Barracuda, a wonderful and quite popular seafood restaurant, boasts a privileged location on the gorgeous Santa Maria beach. You can be sure that your meal will be served with the freshest seafood, caught by the local fishermen who dock their small boats right in front of the restaurant.

Another high-end restaurant in Santa Maria, Chez Pastis stands out as much for its unique location and quirky ambiance as it does for its great food and service. They take pride in serving only the highest quality Brazilian beef, though the menu includes local specialities and seafood, as well.

The Odjo d’Àgua Hotel has four dining options at its superb location at the end of Santa Maria beach. Farolin specialises in fresh fish and national dishes, such as cachupa, Esplanada Palha Verde offers pre-meal aperitifs, Esplanada Porton di nos Ilha is more of a lounge area for after dinner drinks, and Sambinha serves tropical juices, snacks and ice cream.

The Sal Beach Club is a laid-back beach establishment serving quick lunches, comfort food, great snacks, and even western-style breakfasts. It doubles as a sports bar and often screens important events on its large TVs. At night, the place really comes alive with food, music, parties, and diverse events.

Quintal da Música is a space that combines gastronomy and culture in the very centre of Praia. Typical Cape Verdean cuisine is served to the backdrop of nightly live traditional music. Nationally and internationally-renowned artists have delighted customers here with their music, an experience that keeps them coming back time and time again.

Cafe Criolo doesn't look like much more than a shack when you first catch glimpse of it, but it happens to be one of the best local restaurants on Sal. Servings are huge, prices are very reasonable, the atmosphere is vibrant and the traditional Cape Verdean dishes are of the finest quality. They also serve excellent homemade desserts and strong coffee in the afternoon.

As part of the Boutique Hotel Pescador, this restaurant is a step up in quality from most establishments in the country, in terms of ambience and quality on par with fine dining at any great European capital. The extensive menu features always fresh fish, as well as local wines from Fogo island.

The menu at Beramar is not exactly extensive, but the dishes on offer are made to perfection, a fusion of Italian, Mediterranean and seafood, always with an interesting twist. Expect high prices for high-quality food and service, as well as for the fantastic views of the sea and the lovely atmosphere.

Djunta Mo Art is one of the premier handicraft shop in Cape Verde, offering tasteful and elegant handbags, scarves, trinkets, jewellery and home decor with vibrant colours and impeccable designs. All their products are fair trade and sustainable, directly benefiting local artisans.

You might think that from the outside it looks more like a museum than a market, but it is in fact the municipal market of the city of Mindelo, a vibrant, colourful and meticulously-kept space filled wall to wall with the freshest island produce and the smiling faces selling them.

Capvertdesign+Artesanato is no ordinary souvenir shop. Within its walls you can find Cape Verdean photography and coffee table books, typical home design items and decorations, art, glasswork, and traditional musical instruments. Every product sold here has a refined and elegant taste about it, making it perhaps the best place in the country for gifts and mementos.

This fish market is a sight in itself, where fishermen sell their catch of the day and experts fillet large tuna in the back. But what is really special about this place is that you can purchase what you want from the market stalls and take them to any of the surrounding eateries to be prepared however you like, ensuring one of the freshest meals you've ever had.

At the foot of the central area of Platô in Praia stands a large market (perhaps more of an agglomeration of stalls) selling everything from clothes, shoes and accessories to furniture and home decor items, and even live farm animals. It is a colourful and lively place and always makes for an interesting visit.

At the edge of Sao Filipe's modern neighbourhood, Bila Baxo, right next to the main square of Praca Francisco de Assis, lies the city market, a lively place where visitors can purchase locally-produced products, such as cheese, coffee, wine and Cape Verde's typical exotic jams, as well as freshly-caught fish.

Praia Shopping is a modern and sleek shopping centre in the south of Praia full of all the amenities one would expect, including high-end fashion shops, department stores, cafes and restaurants, including international options.

Supermercados Calu e Angela, which has several locations throughout the city of Praia, is a large and modern supermarket that carries a host of imported international products, as well as local items and specialities, like wine, cheese and produce.