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The Ilha do Santiago (St.James Island) is the largest of the archipelago with an area of 991 square kilometres. It is approximately 50 kms long by about 25 kms wide. Its highest point, the Pico do Santo Antonio, is a twin peak that protrudes 1392 metres (4567 feet) from the landscape like a canine tooth. In 1456, navigators under the service of the Portuguese crown discovered Santiago, Maio and Boa Vista Islands. All the islands were then uninhabited. Prince Henry "the Navigator", son of King D.Joao I of Portugal, ordered the exploration of the newly-discovered islands to be undertaken by the Genovese navigator, Antonio de Noli, who established a fortified settlement in 1462 at Ribeira Grande (today named Cidade Velha) at the southern end of Santiago Island. For the next few centuries, Santiago was Cape Verde, the other islands, except for Fogo, remained unexplored or were exploited merely for salt or grazing as they are not so well naturally endowed with water or fertile soil.
Cidade Velha was the first European city to be built in the tropics. In 1533, a cathedral was built and Santiago was created a diocese. During its heyday in the 15th and 16th centuries, it was then a wealthy and unique strategic entrepot for the routes connecting Europe, Africa, the Americas and India, acting as a repository for replenishment of ships in water and fresh goods and also slaves destined to the plantations in the Americas. An old fort (the Fortaleza de São Filipe) still stands proudly protecting the cathedral ruins in the town below from pirate attack such as by Sir Francis Drake in 1585. Gradually, other settlements were created around Santiago Island such as Sao Domingos, Assomada, Tarrafal, Pedra Badejo and Calheta.
Development of the present capital, Cidade da Praia (located 13 kms east of Cidade Velha at Praia da Santa Maria), began just after the sacking of Cidade Velha in 1712 by the Frenchman, Jacques Cassart, and in 1770 it was officially declared the capital of the Islands receiving status as a city in 1852. Praia currently has a population of about 110,000. The old centre of Praia sits on top of a basaltic plateau overlooking the bay with old colonial buildings, squares, gardens, pavements, including the Presidential Palace (once the Governor's building) and old fort with cannon adjoining. There are currently only two international standard hotels in Praia (Tropico and Praia-Mar) totalling about 200 rooms and several good restaurants, bars and night clubs. Praia provides some lively Italian, French, Brazilian and Chinese restaurants as well as some up-market Cape Verdean restaurants justifiably proud of their local cuisine and culture, providing live musicians.
Santiago Island offers spectacular mountainous scenery, white sandy beaches and lush plantations filled with banana, sugar cane, papaya, mango, date and coconut palms. The craggy mountainous interior offers deep verdant valleys planted with corn and sugar cane plus a surprisingly wide variation of vegetables, hence the Island is known as the bread basket of the archipelago. The region of Sao Jorge has a botanical garden full of indigenous species surrounded by a forest of eucalyptus trees and nearby is perhaps the biggest baobab tree in the world.
A new international airport at Praia costing US$30 million will offer, from March 2005, a second air gateway into Cape Verde (besides Sal Island) for direct flights from northern Europe on mid-sized jets (such as Boeing 757 and Airbus 320). For more information regarding flights and Santiago's enviable warm and sunny climate please see the 'About Cape Verde' section.
The Agostinho Neto Hospital in Praia is one of the best in West Africa providing specialists and equipment in most fields. There are also several private health clinics, dentists, opticians and pharmacies. No vaccinations are required for entry into Cape Verde (unless if entering from Africa) and visitor's visas can be purchased on arrival for around 23 Euros. International telecommunications are high standard also providing connection to the Internet and cellular phone connection providing international roaming to most European service providers.
Please
go to the Images page within the 'About Cape Verde' section to find a collection
of photographs showing the beauty and the different faces of Santiago Island.