The 9 Best Santo Antão Tours & Hikes

1.Full Day Island Tour & Visit to Cova de Paúl

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 54 reviews · 7 hours · from $106Our pick

See Santo Antão’s Cova de Paúl crater, Delgadin rock towers, Ponta de Sol, Fontainhas, and the green Paúl Valley. Your guide may be Riva, Mitch Adams, Itza, Ivan, or another local guide. Lunch costs extra, and the day includes a grogue tasting.

“Super journée avec notre guide. On en a appris beaucoup sur île de Santo Antao et sur le Cap Vert. On nous a vu de magnifiques paysages et manger dans un bon petit restaurant.”

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2.Hiking Cova Volcano Crater to Ribeira Paúl

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 31 reviews · 5 hours · from $100

Walk from Cova Natural Park, high above Santo Antão, down the famous trail to Paul Valley. Your English, French, or Portuguese-speaking guide may be Lea, Maira, Edy, Ravi, or Riva. Expect crater views, steep zigzags, tropical farms, local stories, and a Grogue tasting.

“I'm Extremely disappointed with the way that Bu Country Tours handled my booking! I confirmed an updated pick up location the day before my scheduled tour, only to find out on the actual tour day that the people in the office had neglected to notify the tour guides. What resulted from that mess up was that both me and the poor tour guides (Lea and Maira) were trying in vain to locate each other via Whatsapp for 2 hours. The person from the Bu Country Tour office that I spoke to on the day kept telling me that my tour guides were gonna head back to pick me up at…”

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3.Full-Day Island Tour in Santo Antão with Lunch Included

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · from $118

Spend 7 to 9 hours touring Santo Antão with a local guide, visiting Cova Crater, Delgadinho, Ribeira Grande, Ponta do Sol, and Paul Valley. Coffee, tea, bottled water, lunch, and a short valley walk are included. The route can be adjusted to suit your group.

“Lovely quick tour around the Eastern Part of the island with super tasty lunch included. If I knew the island was this beautiful, I would have stayed longer!”

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4.Ponta do Sol & Fontainhas Guided Trip with Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 9 reviews · 6 hours · from $91Best value

Take a guided road trip and hike across Santo Antão, from colorful Ponta do Sol to Fontainhas and Praia das Aranhas. Expect ocean cliffs, volcanic paths, black sand, and a demanding walk that may last about five hours. Guides include Riva, Ruben, Gerson, Américo, and Rivaldino.

“superbe randonnée, bouclée en 4h, mais avec une grosse condition physique. Rivaldino, notre guide, super pro. A faire, sans hésitation.”

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5.Trekking Cova de Paúl Volcano Crater – Ribeira de Paúl

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $99Top rated

Join Bu Country Tours for a guided downhill trek from Cova de Paúl at 1,100 meters into Ribeira de Paúl. You’ll see crater farms, steep mountain views, plantations, and possibly a local grogue distillery. Edson is one named guide associated with the experience.

“The scenery was amazing! Edson was a great guide: he seemed to sense our pace; he was very informative. We had a wonderful lunch at a cafe he recommended. My legs were sore for days….we did it downhill, but it is frequently steep, with loose gravel over paving stones. Still, very do-able and totally worth it! Highly recommended.”

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6.Full-day Island Tour & Visit to Cova de Paúl Volcano Crater

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $106

Spend 6 to 7 hours seeing Santo Antão by road with a private guide. Visit Cova de Paúl, Delgadinho, Ponta do Sol, Fontainhas, and Paul Valley, then taste local grogue at a distillery. Guides such as Americo, Riva, and Gerson have led this tour.

“Uma ilha espectacular e indispensável para visitar. Gostamos muito do profissionalismo e amabilidade do nosso guia Gerson.”

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7.Hike Ponta do Sol – Fontainhas – Cruzinha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $91

Walk with a private guide from Ponta do Sol through Fontainhas, Corvo, Formiguinhas, and Praia das Aranhas to Cruzinha. Expect six hours of difficult hiking, steep paths, cliff views, a black-sand beach, possible swimming, and an optional picnic lunch.

“Hands down one of the most memorable outdoor experiences I've had. From the very start, our guide was welcoming, friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about the area, not just the trails, but also the local wildlife, history, and ecology. ThRead more”

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8.Hiking Day Trip to Ribeira de Torre

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 4 reviews · 6 hours · from $100

You’ll leave Ribeira Grande for a four-hour guided hike from Faja da Cima through terraces, villages, sugar cane, and fruit trees. Expect a waterfall, natural pool, and a local grogue distillery. João has guided at least one outing, and English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish are available.

“João was an excellent guide, the chat with local people, the scenary”

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9.Hike from the Cova Volcano Crater to Ribeira Paúl

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 6 hours · from $279

You’ll hike from Cova Natural Park, around 1,100 metres above sea level, down the famous trail to Paul Valley. Guides such as John and Norberto explain the plants, farms, and local life. Hotel pickup, transport, and drop-off are included, with a rum distillery visit along the way.

“O passeio como um todo foi incrível. O guia John nos buscou na nossa hospedagem e nos levou até a Cova de carro, de onde partimos numa trilha a pé durante algumas horas. O percurso todo tinhas vistas espetaculares e o guia conhecia muito bem o caminho e a natureza. Recomendamos a todos!”

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