: Principal Valley Hike & Lunch with Locals

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 64 reviews · 7 hours · from $111

Hike Serra Malagueta to Principal Valley, share a local lunch, and enjoy mountain, village, plantation, and sea views from Praia.

“Excellent service from guide and driver. Nice trekking experience and family meal. Attention! The trek is for people with a minimum of mountain experience since the trail is steep and rough”

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4.Santiago Island: Serra Malagueta & Tarrafal Beach Trek Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 61 reviews · 8 hours · from $106

Hike Serra Malagueta’s mountain trails, spot native wildlife, then unwind at Tarrafal Beach on this full-day Santiago Island tour.

“Elisanto was an awesome guide and I will rate it a 10/10”

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5.Baobab Mysterious Tree, Green Valley & Old City Hike

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

Hike Santiago from Praia through fruit farms to a 400-year-old baobab and Cidade Velha, with local guides, transport, and a gentle 4 km descent.

“Leuke tour met geduldige en goed geïnformeerde gids”

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6.Calabaceira Valley Trek & Visit to Cidade Velha

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 49 reviews · 4 hours · from $82

Trek Santiago’s Calabaceira Valley, visit a rum distillery, and explore UNESCO-listed Cidade Velha from Praia in four hours.

“Merci à Katia pour cette belle balade au milieu d'une nature luxuriante.”

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7.Monte Tchota Natural Park to Pico d’Antónia Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 43 reviews · 6 hours · from $100

Hike Santiago’s highest peak through Monte Tchota Natural Park, with cool mountain air, island views, guides, transport, and picnic included.

“Great tour and guide went mostly in our pace and was well informed and helpful”

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8.Serra to Principal Hike & Lunch with locals

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 41 reviews · 5 hours · from $70

Hike from Serra Malagueta to Principal, enjoy mountain views, a local family lunch, and hotel pickup from Tarrafal for $70.

“Alex is an excellent guide, with lots of interesting observations and anecdotes about the flora and fauna and the islands in general. The food prepared by Mama was absolutely delicious.”

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9.Guided Coastal Hike & Monte Leão Sunset

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 37 reviews · 4 hours · from $58

Hike Sal’s west coast from Ponta Preta to Monte Leão, with sea views, rest support, and a memorable sunset for $58.

“Antonio Dias made sure we had a wonderful hike. He picked us up on time and was very kind to answer all of our questions. The scenery is just mesmerising all the way to the end. Many different surfaces, which makes it more interesting, exciting as well as challenging. Make sure you bring comfy shoes for the hike! Thank you for the unforgettable afternoon! :)”

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10.Hiking Cova Volcano Crater to Ribeira Paúl

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 31 reviews · 5 hours · from $100

Hike Santo Antão from Cova Crater to Paul Valley, enjoy mountain views, tropical farms, local stories, and a taste of Cape Verdean grogue.

“I'm Extremely disappointed with the way that Bu Country Tours handled my booking! I confirmed an updated pick up location the day before my scheduled tour, only to find out on the actual tour day that the people in the office had neglected to notify the tour guides. What resulted from that mess up was that both me and the poor tour guides (Lea and Maira) were trying in vain to locate each other via Whatsapp for 2 hours. The person from the Bu Country Tour office that I spoke to on the day kept telling me that my tour guides were gonna head back to pick me up at…”

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11.Serra Malagueta Natural Park Hike & Relaxing Swim at Tarrafal Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $104

Hike Serra Malagueta from Praia, spot rare species, enjoy mountain views, then swim and relax at beautiful Tarrafal Beach.

“L'équipe qui nous a accueilli a été adorable, à l'écoute et disponible. Kathy et Sany ont également pris en compte nos envies et ont su organiser un parcours personnalisée en fonction de cela. De plus, ils ont aussi été de bons conseils sur les différents lieux touristiques à visiter à praia et ses alentours. Un grand plaisir d’avoir pu faire cette activité en leurs compagnies”

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12.Serra Malagueta Natural Park: Hike to Gongon Valley & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 22 reviews · from $106

Review of Santiago’s Serra Malagueta hike to Gongon and Hortelã valleys, with mountain views, local lunch, practical trail advice, and value tips.

“Our guide, Jose, and our driver were fantastic. Jose showed us a lot and explained even more than the itinerary suggested. The food at Hermiña's was delicious. We highly recommend the tour.”

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13.Santiago Island: 4-Hour Calabaceira Valley Hike & Guided Tour to Cidade Velha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $81

Hike Calabaceira Valley, meet local farmers, and explore UNESCO-listed Cidade Velha on a small-group tour from Praia.

“Great hike with a great guide. Beautiful views and rich history. Guide had good knowledge of the area and the driver was very accommodating and safe. Appreciated their flexibility.”

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14.Verdant Valley Hike & Lunch With Locals

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 17 reviews · 5 hours · from $82

Hike Serra Malagueta from Tarrafal, meet a local family, and enjoy Cape Verdean lunch in Principal Valley for $82.

“It was a very fun excursion. You start at the top and the hike is walking down into the valley. While receiving information about: plants, animals, culture and also rum. It was very interesting. The meal at the locals house was really good. My husband and I are vegetarian which was not a problem at all. They made the meal vegan. Absolutely amazing! We took a “bus” / local taxi with multiple people, which was very interesting, entertaining and gave insight into the culture and commutation. I recommend bringing hiking boots or some shoes with a good grip as some stones on the way down are slippery.”

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15.Trek from Serra Malagueta to Rabelados Community

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $111

Hike Serra Malagueta’s green mountain trails, enjoy a picnic, and meet Cape Verde’s Rabelados community on this full-day Santiago tour.

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