Praia

Praia — literally "Beach" in Portuguese — is Cape Verde's capital and busiest city. While it's maybe not comparable to a western metropolis, with a population of only about 159,050 (2017), one in four Cape Verdeans call the city home and the city is an important thoroughfare for international visitors to the archipelagic country.

Understand
Praia and its suburbs is by far the largest urban area in Cape Verde. The center of the city lies on a plateau (port. Platô) overlooking the bay to the southeast and the airport lies a few kilometers to the northeast. The port is important for the export of agricultural products and seafood, which besides tourism is the most important industry in the country.

Praia is located in the southern end of Santiago Island and has year round good weather. The city is divided into various small unofficial districts, the most important ones being, Platô (city center), Achada Santo Antonio, Palmarejo, Fazenda, Achada Grande, Varzea, Safende, Sucupira (bazaar area), Calbeciera, Terra Branca, Vila Nova, Achadinha, Bairro, Prainha, Monte Vermelho, Achada Mato, Achada Sao Felipe, and other smaller ones. Most part of the city are residential areas, so probably not worth visiting in itself, but worth a half-day exploration if you are passing through to another destination.

The Cape Verdean escudo is denoted "", the same sign that is used by dollars and pesos around the world. In this article, prices after the "$" signs are in escudos, unless otherwise stated.

History
Settlement in Praia started in 1615. Back then the beach was known as Praia de Gamboa and the village below Santa Maria. Its natural harbour was a popular alternative to the one in Cidade Velha (then known as Ribeira Grande) with its high harbour fees. Santa Maria became the capital of the region in 1770, and with this started the growth of the city. Much of the historical old town dates from this time.

The plateau was the focus for development and services at this time. After independence from Portugal in 1975 the city has rapidly grown in all directions, and the population has quadrupled.

Climate
The weather is warm and pleasant around the year. The climate is classified as mild desert, and daytime highs are above +25°C throughout the year. Some rain occurs from August to October, but much less than what's experienced in places with tropical monsoon climate. The rainiest month, August, averages eight rainy days and just under 100 mm of rain.

By plane
Praia is served by

Taxis from the airport to Plateau cost 500$. After 18:00 the cost is 800$. There is one bus line that serves the airport but it’s better to just take a taxi since there is actually only one or two buses that serves this line.

By boat
You can also enter the city through the port. There are ferry boats that have irregular service to and from the islands of Maio, Boavista, Sal and Sao Nicolau, and more regular and scheduled service to and from Sao Vicente and Fogo.

Boat passengers arrive in. As of 2014, there were regular ferries from Fogo (4 hours) and Brava (just 40 min from Fogo). However, the sea is often rough and will probably make you seasick; flying is much more comfortable. Porto de Praia is also where you will land if you're a cruise passenger.

Get around
The city has countless bus stops, and taxis are everywhere waiting for customers.

By bus
There are two main bus companies that serve the city, Moura Company and Sol Atlantico. Each route has their own numbers. The main lines are from Safende to Achada Santo Antonio, Vila Nova to Achada Santo Antonio, Calbeceira to Palmarejo, Pensamento to Terra Branca, Achada Grande to Achada Santo Antonio, Sao Felipe to Plateau, Ponta D'Agua to Plateau,Achada Mato to Palmarejo. Most of these lines pass by Plateau (city center), Varzea and Terra Branca, the bus fare is 41$ (as of February 2022).

By taxi
When it comes to taxis you should be careful with illegal taxis that sometimes roam around and might rip you off. The normal taxi fare between two furthest points of the city, for example Pensamento to Palmarejo, or Palmarejo to Achada Mato, shouldn’t be more than 1500$ during the day or 1800$ at night. Taxi drivers usually expect to get a tip, give around 50-100$. Just be careful and always use taxis that have a taximeter, so that they don’t overcharge you.

By foot
The lack of an official map makes the city a little hard to navigate, especially since large parts still lack proper street names and house numbers. Fortunately, most streets in the city center and in the more important parts of the city do have names and numbers and most people are friendly and will give you directions. Walking between the different districts is not recommended, especially since most of the city's sidewalks are made out of loose cobblestone that make it difficult to walk. Also keep in mind that this town is full of hills that can be tiring to walk. However, if you want to have a good cardio-workout, try it.

A bike can be a good way of getting around both Praia and the island itself. The problem is that bike rentals are sparse, so if you're looking forward to a bike vacation, you may need to bring your own.

By rental car
Rental cars can be found mainly at the airport, but with the boom of tourism some downtown locations have opened as well. Rates are around 4500$ per day including tax and insurance. Usually the first 100km are included in the price too, after this it's 0.10$ for each additional kilometer.



See
A large part of the sights are located at the plateau. The old city wall complete with the old cannons protected it from attackers arriving by sea. The governmental district is in the southern part of town.

Museums and culture


In addition, the markets listed below in the Buy section are worth visiting for the experience.

Events
Cape Verdeans like to party, and there are many events throughout the year. The largest of them is the carnival, taking place in the beginning of the year as elsewhere in the Catholic world. With its procession and dances it is not too dissimilar to the Brazilian version, but here the processions aren't strictly arranged by samba schools but rather a spontaneous and informal event where everyone can partake.

Other religious festivals (for example honoring a saint) are also reminiscent of the carnival, starting with a mass and continuing as a street festival.

Activities
Reportedly having some of the best waves in the world, Praia is a good destination for surfing and water skiing. If you are a beginner, hotels often have courses in these activities. If you want to relax instead, head to some of the beaches in and around Praia. is probably the most popular among locals and visitors alike. Other beaches are, (not suitable for swimming) and.

Buy
There are several markets in Praia. Even if you don't intend to buy anything, it's worth a visit if you want to experience an African market. A great souvenir is one of the patterned, colourful cloths made in the countryside.



Drink
You won't find an abundance of nightspots in Praia.



Splurge
Praia's high-end options are south of the main town in the area of Prainha.



Stay safe
Being the capital and biggest city of the country, Praia has a higher crime rate than most parts of the country. Most crimes involve petty thievery and these are mostly focused on residents and not on tourists, although there have been a few cases which have involved tourists. So though Praia in general is still a very safe city, be careful not to flaunt any expensive jewelry or gadgets like iPhones and such. Cape Verde in the past few years has seen an increase of petty crimes which are done mostly by groups of young people, so avoid groups of young men especially at night.

Praia is also badly lit at night, so be careful in places that might not have street lights and are somewhat isolated, and always travel in pairs or larger groups for safety. However, if anything does occur there are police stations in various parts of the city and a general hospital in the city center.

Emergency numbers

 * Hospital - 130
 * Fire brigade – 131
 * Police – 132
 * Polícia Judiciária – 800 11 34

Stay healthy
There's one hospital in the city:

There are also five community health centers.

Embassies and consulates

 * 🇦🇴 Angola
 * 🇧🇪 Belgium
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇨🇺 Cuba
 * 🇪🇨 Ecuador
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * 🇳🇴 Norway
 * 🇵🇰 Pakistan
 * 🇵🇹 Portugal
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇷🇺 Russia
 * 🇸🇳 Senegal
 * 🇪🇸 Spain
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Connect


There are internet cafes in Praia:



Go next



 * Cidade Velha, the historic capital, is an easy half-day or day trip and something not to be missed if you're interested in history. It's among the oldest European-founded cities in Subsaharan Africa, some of the ruins and buildings date from the 1460s when the archipelago was explored and colonized. Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário is the oldest colonial church in the world.
 * The National Botanical Garden in São Jorge dos Órgãos, Ribeirão Galinha district. Hundreds of plants, both endemic ones and from elsewhere.
 * Serra da Malagueta - a mountain of 1064m above the sea level and a natural reserve. It features a diverse flora and fauna and a characteristic climate.
 * Tarrafal - A village with one of the nicest sand beaches in the country. Here you can also see the Museum of Resistance, which functioned as a jail for people resisting the Portuguese colonial government from 1936 until the 1970s.