Cape Verde cultural tour: a week in Tarrafal

The tour

Set among mountains, valleys and beaches, the village of Tarrafal is the base for this week devoted to the traditions and everyday life of Cape Verde. Each day you pick up a little more Kriolu, the language most people speak here, so you can chat with locals more easily.

The rest of the time is hands-on: traditional pottery, rooted in West and Central African crafts, weaving with coconut and palm leaves, bracelets to take home, and cachupa, the islands' signature dish. You also visit the museum and the former Tarrafal concentration camp, São José chapel and farmland worked with methods adapted to scarce water, and you go out to sea with local fishermen.

It suits travellers, on their own, with friends or as a family, who want to experience Cape Verde authentically and responsibly, close to the people who live there.

What makes it different

Kriolu lessons throughout the week
Pottery, weaving and bracelet-making workshops
Learning to cook cachupa
Fishing trips with Tarrafal’s fishermen
A visit to the former Tarrafal concentration camp

Day by day

Monday: Getting to know Tarrafal

An introduction to Cape Verdean traditions and culture, then a walking tour of the village to find the shops and cash machines. Visits to the museum, the former Tarrafal concentration camp and the market. After lunch, a bracelet-making session at the market.

Tuesday: Kriolu, pottery and fishing

Your first Kriolu class, then a traditional clay pottery workshop and a visit to São José chapel. In the afternoon, artisanal fishing and snorkelling with local fishermen.

Wednesday: Cachupa

A cooking lesson to learn how to make cachupa, the islands' best-known dish, then a second Kriolu class covering everyday words.

Thursday: Weaving

An hour of Kriolu to start building sentences, then a weaving workshop using coconut and palm leaves to make hats and baskets.

Friday: Fishing and farmland

A last Kriolu class, then a fishing trip with local fishermen. A visit to farmland to see how growers cope with volcanic terrain and scarce water. For those staying on, a visit to the project that starts the following Monday.

The programme may change depending on the weather and local conditions.

On site

Accommodation

Accommodation in a shared house in Tarrafal for the whole week.

Meals

Three meals a day on weekdays and two at weekends; lunches are served at the centre.

Arrival

Airport pick-up and transfer to Tarrafal are included; the return transfer is not. The programme starts on Monday morning.

Included

Airport welcome and transfer
Accommodation in a shared house
Meals (three a day on weekdays, two at weekends)
All activities in the programme
24/7 support and supervision

Not included

Flights
Travel and repatriation insurance
Return transfer

Cultural tour in Cape Verde