Aluguers are one of the most useful ways to travel between towns and villages in Cape Verde.

For visitors, the word is commonly used for shared vans, minibuses and similar vehicles carrying passengers along local and inter-town routes. You may also hear Hiace or colectivo.

They are inexpensive and widely used, but the experience can feel unfamiliar the first time you use one.

There may be no useful timetable online. The departure point may be somewhere everybody locally knows rather than a terminal with large signs. On some routes, a vehicle waits for enough passengers before leaving. Along the way, people may get on and off.

For a straightforward journey, the essentials are practical:

Go earlier. Carry CVE. Ask where it leaves. Confirm colectivo or private. Plan the return before a point-to-point hike.

Quick Answer: Using an Aluguer in Cape Verde

Question	Practical answer
What is an aluguer?	In traveller usage, usually a shared van or minibus used for local and inter-town transport
What should I ask for?	Colectivo is the clearest term if you want a shared seat
Where do I catch one?	At a locally known departure point or sometimes along the route
Do they have fixed timetables?	Some services do, but many shared routes are difficult to plan by exact departure time
When do they leave?	On many routes, once there is enough passenger demand
How do I pay?	CVE cash is the practical assumption
Can tourists use them?	Yes
Can I take luggage?	Generally, although available space depends on the vehicle
Do they run on Sundays?	They can, but frequency varies considerably by route
When is the easiest time to travel?	Generally during the day, with earlier travel useful on less frequent routes
Aluguer or taxi?	Shared transport for lower-cost flexible travel; private transport for precise timing or destinations

These are general patterns rather than a national timetable.

Routes, frequency and operating habits vary between islands and between individual services.

What Is an Aluguer?

The terminology deserves a little explanation.

Travellers commonly use aluguer to describe shared vans and minibuses that connect Cape Verdean towns and villages.

You may see vehicles such as:

• Toyota Hiace-type minibuses;
• vans;
• pick-ups;
• other passenger vehicles used on local routes.

Official Cape Verdean information also refers to Hiaces, Galuchos and pick-ups as part of the transport used for daily connections within the islands.

In formal transport terminology, however, Cape Verdean law distinguishes between two different ideas.

Transporte colectivo means that passengers use and pay for individual places in a vehicle.

Transporte de aluguer means that the vehicle itself is hired for the exclusive use of one customer or group.

Everyday travel language is less precise, and you may hear expressions such as aluguer colectivo used for shared vans.

If you specifically want a shared seat, colectivo is the clearest practical term.

Aluguer, Hiace or Colectivo?

Do not worry too much about finding the perfect word.

Depending on the island and the person you are speaking to, you may hear:

• aluguer;
• colectivo;
• aluguer colectivo;
• Hiace.

A visitor asking:

“Colectivo para Tarrafal?”

or simply:

“Tarrafal?”

at the correct departure area will usually make the destination clear.

You do not need fluent Portuguese or Kriolu to use an aluguer.

Knowing the destination name, showing it on your phone and confirming the fare will handle most simple journeys.

If somebody offers you a much more expensive journey than you expected, check whether the offer is for one shared seat or the whole vehicle privately.

That distinction can explain a large difference in price.

How Do Cape Verde Aluguers Work?

The basic process is usually simple.

You go to the departure point for your destination.

Ask which vehicle is going where you need to go.

Board.

Pay the appropriate fare, normally in Cape Verdean escudos.

Then travel with the other passengers using the same route.

The unfamiliar part is often the timing.

Some services have more structured schedules. Others operate with a substantial passenger-demand component.

On a busy route, vehicles may fill quickly and departures can feel frequent.

On a quieter route, a driver may wait for additional passengers before leaving.

Stops are part of the journey as people get on and off along the way.

For travellers, this makes the general operating period of a route almost as important as an exact departure time.

Are Aluguers Dependent on Passenger Demand?

Many shared services are.

The formal transport system includes regulated routes and operating structures, but passenger demand can influence the practical departure time of a Hiace or colectivo.

More passengers can mean less waiting.

This becomes particularly interesting for groups.

A common Hiace-type minibus may have roughly 12 to 15 passenger places, although vehicle capacity varies.

A couple travelling together represents only a small part of that capacity.

A group of six or eight can fill a substantial part of the vehicle.

That may shorten the wait on a demand-led service.

The driver still decides when the vehicle leaves, and the route may have other operating considerations.

For a larger group that wants a precise departure, it is worth comparing the combined price of individual colectivo seats with hiring a vehicle privately.

The price difference may become smaller than expected once several passengers are involved.

Do Aluguers Leave Only When Full?

You will often hear:

They leave when they’re full.

That describes many traveller experiences, but it is too rigid as a national rule.

Some shared services wait until there is sufficient passenger demand.

That may mean a full vehicle, or simply enough passengers for the driver to depart.

On heavily used routes, the waiting period can be very short.

On quieter routes, especially later in the day, it can take longer.

This explains why travellers can have very different experiences on the same route.

Someone arriving early may find an almost full vehicle and leave immediately.

Another passenger several hours later may need to wait.

Do Aluguers Have Timetables?

Some collective transport operates with defined routes and schedules.

Many inter-town Hiaces and colectivos are harder to plan using an exact departure time.

For those journeys, three pieces of information are particularly useful:

1. where the vehicles leave;
2. roughly when the route operates;
3. when frequency usually starts to decrease.

Accommodation staff, local guides and people who regularly use the route can often provide current information.

This matters more when the aluguer connects with something else.

If you are simply travelling to the next town, some waiting may be unimportant.

If the journey must connect with a ferry, flight or fixed excursion, build in additional time or use more predictable transport where necessary.

Are Aluguers Reliable?

They are a normal part of daily mobility for Cape Verdean passengers.

Departure and journey times can nevertheless be difficult to predict precisely.

A route may work very well for passengers who know vehicles operate throughout the morning, while being less suitable for someone who needs to arrive somewhere at an exact minute.

Stops also affect journey time.

Passengers may leave at different points and new passengers can join.

A trip can therefore take longer than driving the same road privately without stops.

If timing is critical, allow additional margin or consider a taxi or private driver.

Where Do You Catch an Aluguer?

There is no single answer for the whole country.

Different towns have locally known departure areas for different destinations.

Several routes may leave from the same general location.

Vehicles may gather near:

• markets;
• squares;
• transport areas;
• ferry terminals;
• other locally recognised departure points.

Passengers can also join some services along the road.

At your accommodation, a useful question is:

“Where do the colectivos to Tarrafal leave?”

rather than assuming there will be a conventional bus station.

Departure points can also change, which makes recent local information more reliable than an old route description.

How Do You Know Which Vehicle to Take?

At a busy departure point, ask.

Say the destination:

“Assomada?”

“Paul?”

“Ribeira Grande?”

“Tarrafal?”

Drivers, passengers or people nearby can usually point towards the appropriate vehicle.

Some vehicles display their destination, but route signs are not something a first-time traveller should rely on exclusively.

For a less obvious destination, show the location on your phone.

Tell the driver where you need to leave the vehicle, particularly when your stop is a hotel, village, trailhead or point along the route rather than the final town.

Can an Aluguer Pick You Up Along the Route?

Often, yes.

Passengers may join a colectivo after it has left the initial departure point.

How practical this is depends on:

• available space;
• the road;
• the route;
• local operating habits;
• how frequently vehicles pass.

For a first journey, starting at the established departure point is usually easier.

You can identify the correct vehicle, confirm the fare and explain your destination before leaving.

Accommodation can sometimes help coordinate a pick-up or provide a driver’s contact.

This varies by route, so treat it as something to arrange locally rather than a guaranteed booking service.

What Time Do Aluguers Run?

There is no national closing time.

For inter-town travel, daytime is the most useful planning window, especially on routes with lower demand.

Travelling earlier gives you:

• more potential departures;
• more time to find an alternative;
• a larger margin if the vehicle takes time to fill;
• more daylight for onward travel;
• better options for returning later.

Some routes become less frequent as the afternoon progresses.

A journey that is straightforward in the morning can therefore require more patience later in the day.

Do Aluguers Run on Sundays?

They can.

Sunday frequency varies substantially by route.

Some travellers use colectivos without difficulty on Sundays. Others report significantly fewer vehicles, particularly on Santo Antão and less busy routes.

If a Sunday journey matters to your itinerary, confirm the situation locally beforehand.

This is particularly important when the aluguer must connect with:

• a ferry;
• a flight;
• a fixed activity;
• accommodation with a specific arrival requirement.

A flexible Sunday journey has more room for waiting than a connection with consequences if it runs late.

How Much Do Aluguers Cost?

Aluguers are generally inexpensive compared with taxis or private transfers.

Collective fares are generally route-based and charged per passenger.

Cape Verde regulates regular collective passenger transport, and a new ARME tariff framework approved in 2026 establishes rules for setting and updating maximum prices for regular urban and interurban collective services.

There is little benefit in publishing a full national fare table because prices can change and there are many routes.

For scale, travellers in 2026 have reported a colectivo fare of roughly 350 CVE from Porto Novo towards Paul on Santo Antão.

Treat that as an indicative, dated example rather than a guaranteed current fare.

If you do not know the fare for your route, ask before leaving.

Shared or Private? Confirm Before You Leave

This is one of the easiest misunderstandings for a first-time visitor.

Suppose you arrive at a port and ask for an “aluguer” to your accommodation.

The person you speak to may offer a vehicle exclusively for you.

What you wanted may have been a single place in the shared colectivo.

Similar vehicles can be used for both services.

The prices are very different.

If the quote seems high, ask:

“Colectivo?”

Then confirm whether the amount is:

• per passenger;
• or for the entire vehicle.

This first establishes which service is being offered before making any judgement about the price.

How Do You Pay for an Aluguer?

CVE cash is the practical assumption.

Carry smaller notes where possible.

Do not build the journey around being able to use an international card.

In some tourism contexts, a driver may accept euros, but the Cape Verdean escudo is the simplest currency for ordinary shared transport.

If several journeys take you away from the main towns, withdraw enough cash beforehand.

Our Cape Verde Currency Guide covers cards, ATMs, euros and the fixed EUR/CVE exchange rate in more detail.

Can You Take Luggage?

Generally, yes, but available space and luggage handling depend on the vehicle.

People use colectivos for everyday travel, so bags and personal belongings are normal.

Several large suitcases are a different matter from a small backpack.

Traveller reports suggest that particularly bulky luggage occupying passenger space can sometimes affect the fare, including situations where an additional seat is charged.

That should not be treated as a universal luggage tariff.

If you have substantial luggage, ask before boarding.

Families and larger groups may also find that a private vehicle becomes more practical once passenger fares and luggage space are considered together.

Using Aluguers on Santiago

Santiago is one of the islands where shared transport can be particularly useful.

Hiaces and colectivos connect Praia with towns and destinations elsewhere on the island, including places such as:

• Assomada;
• Tarrafal;
• Cidade Velha;
• settlements along the main interurban routes.

Praia also has conventional urban bus transport, so city buses and the shared vehicles used for longer journeys should not be treated as the same system.

Departure points for inter-town transport can differ according to destination and can change over time.

Recent traveller information refers to Sucupira for some services and other departure areas for particular northern routes.

The robust approach is therefore to ask where the colectivo for your destination currently leaves.

For a flexible journey, this works well.

If one day depends on several tightly timed stops across Santiago, a private driver or rental car may be more practical.

Using Aluguers on Santo Antão

Santo Antão is where shared transport becomes particularly useful for many independent travellers.

The island has no operational passenger airport, so visitors commonly arrive by ferry at Porto Novo.

Shared and private transport is commonly available around ferry arrivals in Porto Novo.

From there, travellers continue towards places such as:

• Ribeira Grande;
• Paul;
• Ponta do Sol;
• other villages and hiking areas.

Recent traveller experiences show colectivos being used successfully around the island, particularly when the traveller has some flexibility.

The practical habits are simple:

• travel during the day;
• ask where the current departure point is;
• keep CVE available;
• check the return before a long hike.

Aluguers and Hiking

This is one of the situations where shared transport can fit the itinerary particularly well.

Many Cape Verde hikes, especially on Santo Antão, are point-to-point.

You begin at A.

You walk for several hours.

You finish at B.

A rental car parked at A is now in the wrong place.

For common hiking routes, travellers may be able to:

1. take a colectivo towards the starting point;
2. walk the trail;
3. use another colectivo near the end.

This works best when the route and return transport have been checked beforehand.

Ask:

• Does a colectivo pass the finish?
• At roughly what time?
• Is Sunday different?
• Where should I wait?
• Would a private driver be more practical for this trail?

An early trailhead, remote finish or fixed return time can justify paying more for private transport.

Plan the Return Before a Point-to-Point Hike

Getting to the trail is only half of the transport problem.

Imagine starting a hike at 09:00.

The route takes five hours.

You stop for lunch.

You arrive in a small village at 16:00.

The useful transport may be much less frequent by then.

Before starting, identify at least one realistic way back.

That might be:

• a colectivo;
• a taxi;
• a driver arranged by your accommodation;
• a pre-arranged pick-up;
• walking to another transport point.

A local guide becomes particularly useful when the question is whether transport will be available at the end of that particular route, around the time you expect to arrive.

Aluguer or Taxi?

Both have a place.

	Colectivo	Taxi or private driver
Cost	Lower	Higher
Departure	Depends on route and passenger demand	Arranged for you
Journey	May include stops	Usually direct
Door-to-door	Sometimes	Usually
Timing	Less precise	Much more predictable
Best for	Normal inter-town travel	Tight schedules or specific places
Hiking	Useful on suitable common routes	Better for remote or precise trailheads
Large group	Can remain economical	Whole vehicle may become competitive

Group size can change the calculation.

If eight people each pay for a collective seat, compare the total with the price of a private vehicle.

The private option may cost more, but it also provides:

• control over departure time;
• direct travel;
• luggage space;
• a specific pick-up and drop-off.

That trade-off looks different for eight travellers than for one.

Aluguer or Rental Car?

A rental car gives you control over:

• departure time;
• stops;
• route;
• luggage;
• spontaneous detours.

It also brings:

• rental cost;
• driving responsibility;
• parking;
• unfamiliar roads;
• the need to return to the vehicle.

That last point matters for hiking.

A car works naturally for a circular journey.

It can be inconvenient for a trail that finishes many kilometres from the starting point.

On Santo Antão, recent travellers report both approaches working well: some prefer colectivos and taxis for point-to-point walking, while others value a rental car when accommodation and activities lie away from the main transport corridors.

Your accommodation location and planned activities matter more than a universal rule.

Are Aluguers Suitable for Families or Groups?

Yes, although the calculation changes as the group becomes larger.

A family of four already occupies several seats.

A group of seven or eight can fill a substantial part of a typical Hiace.

On a demand-led route, that may reduce the waiting time.

At the same time, a larger group has more reasons to request a private quote:

• collective fares add up;
• luggage takes space;
• everyone wants to leave together;
• a precise departure may matter;
• accommodation may sit away from the normal route.

Ask for both options when appropriate.

The extra cost of a private vehicle can become relatively small once divided among several travellers.

Are Aluguers Safe?

Aluguers form part of ordinary Cape Verdean passenger transport, and the sector is formally regulated.

Road conditions, vehicles and driving environments vary around the islands.

Mountain roads can feel particularly exposed to travellers unfamiliar with them.

The broader questions of road safety, emergency assistance and travel risk belong in our guide to Cape Verde travel safety.

For this article, the practical point is simpler: choose transport appropriate to the journey, especially when the road, timing or destination makes a private driver more useful.

What About Other Islands?

Shared local and inter-town transport also exists beyond Santiago and Santo Antão.

Its importance varies with:

• island size;
• settlement pattern;
• route demand;
• tourism infrastructure;
• availability of taxis or buses.

There is little value in trying to memorise a national network before travelling.

Once you reach your accommodation, ask how people normally travel to the next place you want to visit.

On a common route, a colectivo may be the straightforward answer.

For somewhere remote or at an awkward time, a driver may make more sense.

A Practical Aluguer Checklist

Before setting off:

• Go earlier on routes where frequency is uncertain.
• Carry CVE cash.
• Ask where the vehicle for your destination currently leaves.
• Confirm colectivo or private if the service or price is unclear.
• Ask the fare before departure if you do not know it.
• Tell the driver your destination, especially if you need to leave before the final stop.
• Ask about large luggage when space may be an issue.
• Check Sunday availability when the journey matters to the itinerary.
• Plan your return before a point-to-point hike.
• Allow more time when you must connect with a ferry, flight or fixed activity.

Where Local Knowledge Helps

Aluguers are exactly the kind of transport where local knowledge can remove small but consequential uncertainties.

Your accommodation, guide or travel agent may know:

• where the current departure point is;
• which part of the morning works best;
• whether a Sunday route is likely to have fewer options;
• where to change vehicles;
• whether the colectivo passes near your accommodation;
• whether a private transfer makes more sense;
• how to reach a trailhead;
• what transport is available at the end of a hike.

In some cases, they may also be able to call a driver or provide a useful WhatsApp contact.

Local knowledge is most useful when it helps match the transport to a specific day, route and activity.

Need Help With a Route That Uses Local Transport?

If your itinerary depends on aluguers, ferries or specific hiking transfers, a local Cape Verde travel expert can help check where the connections fit naturally and where a private transfer may save time or uncertainty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an aluguer in Cape Verde?

In traveller usage, an aluguer often means a van, minibus or similar vehicle used for local and inter-town travel.

Cape Verdean formal transport terminology distinguishes between collective transport and hiring an entire vehicle.

If you want a shared seat, colectivo is the clearest practical term.

Is a Hiace the same as an aluguer?

Hiace refers to a type of minibus commonly used for passenger transport.

Travellers may call the service a Hiace, colectivo or aluguer depending on the context.

Other types of vehicles can also be used.

Do Cape Verde aluguers have timetables?

It depends on the service.

Some collective transport operates with defined routes and schedules.

Many shared inter-town journeys are easier to plan using a general operating period and current local information rather than relying on an exact online departure time.

Do aluguers leave when full?

Many shared vehicles wait for enough passengers before leaving.

That may mean a full vehicle or simply sufficient demand for the driver to depart.

Waiting time varies according to route, time of day and passenger demand.

How many passengers fit in an aluguer?

There is no single capacity because different vehicles are used.

A common Hiace-type minibus may carry roughly 12 to 15 passengers.

Does having a large group make an aluguer easier?

It can.

A group of six or eight occupies a substantial proportion of a typical Hiace, which may shorten waiting on a demand-led route.

Large groups should also compare the combined collective fare with hiring a vehicle privately.

How much do aluguers cost?

Fares depend on the route and are generally charged per passenger.

Collective transport is normally much cheaper than hiring a private taxi or vehicle.

Ask the current fare locally rather than relying on an old price table.

How do you pay for an aluguer?

CVE cash is the practical assumption.

Carry smaller notes and do not depend on being able to pay with an international card.

Do aluguers run on Sundays?

They can, but frequency varies by route and may be considerably lower on some services.

Confirm locally when a Sunday connection is important.

Can I take luggage on an aluguer?

Generally, yes.

Available space and handling depend on the vehicle. Large luggage occupying passenger space can sometimes affect the fare.

Can tourists use aluguers without speaking Portuguese?

Yes.

You do not need fluent Portuguese or Kriolu for a simple journey. Knowing the destination name, showing it on your phone and confirming the fare will handle most situations.

Are aluguers good for travelling around Santo Antão?

Yes, particularly for flexible travellers and hikers.

They connect many of the island’s main towns and can be useful for point-to-point walks where a rental car would otherwise remain at the starting point.

Is an aluguer better than a taxi?

It depends on the journey.

Colectivos cost less and work well for normal routes. A taxi or private driver gives you more control over departure time, stops and exact destination.