The Complete List of Historical Places in Cape Verde

Cape Verde’s islands hold layers of history carved by maritime trade, colonial rule, and local culture — from coastal forts and convents to labor camps and urban centers. Walking these sites reveals shifts in architecture, religion, and social life across different islands and centuries, and they’re best appreciated with a sense of place and timeline.

There are 28 Historical Places in Cape Verde, ranging from Convento de São Francisco to Tarrafal Concentration Camp. For each entry you’ll find below Location (island/city), Era (century or year), Significance (max 15 words) to help you compare age, context, and why each site matters.

How were the sites on this list chosen?

The list focuses on places with documented historical importance — architectural, social, or political — referenced in official records, heritage surveys, or widely cited research; selection aims to balance geographic spread across islands and notable eras.

Can I visit these places and how should I plan?

Many are publicly accessible but opening hours and preservation status vary; check local tourism sites or municipal offices, plan island travel in advance, and allow time for guided visits where available.

Historical Places in Cape Verde

Images and Descriptions

Forte Real de São Filipe

Stand above Cidade Velha on Santiago. Build in the late 16th century by the Portuguese. Serve as the main coastal defence against pirates and rival fleets. Present as dramatic stone ruins with wide sea views. Include for its clear link to colonial military history and UNESCO themes.

Sé Catedral Ruins

Remain in Cidade Velha as the ruined cathedral of the 16th century. Mark early Catholic presence and colonial administration. Show thick walls, arches and partial nave. Offer insight into town life under Portuguese rule and slave-trade history.

Pelourinho

Mark the pillory in the main square of old colonial towns. Date to the 16th–18th centuries in Cape Verde. Symbolize municipal justice and the colonial order. Stand as a small carved stone column in plaza settings and a focal point for historic-city tours.

Rua Banana

Serve as a colorful, historic street in a Cape Verde port town, often cited in Mindelo. Show typical colonial-era houses and lively street life. Offer a narrow, photogenic route that reflects urban daily life and local culture.

Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário

Root in Cidade Velha as one of the oldest churches in Cape Verde. Date to the 15th–16th centuries. Exhibit simple colonial masonry and religious art traces. Represent early missionary work and community worship in the islands.

Convento de São Francisco

Function as a colonial convent complex linked to Franciscan friars. Date to the 16th–18th centuries. Include cloister ruins and stone construction. Illustrate religious, educational and social roles in colonial Cape Verde.

Tarrafal Concentration Camp

Locate in Tarrafal on Santiago. Open in 1936 as a political prison under the Portuguese Estado Novo. Hold anti-fascist and independence activists. Preserve barracks, cells and memorial displays. Include for its weighty 20th-century political history and human-rights lessons.

Plateau (Historic Center)

Form the historic heart of Praia on Santiago. Contain colonial government buildings, grand promenades and public squares. Feature late 19th- to early 20th-century architecture. Serve as the civic and cultural center of the capital.

Palácio Presidencial

Stand on the Plateau in Praia as a landmark government residence. Show formal colonial architecture and official gardens. Represent continuity from colonial administration to the independent state. Present photo opportunities from the exterior and square.

Quartel Jaime Mota

Act as a prominent military barracks and historic building in the capital. Link to 20th-century military and political events. Offer strong architectural lines and urban presence. Include for its civic and social role in modern Cape Verde history.

Farol de D. Maria Pia

Perch on a coastal headland on São Vicente near Mindelo. Date to the 19th century. Serve as a navigational beacon for ships and as a seafaring landmark. Present an elegant lighthouse tower and sweeping ocean views for photos.

Museu Etnográfico da Praia

Stand in Praia as a local ethnographic museum. Contain objects, costumes and tools that show daily life and traditional crafts. Present clear context for social history and cultural continuity in Cape Verde society.

Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace

Function as a major Catholic church in Praia with 19th- to 20th-century roots. Serve as an active worship site and architectural landmark. Present a stately façade and nave that reflect religious life in the capital.

Historic Center of São Filipe

Form the colonial core of São Filipe on Fogo. Contain narrow streets, volcanic-stone houses and town squares. Show 18th- and 19th-century urban fabric shaped by trade and eruptions. Include for its intact colonial townscape and island identity.

Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora da Conceição

Serve as the main parish church in São Filipe. Date back to the colonial era. Feature a baroque-influenced façade and central bell tower. Act as a focal point for religious festivals and local history.

Museu Municipal de São Filipe

Present local history and cultural collections in São Filipe, Fogo. Hold artifacts on volcanic eruptions, colonial life and local crafts. Offer accessible exhibits that explain island history and community resilience.

Palácio do Povo

Stand as a civic palace in a major Cape Verde town. Show colonial public architecture and ceremonial halls. Host cultural events and serve as an emblem of municipal governance and social life.

Mercado Municipal de Peixe

Occupy a waterfront market in a port town such as Mindelo. Offer daily fish trade and lively market scenes. Reflect coastal economies and food traditions. Provide strong photo subjects of fish stalls and fishermen.

Fortim d’El-Rei

Perch in a coastal town as a small Portuguese fort. Date to the 18th or 19th century. Protect harbors and settlements. Present compact ramparts and a commanding view of the bay. Include for local defensive architecture.

Eugénio Tavares House-Museum

Stand in Nova Sintra on Brava as the birthplace and house-museum of poet Eugénio Tavares. Preserve personal items, manuscripts and local memorabilia. Represent literary heritage and Creole cultural pride.

Forte Duque de Bragança Ruins

Remain as the ruined site of a Portuguese coastal fort from early colonial centuries. Show fragmented walls and strategic sea-facing positions. Illustrate maritime defence systems and colonial rivalry along Cape Verde coasts.

Igreja de São Roque

Exist as a colonial parish church dedicated to Saint Roch. Feature modest baroque or neoclassical elements. Serve historic towns as a center for worship and community rituals. Include for its religious and architectural heritage.

Curral Velho Ruins

Lie on Boa Vista as the abandoned settlement of Curral Velho. Contain old stone houses and collapsed structures near the shore. Show patterns of abandonment, seasonal life and traditional fishing economies.

Forte de São José

Act as another example of a coastal fortification from the Portuguese era. Show bastions, cannon positions and harbour control points. Represent the network of forts that defended trade routes and settlements.

Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Luz

Serve as a main parish church named for Our Lady of Light. Exhibit colonial-era construction and central religious functions. Anchor town ritual life and annual festivals tied to local identity.

Salinas de Pedra de Lume

Occupy a volcanic crater on Sal island used for salt extraction since the 18th century. Contain saline ponds, old warehouses and machinery. Provide stark, photogenic landscapes and trace economic history of salt production.

Seminário-Liceu de São Nicolau

Stand on São Nicolau as a historic seminary-turned-school complex. Date to the late 19th or early 20th century. Reflect education, religion and elite formation on the island. Present notable colonial architecture and civic importance.

Sinagoga Ruins

Remain as the traces of a synagogue once used by Jewish merchants and families. Show foundations or partial walls in port towns. Reveal lesser-known threads of Cape Verdean multicultural history and long-distance trade ties.

Historical Places in Other Countries