Tarrafal

A small town at the northern tip of Santiago island, Tarrafal sits beside a sheltered bay with calm, warm water suited to swimming and is one of the most pleasant beach destinations on Santiago. The town is also known for the Tarrafal concentration camp, a colonial-era prison where Portuguese political detainees were held under the Estado Novo regime, now preserved as a museum. The surrounding coastline has tide pools and accessible reef snorkeling from the beach.