Fortaleza Real de São Filipe

Cabo Verde


For sweeping views, take the curving trail up to this dramatic cliff-side fort built in 1593. A 15-minute film in English and Portuguese gives an overview of the history of the fort and Cidade Velha.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cabo Verde attractions

1. São Francisco Monastery & Church

0.21 MILES

Complete with Gothic portals and walls covered in azulejo tiles, this once imposing monastery is worth a look, and is reached along a marked trail that…

3. Mercado de Sucupira

6.22 MILES

It's well worth taking a stroll through this bustling food market in the Platô.

4. Sala-Museu Amilcar Cabral

6.26 MILES

This small museum and foundation is dedicated to preserving the memory of freedom fighter Amilcar Cabral (1924–73). Photographs and other memorabilia shed…

5. Farol Dona Maria Pia

6.28 MILES

Built in 1881 and named after a Portuguese queen, this wind-battered lighthouse provides a scenic vantage point for views across the coastline.

6. Museu Etnográfico de Praia

6.33 MILES

This small museum has a tiny collection of traditional Cabo Verdean artefacts (pottery, textiles and baskets), plus a few treasures hauled up from the…

7. Parque Natural Serra da Malagueta

19 MILES

Parque Natural Serra da Malagueta encompasses the dramatic, tumbling ridges 15 minutes' drive back along the road to Praia. There are a number of…

8. Tarrafal Concentration Camp

25.25 MILES

On the main highway about 1km before the centre of Tarrafal is the ominous former Tarrafal Concentration Camp. Here Portuguese authorities used to hold…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "cabo-verde/cidade-velha/attractions/fortaleza-real-de-sao-filipe/a/poi-sig/1355796/1327555",
      "destination": "Cabo-Verde",
      "continent": "Africa",
      "country": "Cabo-Verde",
      "position": "superzone"
    }