We first visited the island of Santiago which was discovered in 1460. Praia is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde with a population of around 160,000 people. It is located on the southern coast of Santiago and is reputed to be the political, economic, and cultural center of Cape Verde. Praia has a natural harbor which was a big draw for it being a major city, plus the main part of the city sits on a plateau, some 120 feet above the sea. In fact, the main part of the city of Praia is called The Plateau. Being on the plateau gave Praia much more protection from pirate attacks which happened over time.

One historical note that I'll add is that Charles Darwin stopped here in 1823. It was the first stop on the voyage of the Beagle, and they have a plaque honoring him here.

We started our visit here with a walking tour of the Plateau. This is the historic center of Praia and includes some of the most preserved older buildings. The first building that we saw after getting off the bus was below. I don't know about the building, but the man painted on the side was the guy who initiated Cape Verde's independence, according to our local guide.

The next building is one of many buildings left over from the colonial days. Today, it's the Supreme Court of Cape Verde.

The next building is a historic building in the city center, originally built between 1823 and 1826 as a military barracks. Today is serves as the Ministry of Defense services plus houses a military museum.

The next photo is a view of Praia below the Plateau. I took this photo from the plateau.

I also took the next photo from the plateau, looking down at a beach. Praia is Portuguese for "beach." This is part of the natural harbor of Praia.

Next, we walked past the Presidential Palace. It had locked gates and armed guards so this was as close as we could get. It's in the center of the Plateau.

The last photo is the Main Square. It's the center of the Plateau and the buildings above are all very near to here. I was amazed at how clean everything was with no litter or garbage or broken vehicles. It was a very different situation from the mainland.