Full-Day São Vicente Island Experience with a Local Guide
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Mindelo, Cape Verde
- 5 to 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Immerse yourself in the charm of São Vicente on this full-day private tour that begins with pickup from your accommodation in Mindelo. Explore Mindelo's historical sites, including Cesária Évora's house and the panoramic Fortin viewpoint. Dive into local culture at the Fish Market, then venture into the lush greenery of Calhau Valley. Enjoy a relaxing break in the fishing village of Salamansa and take in the views from Gatas Bay and Laginha Beach.
- Get a comprehensive overview of São Vicente
- Discover the history and culture of the island
- Enjoy panoramic views from several lookouts
- A private tour ensures a more personalized experience
What's Included
- Hotel, Port or Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Transportation
- Lunch
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
If your pick-up location is not listed, please send us your address by email after Booking. For cruise passengers, we will pick you up inside the port, about 50 meters from the ship.
Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
1
Sao Vicente
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Mindelo
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Mercado de Peixe
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Calhau
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Monte Verde
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Salamansa
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
7
Baía das Gatas
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Praia da Laginha
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Note that the Museum is closed on Sundays.
- Please bring sandals/flip flops, a towel, a hat, swimwear, and sunscreen.
- Note that the Municipal Market is closed on Sundays and holidays.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 17 reviews
Ronald_M, Jun 2025
William, our driver guide was awesome. Car was comfortable. We saw everything on the itinerary and then some. William was very interesting, knowledgeable and accommodating.
The sights were beautiful. The city and island are absolutely beautiful.
We definitely recommend visiting here and using these guys for their service.
Well done. Wish we could give more than five stars.
Nancy_H, Apr 2025
Freddy was an excellent guide for the day. He speaks EXCELLENT English. With both travelers having walking difficulties, Freddy took exceptional care of us both. Made stops with short walks, or really good pass by views. Very knowledgeable about history of the island and present conditions. Highly recommend this tour and THIS tour guide.
Dale_B, Mar 2025
Not really a guide, more like a driver that talked a bit. Either he didn’t understand our questions or didn’t really know the answers.
Steven_T, Mar 2025
Easy pick up from
Pier. Fun day with our small group. Lunch took a long time as it was very busy when we were there. This prohibited us from our final planned stop.
Leon_M, Dec 2024
Our guide Madela was outstanding and informative. Gave an in depth coverage of the Island's history past and present. Highly recommend him. Vehicle clean and new and in good condition, which is needed for the roads on the Island. Driver Willy most competed.
Malcolm_N, Dec 2024
Rough, rugged and dry island. Great views from mountains and volcano's.
Wild beaches. A poor economy place but with lots of vitality and life.
Dale_T, Dec 2024
Miguel was a fantastic guide. One of the first things he asked about was whether we wanted to make lunch reservations. We said No, and he adjusted the schedule accordingly. We really appreciated his local knowledge. Our favorite stops were the walk through the markets in town, the stroll in the waters at the lagoon, and the view from the mountain top. Highly recommended!
Carl_W, Dec 2024
Great day out, enjoyed every minute. Prompt pick up from the Cruise port in Porte Grande. Very informative guide.
eugeniodonatelli, Dec 2024
Excellent private excursion, we managed to see the whole island at our own pace in full comfort, much better that in a coach excursion.
Barbara_P, Nov 2024
This tour was very pleasant. The guide was informative and keen to share local history with us. The driver was excellent on the cobbled roads. My only complaint would be the late lunch time (2 PM). The walk from the Dock to the port entrance was a lot more than the 5 minutes we were told.
John_M, Nov 2024
We drove all around the island for 4 1/2 hours (we told him to skip lunch and the fish/craft markets). The trip up Mount Verde was amazing with views all around much of the island.
Celena_V, Jun 2024
This tour was very well done. We had a nice safe car that was comfortable. The driver was amazing at handling the roads. The tour itself was a great pace and we didn’t feel rushed at all, yet we saw the island in detail. The best part of the trip was our guide Mayra. She went above and beyond and told us a lot of things about her country. She speaks so many languages and handles herself with a lot of professionalism. I don’t think the tour would have been the same without her so I recommend you request her for your tour. 10/10 would do again
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We are thrilled to hear that you had a well-organized tour and felt comfortable and safe in our car.
We’re especially delighted to hear that Mayra made your experience exceptional. Her knowledge, professionalism, and multilingual skills are indeed remarkable, and we’re proud to have her on our team. Your recommendation to request her for future tours is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for choosing Bu CountryTours. We hope to welcome you back for another detailed and enjoyable exploration of the island.
equez1958_m, May 2024
Americo our guide and wilson our driver we fun, informative and made us feel welcome. Americo was full of information on his countries history and was very proud of his countries achievements. They chose a great place for us to have lunch and ate with us and chatted, all along making sure we were happy.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We're delighted to hear that you had a fun and informative experience with Américo as your guide and Wilson as your driver. It's fantastic to know that they made you feel welcome and took care of you throughout the tour.
Américo's knowledge of his country's history and his pride in its achievements must have added a lot to your experience. We're glad you enjoyed the lunch they arranged and appreciated their company and conversation.
Thank you for choosing Bu CountryTours. We hope to welcome you back for more memorable experiences in the future.
Rose_A, Apr 2024
Our guide Amerigo and driver Kalihi. They made the experience personal and gave us a good intro to their country and culture.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience with Amerigo and Kalihi from Bu CountryTours! We're thrilled to hear that they provided you with a personalized introduction to their country and culture. Your positive feedback is greatly appreciated, and we hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future.
John_L, Mar 2024
The guide were competent and friendly; the bus driver was careful (especially on the mountain road). The tour of Mindelo was interesting and the African market was a good source of souvenirs. The highlight was Monte Verde which provided an impressive view of a sizable portion of the island.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us! It's wonderful to know that both our guide and bus driver exceeded your expectations with their competence and friendliness. The tour of Mindelo and the visit to the African market sound like they added a lot of value to your experience, and we're glad you found them interesting. Monte Verde does indeed offer breathtaking views, and we're delighted that it was a highlight of your trip. Thank you for choosing Bu Country Tours, and we hope to welcome you back soon for more memorable adventures!
yimco, Dec 2023
We had a good time on the excursion. The agency communicated with us via WhatsApp ahead of time. We were met at the cruise ship port gate on time. The car used was a local taxi that was quite new and comfortable. The whole booking process was simple and easy.
Since it was a private tour with just the two of us, our guide Suzie was able to adjust the itinerary to best suit our interest. We were able to stop and spend more time at scenic spots where we want to take pictures. She was also helpful in getting spices for us from the local market at local prices. We wanted to try cachupa, a Cape Verde staple, and Suzie enquired at many places for us until we found a place that served it.
We enjoyed Ilhe de São Vicente, although the island was blanketed with moderate Saharan dust haze on the day, we still got pretty good pictures. We got a comprehensive experience of life and its geography in Cabo Verde which was what we wanted to get out of the excursion.
We would love to return and explore other islands as suggested by Suzie.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
We're thrilled to hear you had a fantastic excursion in Cabo Verde! Thank you for sharing your positive experience. We're glad the communication, transportation, and private tour with Suzie met your expectations. It's wonderful that Suzie's flexibility allowed you to tailor the itinerary to your interests, capturing memorable moments and experiencing local culture. We appreciate your kind words and look forward to assisting you in exploring other islands on your next visit.
Alfons_P, Apr 2024
Neben der Hafenstadt Mindelo gibt es auf Sao Vicente einige kleine Fischorte und Wochenendsiedlungen.
Eine vorwiegend trockene Insel.
Die Täler, die von felsig und schroffen Bermassiven umgeben sind, sind mit Sand, Kies und Geröll gefüllt.
Der Bick vom Monte Verde hinunter nach Mindelo, über das Meer und die weite Landschaft sowie hinüber zum Tafelberg der Insel war schon atemberaubend schön.
Die Serpentinfahrt hinauf zum Monte Verde im Pick up eher gewöhnungsbedürftig.
Mindelo selbst hat einige Sehenswürdigkeiten, z. B. die Nachbildung des Torre de Belem, die Mercado municipal, der afrikanische Markt, den Kunstmarkt Quintal das Artes sowie den wunderschön angelegten Friedhof des Ortes mit dem Grab von Cesaria Evora. Das war sehr beeindruckend und sehenswert.
Unsere Vorstellung von den kapverdischen Inseln war anders und ernüchternd.
Trotzdem hatten wir einen erlebnisreichen Tag auf Sao Vicente mit einem sehr gutem, gebildeten, höflichen und sympathischen Tourguide, der uns viel über 'seine' Insel erzählte und uns auch relativ viel zeigte. Dankeschön dafür.
All das, was wir von der kapverdischen Insel Sao Vicente und auch von der Insel Santiago gesehen haben, war lehrreich und gut.
Jedoch für uns eine erkenntnisreiche Erfahrung, dass die kapverdischen Inseln für uns kein optimales Reiseziel sind.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Wir danken Ihnen herzlich für das Teilen Ihrer Erfahrungen mit uns nach Ihrer Führung auf São Vicente. Ihr Feedback ist uns sehr wichtig, und wir freuen uns zu hören, dass Sie die Gelegenheit hatten, die einzigartige Schönheit der Insel zu erkunden, trotz Ihrer anfänglichen Erwartungen.
Es ist wahr, dass São Vicente eine überwiegend trockene Landschaft und eine Vielzahl atemberaubender Aussichten bietet, von den kleinen Fischerdörfern bis hin zu den Panoramablicken vom Monte Verde. Wir verstehen, dass die kurvenreiche Fahrt zum Monte Verde herausfordernd sein kann, aber es freut uns zu hören, dass sich die Mühe für den atemberaubenden Ausblick gelohnt hat.
Wir sind besonders dankbar zu hören, dass Sie die Sehenswürdigkeiten in Mindelo genossen haben, wie die Nachbildung des Torre de Belem, den Mercado Municipal, die afrikanischen Kunstmärkte und den gepflegten Friedhof mit dem Grab von Cesaria Evora. Es ist immer unser Ziel, unseren Kunden unvergessliche und lehrreiche Erlebnisse zu bieten, und wir sind froh, dass unser Guide seine Leidenschaft für die Insel und ihre Kultur vermitteln konnte.
Wir respektieren voll und ganz, dass jeder Reisende seine eigenen Vorlieben und Erwartungen hat, wenn er ein Reiseziel wählt, und wir respektieren Ihre Meinung, dass die Kapverdischen Inseln möglicherweise nicht das ideale Reiseziel für Sie sind. Wir freuen uns jedoch, dass Sie Ihre Erfahrung auf São Vicente und Santiago als bereichernd und positiv empfunden haben.
Nochmals vielen Dank, dass Sie sich für Bu CountryTours für Ihre Führung auf São Vicente entschieden haben, und wir hoffen, Sie in zukünftigen Abenteuern wieder bei uns begrüßen zu dürfen.
From $105.19
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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