Experience the best of Tarrafal

Tarrafal sits on the north-western coast of Santiago, on the Baía de Tarrafal, at the foot of Monte Graciosa, which rises 643 metres beside the town. It is a fishing port, and the northern end of the two main roads from Praia. The beach, a curve of pale sand in the bay with calm water, is one of the best known on the island.

South of the town stands the Tarrafal camp, where political prisoners were held between 1936 and 1974, first under the Portuguese dictatorship and later during the colonial wars; at least thirty-two died there, and it is now a museum. The ranges of the Serra Malagueta rise behind, with views back over the bay.

Fish is the staple of Tarrafal's tables, grilled whole or stewed in a pan with onion and tomato, and served with rice or boiled cassava. Fishing boats work out of the bay, which is warm and sheltered for most of the year, and the hills behind catch more cloud than the coast.