The main local culinary speciality is cachupa , a mess of maize and beans. Soft drinks are expensive.
Some hotels provide evening entertainment.
Small villages will have a lively taverna. Praia has a cultural centre at which local Cape Verdean artists and instrumentalists perform. The Santa Catarina market is held Wednesday and Saturday. Many Saints' days are celebrated all over the islands, and towns and villages have their own local festivals. May 2001 Festa de Santa Cruz.