PraiaGeneral Information about PraiaPraia is the capital and largest city of the island nation Cape Verde which lies in the Atlantic Ocean. Praia is situated on the Santiago Island in the Sotavento group of islands. The city centre is known as Plateau as it lies on a small plateau on the island. Praia has a population of over 90,000 people and means 'beach' in both Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole. Both of these languages are commonly spoken in Praia.
Praia's main sites include Alburquerque Square which was the old city hall and the Presidential Palace which was constructed in the late 19th century and housed the Portuguese governer. Also in Praia is the Etnografico, or Ethnographic Museum and the Monumento de Diogo Gomes, which was named after the Portuguese navigator who found the Santiago Island in 1460.
The Estadio de Varzea is the main stadium in Praia and is used for many sporting events. Estadio de Varzea is mainly used for football matches and can hold up to 8,000 people. This stadium is home to three of Cape Verde's best football clubs, Sporting, CD Travadores and Boavista. Football is the most popular sport played in Praia but there are also some well known basketball clubs.
Praia has three different types of schools: collegiates (colegio), lyceums (middle schools) and gymnasia (secondary schools). Also here are some of the most popular universities in Cape Verde, the Jean Piaget University and the University of Cape Verde. There are also many squares, beaches, churches and ports in Praia. BACK TO TOP |
TRAVEL AND BOOKING INFORMATION : 
