Santiago

If the small island of Sal is the tourism capital of Cape Verde then the largest, Santiago is most definitely its commercial centre. The first of the archipelago to be settled, Santiago is the most populated (205,000 people) of the ten tropical islands, with over half of the country's overall population. It is also home to the nation's capital, Praia and two international airports.

Also the most African, the historical island of Santiago nonetheless prides itself on being the first colony in the world to successfully assimilate a multi-cultural ethnicity and it was the very early harmonisation of the African and European traditions - the native Crioulos are the oldest African-European community in colonial history - that helped sustain this island through difficult beginnings. Today, that fusion of cultures translates into a bustling, noisy and deeply cultural island.

Santiago (Portuguese for "Saint James"), or Santiagu in the local Bádiu dialect, was founded in the early 1460s by the Italian explorer António de Noli. He established a garrison on the southwest of the island at Cidade Velha, which was then known as Ribeira Grande and was the island's first capital.

The meteoric growth of Cidade Velha, which is just 10km from the capital and today still boasts a grand cathedral and magnificent fort, was such that, largely through transcontinental slavery, it became the richest city in the Portuguese realm. Its fortune was built on slave trade, with merchant sailors exchanging good for slaves for over 200 years at Cidade Velha.

The city is steeped in history, with Captain Cook, Sir Francis Drake and Vasco de Gama all docking there on their voyages of discovery. In 1712, however, Cidade Velha was raided by pirates and Praia thereafter became the capital of this bountiful island.

Since the independence of Cape Verde in 1975, Santiago has prospered more than any of the other islands in the archipelago, with its population doubling in the 32 years since. Infrastructure has also improved dramatically, especially schools, ports, airports and roads. Praia, the capital of the country, is also the seat of the Cape Verde Government and economic powerhouse of the island. The Sucupira market is the island's largest and where huge throngs gather to barter over and purchase on a massive assortment of items, ranging from food to clothes and art. There are also two very famous beaches in the city, Prainha and Quebra Canela, where locals and visitors, side by side, enjoy the white sands and golden rays of the sun.

Agriculture, fishing and tourism are the main industries, while the island has a small manufacturing base. Due to its fertile valleys and planes, which are towered over by dormant volcanic mountains, Santiago is the 'bread-basket' as it were, of Cape Verde, producing products such as corn, sugar cane, banana, coffee and mango.

From a tourism perspective, the island offers an abundance of riches. Like the rest of Cape Verde, it is blessed with year round sunshine, stunning beaches, tropical waters and a profusion of water-related activities.

A circular tour of the island is advised and should be done at leisure, over two days, to truly explore the dream-like bounties of the shoreline.

Beyond that, however, Santiago has much to offer, not least a copious crop of scenic inland treats. Deep in the heart of Santiago you will find fertile oases, towered over by a chain of dormant volcanic mountains. Here, old traditions and practices have been preserved. The tiny villages hidden away in the mountains also have their own idyllic charm, where the pace and style of life is utterly uncomplicated. These hidden villages were first populated as natives fled to the hills from the coast in the 17th century as colonization arrived. There are also some excellent botanical gardens and, in the major towns, you will find bustling African markets.

The quaint fishing village of Tarrafal, where locals await the return of fishermen daily to barter for their catch, provides a charming reminder that old cultures and habits abide don't die on this beautiful link in the necklace of the Cape Verde islands. Likewise, the small market town of Assomada, with its bright coloured market, has a real rustic feel about it. São Francisco has the island's best beaches and visitors should be sure not to miss the beautiful Poilão dam and its green lake.

The National Maritime Museum Cabo Verde, in Praia is also well worth a visit and contains, among other items, a host of artifacts retrieved from sunken ships around the islands.

Altogether, another breathtaking island of the archipelago where there is just about something for everyone, and a little bit more besides!

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