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Passo de Gato

Passo de Gato (Tarrafal, Kapverden)

The trail over the Passo de Gato is the secret star among the bike trails on the Cape Verde island of Santiago. It starts in Malagueta and then rides through a rugged dream landscape to Tarrafal.

Description

As almost always, we set off on bike routes in the Tarrafal region near Serra Malagueta, right at the top of the pass between Tarrafal and Assomado. You can get up here with one of the many pick-up shuttles. Now you roll downhill a little on the road until a trail leads up to the ridge on the right. This is the start of the trail over the Passo de Gato. Solidly built with numerous bends and some tricky sections but always flowing, the trail leads down to Achada Lagoa. This is the fun part of the route. The next section is characterized by the fascinating and seemingly untouched gorge world that lies far below us. One photo spot follows the next. But it is also the most challenging section: first the path rides through steep terrain and requires a good head for heights, then you have to push your bike up a steep serpentine path for around 80 meters. This brings you to the fascinating Passo de Gato and the start of the next of the four tour segments. The trail now rides through a plateau, with the gorge far below, the sea on the horizon to the left and right, and a fast, winding path in the middle. In this way, you reach the small village of Mato Brasil, tackle an intermediate section on a paved road and then enter the final section of the tour after Cutelo - the section through the Rio Grande. Here you follow a small trail down into the riverbed. Here you have to push in some places before descending on a gravel road through the small gorge of the Rio Grande directly to Tarrafal. Conclusion: The Passo de Gato is a must for demanding mountain bikers in the Tarrafal region.

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Map & GPX-Track

The map is only available to Ride subscribers.
The Ride-Subscription is available at ride-mtb.com/abo

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18 km

320 m

1110 m

14 above sea level

812 above sea level

1 day

Tarrafal

Tarrafal

2286

well suited

Thomas Giger
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Written by reto.manetsch on 21. March 2025

Rode on 19.3.25:
The tour is very well described by ride. The trails are more technical as described [3/6], but it hasn't rained for a very long time. The views of the gorges, the mountains and the sea are impressive. Great tour 👌🏽

Portrait Thomas Giger

About the author: Thomas Giger

Thomas Giger has been the editor of Ride MTB since 2002 and is a regular online and print author. Over the years, he has specialized in tourism topics and is particularly well known for his blog-style columns. He is also one of Ride MTB's active tour authors.

Thomas Giger has been the editor of Ride MTB since 2002 and has had a significant influence on the tour database. His focus is on single trail tours. There are few who know the trails in Switzerland as well as he does. However, his areas of expertise also include Aosta, the French Western Alps, and the whole of South Tyrol.

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Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.