Santiago Island: 4-Hour Calabaceira Valley Hike & Guided Tour to Cidade Velha
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Enjoy a 2-hour trek in the Green Valley of Calabaceira with a local guide. Admire the lush vegetation, and explore the history of the first city built by Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa, Cidade Velha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
We strongly advise wearing hiking pants, especially from August to November. Additionally bring decent footwear, hat, sunscreen and water.
Activity for travelers over 6 years old.
Route File: Walking Distance: +/- 5 km // Total Walking Duration: +/- 2 hours // Degree of difficulty: Easy // Elevation gain: +/- 3 m // Elevation loss: -/+ 186 m // Max Elevation: +/- 200 m // Min Elevation: +/- 14 m // Trail type: One Way // Path quality: Medium tilt, narrow at the beginning and safe.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Praia
After being collected from your accommodation in Praia depart toward the verdant volcanic valley of Calabaceira.
Start the hike through the greenery, follow a simple and accessible trail for any hiker and discover the famous giant baobab tree mentioned by Charles Darwin during his passage through the island. Get in touch with local farmers on their agricultural fields of sugar cane, mango, cassava, banana, and more.
What‘s Included
Liability insurance
Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Praia or Cidade Velha
Tour Guide
Transportation
Lunch
Entrance fee (€5 for São Filipe Fortress)
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Private Hike
Private Pickup included
Shared Group Hike
Pickup included
Reviews
21 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
My guide Erickson was...
Timothy M,May 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00My guide Erickson was great! He spoke English well and took care in answering any questions. Vehicle was on time.
beautiful hike with lots of information about nature and Santiago
DayTrip746846,Feb 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I was picked up on time. The hike met my expectations. Tour guide was very nice has told a lot about nature and history. A very nice experience.
Great tour!
briantN2178CG,Jun 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a wonderful hike trough the valley! Seen the kingfisher and seeing the mango's were ripe we had some mango's from the tree! Cicade velha was super interesting and my guide was very knowledgeable! Thank you very much for the tour!
An experience that could not have been better
davidrontheroad,Jun 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Beginning with wonderful Deise at the end of my emailed questions, Bu Country and the experience they provided were a pleasure indeed. Kind things, and much appreciated things, done by Elton, our guide ... bringing a pristine Cabo Verde flag for fun precipice photos ... including laminated maps and photos to aid our understanding of Cabo Verde as we motored to our destinations ... picking, peeling, and serving the freshest tamarind possible ... climbing a tree and serving us delicious mango, sending a second along with us ... not rushing us at all, turning a four hour tour into six because Elida was very slow on the rocky path ... not cutting anything from our itinerary when he easily could have skipped many things once back to civilisation with the slow rocky path behind us ... caring for Elida and all of us at every step ... and smartly sending his co-guide Lucas along with two others on the tour who were not keen to go so slowly and had an appointment back on the ship. From start to finish it is hard to imagine our day being any better.
Wonderful valley hike and tour of the first town of Cape Verde
koreen b,Apr 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great 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.
Calabaceira
DanielG852,Feb 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did this hike through the Calabaceira (Baobab Valley) with Catia and it was worth it. It was very nice, we saw many plants and animals and the arrival at Cidade Velha was wonderful. After a break there we visited the fort. Very pleasant and personable people at Bu Country Tours. Good contact, reliable. Everything worked out fine.
Hiking through a green valley
Kuhni67,Oct 16, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a very nice tour with our guide Ricardo. He told us a lot about the valley and the flora and fauna. The tour was very well organized, we were picked up from the hotel and brought back after the tour. A clear Recommendation.
Great half day out
lolak556,Sep 26, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great time with Ailton hiking the Calabaceira Valley - absolutely amazing! He is lovely and gave us lots of information and history on the way about the plants and wildlife, the region and Cape Verde in general. He patiently answered our many questions. The 400-year old baobab tree is incredible. Cidade Velha and the fort are interesting places to explore - we spent less time there at the end. Nilton was friendly and drove us around. The hike and tour starts early but finishes around midday/lunchtime, leaving you with the rest of the day to do other things. Alex was kind enough to arrange it for us last minute. Would definitely recommend this tour company!
Great
lvlue,Dec 10, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Everything was awesome from the start to the end. We had a good walk and a lot of interesting conversations. Some history, some monkeys, some good food.
A great hike in the Calabaceira Valley
558franziskab,Nov 14, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The hike through the Calabaceria Valley was very beautiful. The flora and fauna and the great explanations made this hike unique.
From €70.00
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Operated by Bu Country Tours