Cidade Velha

Established in the 1460s as the first European colonial settlement in sub-Saharan Africa, Cidade Velha on Santiago island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving the remains of the original town including Forte Real de São Filipe and the oldest intact colonial street in the tropics, Rua Banana. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, partially ruined, dates to 1495 and is one of the oldest European churches in Africa. The site sits above a small beach and fishing harbor still active today.