Hitchhiking in Cabo Verde. Spring 2025

Cabo Verde may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of hitchhiking, but during our month exploring the archipelago, we managed to thumb about 100 kilometers across three islands: Sal, São Vicente and Santo Antão. Almost every driver who stopped to pick us up was a local, with the exception of one Ukrainian couple and one Italian family. Remarkably, we only once had to wait more than half an hour; most of the rides came within ten minutes or less. The majority of our hitchhiking adventures took place over two weeks on the mountainous island of Santo Antão. Here's a snapshot of some of the most memorable rides we experienced.

• On Sal, we hitchhiked to Salinas and back, navigating the stark, arid landscape where fierce winds kicked up sand into the hot air, making the journey feel raw and elemental.

• The unforgettable ride to the Amílcar Cabral airport stands out as one of the best hitchhiking experiences I’ve ever had—short but epic.

• On São Vicente, luck was on our side again when a local couple gave us a lift to the airport and brought us there early enough to enjoy a few restful hours before our flight.

• But it was on Santo Antão where the most unexpected and fantastic rides happened. During one of our toughest hikes, a kind driver helped us bypass the steepest section, turning a grueling climb into a manageable adventure. The longest and most scenic ride took us from Ribeira Grande up to Pico da Cruz, from where we then hiked down 1,500 meters back to the coast—a strenuous descent after a relaxed drive.

We were asked for money only once, and even then in a rather unusual way. One Saturday morning, we decided to hitchhike from Ribeira Grande to Sinagoga to swim in the natural pools. Although the sea was too rough to get close to the water, we enjoyed a peaceful time sitting on the shore, feeling the gentle splashes on our skin. On the way back, a retired Portuguese professor picked us up. He spent the ride bragging about his comfortable life as a government employee and then suddenly offered us a taxi service, which we politely declined. That didn't stop him though from taking us all the way to our destination.

Believe it or not, we also had a regular driver who was our neighbor in Ribeira da Torre. He generously offered us several rides into town and back to our guesthouse. He had a small truck for his daily 8 a.m. commute to work and a regular car for shopping in Ribeira Grande. He told us he had five children, one his daughters worked as an obstetrician in the United States. But he himself had never emigrated and had lived in the same hillside house all his life.

All in all, hitchhiking in Cabo Verde was surprisingly easy. The locals were warm and welcoming, the waits were short, and, as always, the rides provided not only transportation, but also a glimpse into life on different islands.