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Green Valley Trek: Explore Cidade Velha's Heritage
5.0
21 Ratings
Praia
Embark on a delightful 2-hour hike through the Green Valley of Calabaceira, accompanied by a knowledgeable local guide. Marvel at the vibrant greenery and delve into the rich history of Cidade Velha, the first city established by Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Embark on a delightful 2-hour hike through the Green Valley of Calabaceira, accompanied by a knowledgeable local guide. Marvel at the vibrant greenery and delve into the rich history of Cidade Velha, the first city established by Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Praia - Begin your journey by departing from your accommodation in Praia, heading towards the lush volcanic valley of Calabaceira.
- Igreja Calabaceira - Embark on a hike through the vibrant greenery, following an easy and accessible trail suitable for all hikers. Discover the renowned giant baobab tree, famously noted by Charles Darwin during…
- Praia - Begin your journey by departing from your accommodation in Praia, heading towards the lush volcanic valley of Calabaceira.
- Igreja Calabaceira - Embark on a hike through the vibrant greenery, following an easy and accessible trail suitable for all hikers. Discover the renowned giant baobab tree, famously noted by Charles Darwin during his visit to the island. Engage with local farmers working in fields of sugar cane, mango, cassava, banana, and more.
- Convento de Sao Francisco - The Convent of São Francisco, constructed in the mid-17th century, served as a place of worship and education.
- Rue Banana - This was the first urbanized street built by the Portuguese in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosario - Visit the oldest colonial church in the world, constructed in 1495, the Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, showcasing the Manueline (Portuguese Gothic) style.
- Pelourinho - Built in 1512 from white marble, it was historically used as a slave market.
- Se Catedral - Explore the ruins of the Sé Catedral, the first cathedral constructed in Africa by the Portuguese.
- Fortaleza Real de San Felipe - Constructed in 1587 to protect the city from pirate attacks. From the top, enjoy a stunning view of the entire old town and learn about the defense system used against pirates. Please note that the €5 per person entrance fee for the fortress is not included.
- Praia - The tour concludes with a return drop-off at your accommodation in Praia.
What's Included
- Liability insurance included
- Experienced Tour Guide
- Convenient pickup and drop-off service
- Transportation provided
- Liability insurance included
- Experienced Tour Guide
- Convenient pickup and drop-off service
- Transportation provided
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Entrance fee (€5 for São Filipe Fortress)
- Lunch
- Entrance fee (€5 for São Filipe Fortress)
Additional Information
- We strongly advise wearing hiking pants, especially from August to November. Additionally bring decent footwear, hat, sunscreen and water.
- Activity for travelers over 6 years old.
- Route File: Walking Distance: +/- 5 km // Total Walking Duration: +/- 2 hours // Degree of difficulty: Easy // Elevation gain: +/- 3 m // Elevation loss: -/+ 186 m //…
- We strongly advise wearing hiking pants, especially from August to November. Additionally bring decent footwear, hat, sunscreen and water.
- Activity for travelers over 6 years old.
- Route File: Walking Distance: +/- 5 km // Total Walking Duration: +/- 2 hours // Degree of difficulty: Easy // Elevation gain: +/- 3 m // Elevation loss: -/+ 186 m // Max Elevation: +/- 200 m // Min Elevation: +/- 14 m // Trail type: One Way // Path quality: Medium tilt, narrow at the beginning and safe.
Location
Praia
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(21 Ratings)
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Daytrip746846
Feb 22, 2026
beautiful hike with lots of information about nature and Santiago - I was picked up on time. The hike met my expectations. Tour guide was very nice has told a lot about nature and history. A very nice experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Briantn2178cg
Jun 7, 2025
Great tour! - This was a wonderful hike trough the valley! Seen the kingfisher and seeing the mango's were ripe we had some mango's from the tree! Cicade velha was super interesting and my guide was very knowledgeable!
Thank you very much for the tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Davidrontheroad
Jun 4, 2025
An experience that could not have been better - Beginning with wonderful Deise at the end of my emailed questions, Bu Country and the experience they provided were a pleasure indeed. Kind things, and much appreciated things, done by Elton, our guide ... bringing a pristine Cabo Verde flag for fun precipice photos ... including laminated maps and photos to aid our understanding of Cabo Verde as we motored to our destinations ... picking, peeling, and serving the freshest tamarind possible ... climbing a tree and serving us delicious mango, sending a second along with us ... not rushing us at all, turning a four hour tour into six because Elida was very slow on the rocky path ... not cutting anything from our itinerary when he easily could have skipped many things once back to civilisation with the slow rocky path behind us ... caring for Elida and all of us at every step ... and smartly sending his co-guide Lucas along with two others on the tour who were not keen to go so slowly and had an appointment back on the ship. From start to finish it is hard to imagine our day being any better.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Koreen_b
Apr 6, 2025
Wonderful valley hike and tour of the first town of Cape Verde - Great hike with a great guide. Beautiful views and rich history. Guide had good knowledge of the area and the driver was very accommodating and safe. Appreciated their flexibility.
Review provided by Viator
Danielg852
Feb 10, 2025
Calabaceira - We did this hike through the Calabaceira (Baobab Valley) with Catia and it was worth it. It was very nice, we saw many plants and animals and the arrival at Cidade Velha was wonderful. After a break there we visited the fort. Very pleasant and personable people at Bu Country Tours. Good contact, reliable. Everything worked out fine.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kuhni67
Oct 16, 2024
Hiking through a green valley - We had a very nice tour with our guide Ricardo. He told us a lot about the valley and the flora and fauna.
The tour was very well organized, we were picked up from the hotel and brought back after the tour.
A clear Recommendation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lolak556
Sep 26, 2024
Great half day out - We had a great time with Ailton hiking the Calabaceira Valley - absolutely amazing! He is lovely and gave us lots of information and history on the way about the plants and wildlife, the region and Cape Verde in general. He patiently answered our many questions. The 400-year old baobab tree is incredible. Cidade Velha and the fort are interesting places to explore - we spent less time there at the end. Nilton was friendly and drove us around. The hike and tour starts early but finishes around midday/lunchtime, leaving you with the rest of the day to do other things. Alex was kind enough to arrange it for us last minute. Would definitely recommend this tour company!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lvlue
Dec 10, 2023
Great - Everything was awesome from the start to the end. We had a good walk and a lot of interesting conversations. Some history, some monkeys, some good food.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
558franziskab
Nov 14, 2023
A great hike in the Calabaceira Valley - The hike through the Calabaceria Valley was very beautiful.
The flora and fauna and the great explanations made this hike unique.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mariang1774rr
Jun 20, 2023
Awesome Trek - it was another fun and interesting day in the company of Christianne and Ailton. Both explained about the plants and orchids of the island while walking down to the baobab tree which is over 500 years old. We ended our journey with a surprise cake from our amazing guides for the birthday of one of us. What a thoughtful touch. I recommend Bu Country Tours for anyone big or small visiting Cabo Verde.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
