The capital of Cabo Verde is perched on the southernmost tip of Santiago, the first of ten islands in this alluring Atlantic archipelago. Stroll the historic main square and cavort amongst a clutch of ornate palaces and colonial buildings keeping watch over the harbour and cyan bay below. Mountainous Santiago unfolds from here: the UNESCO-protected Cidade Velha, with its royal fortress, scenic town square and Cabo Verde’s oldest church; the botanical gardens at Sao Domingos; and the island’s pebbly coves, black-sand beaches and the powder-white shores of Tarrafal, Santiago’s best beach.