Spotguide Kapverden - Santiago
Cape Verde is made up of many small islands, the largest of which is Santiago, where the capital Praia is located. When it comes to MTB, Santiago is considered an unpolished mountain bike diamond. There are a handful of first-class singletrack routes and plenty of more adventurous versions that, with a little trail maintenance, have the potential to become epic trails. A good starting point is the town of Tarrafal in the north of the island with the King Fisher Resort. This top hotel caters to mountain bikers and has a large rental fleet and a solid workshop.
The island is particularly attractive after rainfall - which is rare, usually between August and October. Then the very dry island blossoms virtually overnight and transforms into a green natural paradise. The island is a year-round destination for mountain bikers. It is geographically on a par with Senegal and offers a great summer feeling even in the European winter.
Bucket list
Perhaps the best trail on the island: the Principal descent through the Malagueta National Park
The place-to-be on Santiago: the King Fisher Village in Tarrafal
A must for every mountain biker: the Malagueta Trail through the national park
Go anywhere: the pickup shuttles in Santiago are also happy to take mountain bikers along for the ride
Best season
Getting there
The journey to Santiago is made by plane to Praia International Airport. The journey usually takes place via Lisbon, but there are also a few other connections, for example via the Azores or Morocco. It is possible to take a bicycle with you, but not always. For example, TAP does not transport excess baggage in April due to the heavy Easter traffic. Travel on the island is by cab, there is no public transport. Instead, there are countless pick-up cabs, which also take mountain bikes and thus provide a great shuttle service. Transfers between the islands are usually by plane, but again, bikes cannot be transported. In this case, there are also ferry connections.
Inspirations
Trail Map
Um diesen Inhalt zu sehen, musst du ein aktives Ride-Abo besitzen.
Ride tours
Die zwölf beliebtesten Touren in der Region
Shuttles & Bike parks
Mountain railways & shuttles
Bike parks
Hotels
Bike shops
User comments about the region (2)
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
After the islands (Santo Antao, Sao Vicent and Fogo), we also visited Santiago. We did the Monte Ramo tour with King Fisher, as we didn't have our own bikes with us and King Fisher doesn't rent out fullys.
To be honest, we found the price of €90 per person very expensive. Our guide spoke practically no English apart from "now technical". There was no briefing, he didn't have a repair kit or even an inner tube (luckily one of the participants did) and was more concerned with practising wheelies. He rode into the bushes a few times and almost knocked over a woman.
I would recommend taking your own bike and riding the tours yourself. But always look up from time to time, otherwise you'll quickly have a silkworm spider in your face :)
In terms of biking, I would say the island is good for 2/3 days. The Monte Ramo tour took us 4 hours, but only because we took plenty of pictures and had a lunch break. If you're reasonably fit, you can easily do 2 tours in one day.
We also hiked the Malagueta Trail, but it was very damaged from the storm and so overgrown that it was impassable. We hiked the Principal on the same day and I would consider it a highlight.
All in all, a beautiful landscape and a lovely vacation, but I'm glad that biking was only a minor matter for us.
A little tip for anyone doing several islands: Domestic flights with Capo Verde Airlines are a disaster. We were rebooked twice because they were overbooked. Once we had to rebook flights and hotels and the second time we were able to fly as planned because we protested at the counter. 2 times the suitcases didn't come with us and once we spent 10 hours at the airport. So it's better to plan plenty of time and at least one day buffer.
Thank you for your feedback and your visit. We would like to give you some background information and introduce you to the measures we are currently taking to further promote biking on Santiago.
First of all, one of our main concerns is to create opportunities for local guides. We work closely with local bikers and invest in their long-term development through English lessons, safety training, guide standards and communication skills when dealing with guests. Our aim is to build professionalism while creating sustainable local jobs.
In terms of bike rental, we would like to clarify that we have previously offered high-quality hardtail mountain bikes and are now expanding our rental offering. We are introducing MTB rentals for experienced bikers who want to explore the island on their own, while guided tours are still available for guests who prefer local insights and logistical support.
In terms of trails, Santiago's landscape is dynamic and weather-dependent. Following the recent storms, we have been actively cleaning and restoring the trails and are pleased to announce that the main routes are now passable again. In parallel, we are working with international trail building experts to further improve the sustainability, flow and safety standards of the trails over time.
Santiago is not positioned as a pure bike park destination, but as an island with a variety of activities where cycling complements hiking, culture and nature. Transparency is important to us, and feedback from guests like you plays an important role in how we evolve.
Thank you again for sharing your experience with us. We wish you many more great adventures.
Kind regards, Kevin and the King Fisher Village Team