Praia means "beach" in Portuguese, but it is a plateau that welcomes travellers. Cape Verde's capital was built on a table of volcanic rock overlooking the Atlantic, in the south of Santiago Island. Ships dock at Porto da Praia, about two kilometres from the centre; a short ride by taxi or shuttle is enough to reach the Plateau, the perched historic quarter that sets the rhythm of the day.

The Plateau, a balcony over the ocean

Up there, streets cross at right angles between colonial buildings in ochre and blue. Praça Alexandre Albuquerque, shaded and paved with mosaics, marks its centre, facing the Church of Nossa Senhora da Graça and the official buildings from the Portuguese era. The municipal market, a few streets away, overflows with papayas, bananas and fish pulled from the Atlantic that very morning. From the lookouts lining the cliff, the view opens onto the coastline, the rooftops of the lower town and the islet of Santa Maria set in the harbour.

Sucupira, the great bazaar

Below the upper town, the Sucupira market is worth the detour for anyone who enjoys African atmospheres: fabrics, music cassettes, spices, school uniforms and sweet potatoes are sold there in a cheerful jumble of umbrellas. This is where the capital's daily pulse beats, far from any tourist circuit. You hear Cape Verdean Creole, bargain with a smile and meet vendors who have come from all over Santiago Island.

Cidade Velha, the Creole cradle

The day's star excursion leads about a dozen kilometres west to Cidade Velha, the first European colonial town built in the tropics and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the valley, Rua Banana lines up its stone houses with thatched roofs; on the square, the 16th-century pillory bluntly recalls the archipelago's slave-trading past, as a hub of the Atlantic slave trade. Above the town, the Royal Fortress of São Filipe still watches over the bay where galleons once called. Praia's taxis make the round trip in half a day; organized excursions often add a French- or English-speaking guide.

Flavours and music of the archipelago

Before heading back down to the terminal, a meal is a must: cachupa, the national stew of corn and beans, grilled fish of the day or small fried pastels. Grogue, a sugar cane spirit distilled on the island, accompanies the local coffee for the most curious. And everywhere, in the background, morna and coladeira — the nostalgic music that the late Cesária Évora made known around the world — drift out of terraces and record shops.

Tips between plateau and shore

• Negotiate or confirm taxi fares before getting in; rides to Cidade Velha are easily bargained.
• The Cape Verdean escudo is pegged to the euro; euro banknotes are often accepted, with change given in escudos.
• The sun beats down hard on the upper town: a hat and water are essential, even when the trade wind is cool.
• For a quick swim, the small cove of Quebra Canela, popular with families from the capital, is a few minutes from the centre by taxi.

As the lines are cast off, many look back for a long time at the cliff and its colourful houses receding. Praia has neither the beach-resort gentleness of Sal nor the theatrical mountains of Santo Antão; it has something else: the memory of a crossroads where Africa and Europe met, for better and for worse, and where a Creole culture was born that still sings. Anyone who has heard a morna at sunset on Santiago will not soon forget it.