{"id":5825,"date":"2026-07-24T14:02:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T14:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/?p=5825"},"modified":"2026-09-28T14:19:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T14:19:32","slug":"santo-antao-island-trails-green-valleys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/santo-antao-island-trails-green-valleys\/","title":{"rendered":"Santo Ant\u00e3o Island: Trails, Green Valleys, and Wild Cabo Verde"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Santo Ant\u00e3o Island: Trails, Green Valleys, and Wild Cabo Verde<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santo Ant\u00e3o Island Trails, Green Valleys<\/strong> is the most spectacular island in Cabo Verde in terms of scenery. Deep valleys, jagged mountains, and lush vegetation make it the go-to destination for hikers and nature lovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to get there<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Santo Ant\u00e3o has no airport with regular commercial flights; access is by ferry from Mindelo, on S\u00e3o Vicente, to the port of Porto Novo. The crossing takes about an hour, with two to four daily connections operated by CV Interilhas and N\u00f4s Ferry. It’s recommended to buy tickets in advance and confirm schedules the day before, since they can vary (especially on Sundays). If you’re prone to seasickness, bring preventive medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to visit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ribeira Grande and Ribeira da Torre<\/strong> are terraced valleys planted with sugarcane, coffee, and tropical fruit, showcasing the ingenuity of the island’s mountain agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cova\u2013Pa\u00fal\u2013Ribeira da Torre trail<\/strong>, also known as the Pa\u00fal Valley Trail, is one of the most breathtaking hikes in the archipelago: it starts at a volcanic crater (Cova) and descends to Cidade das Pombas on the coast. Transport to Cova is needed to start the hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ponta do Sol\u2013Cruzinha trail<\/strong>, considered by many hikers to be one of the best treks in Cabo Verde, is a linear route of about 15.5 km, taking 5 to 6 hours with an intermediate difficulty level, passing through the village of Formiguinhas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ponta do Sol<\/strong>, a coastal village at the island’s northern tip, has a lighthouse and dramatic ocean views, along with good restaurants featuring live music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fontainhas<\/strong> is one of the archipelago’s most photographed villages, perched on a steep hillside and accessible only on foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practical tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Buy a trail map near the port of Porto Novo before you start exploring.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Instead of public buses, the most common form of land transport is the “aluguer” (a shared collective van).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Temperatures are mild along the coast, but in higher areas fog and wind can make hikes feel colder \u2014 pack accordingly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Consider travel insurance, especially if you plan on doing mountain trails.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Many travelers combine Santo Ant\u00e3o with S\u00e3o Vicente in a single trip, since the ferry connection is quick and frequent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Who Santo Ant\u00e3o is for<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Santo Ant\u00e3o is ideal for active travelers who don’t mind hiking several hours a day in exchange for mountain scenery, lush valleys, and remote villages off the usual tourist trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Is there an airport on Santo Ant\u00e3o?<\/strong><\/h3>
    No. The island has no airport with regular commercial flights. Visitors arrive by ferry from Mindelo, on S\u00e3o Vicente, to the port of Porto Novo.
    <\/div><\/div>

    How long is the ferry from S\u00e3o Vicente to Santo Ant\u00e3o?<\/strong><\/h3>
    The crossing takes about an hour. There are two to four daily connections, operated by CV Interilhas and N\u00f4s Ferry.
    <\/div><\/div>

    Should I book ferry tickets in advance?<\/strong><\/h3>
    Yes, it’s recommended to buy tickets in advance and confirm the schedule the day before, since times can vary, especially on Sundays.
    <\/div><\/div>

    What if I get seasick?<\/strong><\/h3>
    If you’re prone to seasickness, bring preventive medication for the crossing.
    <\/div><\/div>

    What are Ribeira Grande and Ribeira da Torre known for?<\/strong><\/h3>
    They are terraced valleys planted with sugarcane, coffee, and tropical fruit, showing the ingenuity of the island’s mountain agriculture.
    <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Santo Ant\u00e3o Island: Trails, Green Valleys, and Wild Cabo Verde Santo Ant\u00e3o Island Trails, Green Valleys is the most spectacular island in Cabo Verde in terms of scenery. Deep valleys, jagged mountains, and lush vegetation make it the go-to destination for hikers and nature lovers. How to get there Santo Ant\u00e3o has no airport with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jf_schedule_form":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[65],"class_list":["post-5825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cabo-verde","tag-santo-antao-island"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5825"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8127,"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5825\/revisions\/8127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoversaltours.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}