The main language spoken is Portuguese; however, French and Creole are spoken too. Island life is very relaxing here and nobody seems to be in a rush, which is perfect for those looking for a relaxing vacation.

If you’re hoping to try local Cape Verde food, read on to find out where to eat in Praia.

Most people choose to fly into Praia, the main city located on Santiago Island. Find the cheapest flights on Skyscanner.

From here you can take ferries to the surrounding islands.

Cape Verde isn’t the most affordable destination to visit, but island nations never are. In terms of booking accommodation, we found the best prices and range of options on Booking.com.

You won’t find many budget hotel options in Praia, but here are the properties that offer the best value.

I’d recommend you stay in the city centre as this is where everything happens and it’s also where you’ll find fresh food markets and the best food options.

Cost of Taxi From Praia Airport to Hotel

All taxis from the airport to the city centre are set at a tariff of 1000 Escudo ($10), which is expensive for such a short ride. The distance isn’t very far at all and the ride only takes around 7 min or so.

Withdraw some currency from the ATM at the airport upon arrival so you have the cash for the taxi driver.

Alternatively, both EUR and USD are widely accepted here, so you may be able to pay with these currencies until you can exchange cash at the bank.

NOTE: When you do exchange cash at the bank, your passport is required and a printed copy of your departure flights too. A commission fee of 5 EUR is charged to you to exchange cash.

How to Get Around in Praia

Local buses are easy to take and bus stops are easily located on the side of the road. A ride costs 42 escudo (0.42c). Buses are quite new and comfortable. During peak times, expect buses to be very full. Pay the driver when you get on, and try to have small notes or change.

Minivans – You’ll find new, white minivans around town – locals take these around the island. You can see where they are going from the sign in the window, you can just hail them to stop for you. It helps if you speak/read  Portuguese or French.

Taxis – Cream-coloured taxis are everywhere and they’re affordable –for example; to take a taxi from Platô to Achada de Santo António, the cost is about CVE 250. Taxis will charge more after 8 pm.

It’s recommended to always take a taxi at night in Praia, even for just a short distance. Be especially cautious in the Achada de Santo António area, as crime rates are rising here.

Where to Stay in Praia

During our visit to Praia, we stayed at the Hotel Santa Maria. This hotel is in an incredible location, right in the centre of town, the area is called Plato.

It’s also a great area to try some excellent Cape Verde food.

We chose to stay here because of the excellent location and because of the rave reviews. A twin/double room costs approximately 50 euros per night; we reserved our room on Booking.com.

The rate includes cable TV, A/C, great wifi and a fabulous breakfast.

This includes scrambled eggs, chorizo, ham, cheese, fresh bread rolls, pastries, fruit salad and yoghurt. Several types of juice plus tea and coffee are available too.

The room was exceptionally clean, had comfortable beds and linen and it was very quiet too. All of the staff at the hotel were very friendly and helpful.

If there is no availability at the above hotel (as it is very popular), the next best option would be Plateau Bedroom & Chambre , which is located only two minutes walk away.

Booking.com is an easy-to-use search engine. It offers the best selection of accommodation available all over the world. We find they offer the lowest prices and no fees. Our Tip: Search by price, and filter by best reviews.

Where to Eat in Praia 

By far, the best value meals available in Praia are the ‘Menu of the Day’. You don’t have to look too far for great Cape Verde food.

Look for small eateries with signs at the front of the restaurant listing what they have and for what price.

Most lunch menus will cost between 300-400 Escudo, about USD 3-4.

Your choices will generally include the following:

Roast chicken, grilled tuna, fried whole fish or beefsteak. You can expect rice, chips, beans and salad to be served with the meat. Portions are quite generous.

Local beer – Kriola or Block Beer. A small bottle of beer will cost 100-120 escudo in a small bar or restaurant.

If you’re just after a quick cheap snack, you can find fried pastries filled with fish or meat in little eateries around town.

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Places to eat in the city centre – Plato:

The following places to eat are located near Plateau Bedroom & Chambre, so it’s very convenient to stay here.

Pastelleria- Blue Café

This was our favourite place to eat, mostly because this was one of the only places we found that offer the ‘menu of the day’ prices in the evening.  We’d eat tuna or chicken dishes here for under $4 each, which included a beer too.  It’s literally one block from our hotel.

Just turn right once you exit the hotel, walk one block and you’ll see it on your right-hand side. It’s got blue plastic tables and chairs outside.

Nhamii Ice Dreams

Delicious ice cream. The perfect way to cool down on those hot days. Located just down the road from our hotel.

Pao Quente – Bakery 

This bakery is a few minutes’ walk from where we stayed. It had bread, pastries (both sweet and savoury) and sweets. Very good value and tasty.

Mercado de Sucupira

This is the open fresh market. You can find so much fresh fruit and vegetables here, honestly the best fresh food in Cape Verde. You can also come here to eat a daily menu.

There are ladies here cooking up a storm of rice served with chicken, fish or whatever is available on the day. Affordable and filling food for sure.

If you want to try honest, home-cooked Cape Verde food, don’t miss this market. It’s our top recommendation of where to eat in Praia.

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More Great Places to Eat Cape Verde Food

Churrasqueira Dragoeiro – Great Barbequed Food

Rua da UCCLA;
This open grill in Achada de Santo António serves great BBQ meat. Order big plates of char-grilled tuna, pork, or chicken skewers and sip cold beers.

A main meal costs around CVE 600-1200.

Maracujá Cafe

Rua 19 de Maio, Chã d’Areia; (Closed Mondays)
A fusion of French and Creole cooking at this cute cafe across the road from Gamboa beach. Fresh ingredients are served here to produce crispy salads, spaghetti with seafood and delicious crepes. Expect to pay around CVE 550-900 for the main dish.

Kebra Cabana – Located at Quebra-Canela beach

Beach bar with chilled tunes and a good vibe. Find great food here and don’t miss the live music on Friday nights.

Order grilled seafood, burgers, sandwiches or delicious crepes. A good place to enjoy the sunset with a cool drink or cocktail. Main meals between CVE 450-120.

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I hope you have enjoyed reading about what to eat in Praia. Cape Verde’s food was some of the tastiest we ate on our big adventure to visit every country in the world.

Check out our recap of our travels in West Africa in 2019.

Travel Tips for Africa

We have many travel guides and tips for Africa – what a massive continent!

Have you ever wondered how many countries in Africa there are? 54 or 55? We cover them in depth in our ultimate Africa bucket list.

There is some delicious cuisine to be enjoyed across Africa, and these ten best African countries for food will inspire your food journey.

Check out how many of these 15 most popular foods you can taste.

If you’re wondering what they eat for breakfast in Africa, check out these 20 popular breakfast foods.

For food lovers, our Food Map of AFRICA lists the quintessential dish you need to eat in every nation!

It’s worth reading these 17 ESSENTIAL Things to know before travelling to West Africa, and our packing list for Africa may be helpful to you.

Don’t miss our recap of our travels across West Africa for even more helpful tips, and try these popular West African dishes; they’re fantastic!

You’ll need to stay connected while travelling in Africa. We recommend eSIM. It’s easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual countries in Africa, or consider a regional eSIM for Africa (which covers 36 countries)

If your travels in Africa are part of a much larger global adventure, then a Global eSIM may be the answer. It connects you in 124 countries, offering data-only eSIM and data/call/text Global eSIM. This eSIM has been a game-changer for us, and we couldn’t imagine travelling without it now.

If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour. Check out our Group Tours first for any upcoming departures in Africa, or view Tourradar for deals on group tours in Africa.

Check out our best-ever travel tips compiled from more than twenty years of experience.