Presidential Palace, Praia

The Presidential Palace crowns the Plateau, the historic upper town of Praia and administrative heart of Cape Verde. Built in the late nineteenth century as the governor's residence during Portuguese rule, its pastel neoclassical facade and shuttered windows overlook the ocean from the cliff-top district. The building now serves as the official seat of the country's president. Surrounded by colonial-era squares, ministries and the old town's grid of streets, it embodies the islands' transition from colonial outpost to independent republic.