São Filipe or San Filipi in Cape Verdean Creole, is the city that constitutes the seat of the São Filipe Municipality, in Cape Verde

Cape Verde

The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...

.

It is located SW of the island and in the southwestern part of the island. It is known for its black sand

Sand

Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...

 beach

Beach

A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...

, abundant gardens, trees, flowers, flora and its historic architecture

Architecture

Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...

 and is also home to the island's airport

Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

 located in the south, a port

Port

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

 to the north and to a prison

Prison

A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...

. The city offers a view of the neighboring island of Brava

Brava, Cape Verde

Brava is an island in Cape Verde. It is the smallest inhabited island, but at the same time the greenest, of Cape Verde, in the Sotavento group. First settled in the 1540s, its population grew after Mount Fogo on neighbouring Fogo erupted in 1675...

 to the southwest.

History

São Filipe was founded in the 16th century and is considered to be the second oldest town in Cabo Verde after Cidade de Ribeira Grande, but a town charter was not granted before 1922. In 1655 São Filipe was destroyed by Flemish pirates.

Sights

• The old city center, called Bila Baxo, is about 40 m above the sea. It is known for its colonial architecture. Since 2000, many houses have been renovated. Many houses have a colourful or richly-decorated façade, wooden balconies or bay windows. In addition to picturesque streets with smaller colonial houses there are about 50 representative mansions to be seen. São Filipe was proposed to be inscribed on the list of World Heritage Site
  World Heritage Site
  A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
  
  s because of its historic colonial buildings.

• One of the most representative buildings is the city hall (Camara Municipal) which was built in 1928. It is at a sightworthy place called Praça 12 de Setembro where a small parc and a wooden pavillon are worth a visit.

• The most important catholic church of the town is Nossa Senhora da Conceição which was built in a comparatively simple style at the end of the 19th century. The church with its two impressive clock towers was renovated several times. The last renovation was completed in 2007. Opposite the church there are several well-preserved colonial houses dating from the 18th century.

• The Market Hall is at the border of Bila Baxo to the more modern part of the city at Praca Franciso d'Assis, the busiest place. The most important bus stop and the post office are here as well.

• The Museum Casa da Memória is at Praça 12 de Setembro in a merchant's house which was built in 1820. The neighbouring house is the municipal museum (Museu Municipal). In its inner court several endemic plants of Fogo, some of which are endangered species, were planted, e.g. Crabo bravo (Erysimum caboverdiana) and Língua de vaca (Echium vulcanorum). A small house (Funco) was rebuilt in the traditional style using volcanic stones. A part of the pavement of the inner court consists of basalt
  Basalt
  Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
  
   stones.

• The historic place Praça Serpa Pinto is in the northwest of the center about 40 m above the beach Praia da Bila consisting of black volcanic sand. There are several colonial houses, monuments and a small parc. The view point Miradouro da Bila Baxo in the northern part of the place offers a beautiful view of the beach and the neighbouring island of Brava
  Brava
  Brava may refer to:*Brava, Cape Verde, a volcanic island*Brava, Costa Rica, an island of Costa Rica *Vauxhall Brava, a pickup truck*Fiat Brava, a car*Barawa, a town in Somalia commonly known as Brava...
  
  .

• A part of the fortress Fortim Carlota dating from 1667 is preserved in the southern part. An impressive canon can be seen in front. The building was used as a prison until 2005.

• In the south of the center, the old cemetery Antigo Cemitério, which was used until the end of the 20th century,is worth a visit. There are several graves in a classic style dating from the 19th century.

• Outside the historic city center, Praça Alberto da Silva, a rectangular place with a small parc and a chapel in a typical residential area seldom visited by tourists, is worth a visit. There are several shops, a bakery and a small internet café. The place offers a beautiful view of a part of the city and its surroundings.

Churches

Apart from Nossa Senhora da Conceição, the oldest catholic church, there are a sightworthy chapel at Praça Alberto da Silva, a New Apostolic Church

New Apostolic Church

The New Apostolic Church is a chiliastic church, converted to Protestantism as a free church from the Catholic Apostolic Church. The church has existed since 1879 in Germany and since 1897 in the Netherlands...

 and two parishes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Beaches

Praia da Bila, a black beach, is 40 m below the city center. It is not very clean, and on many days the sea is very rough.

The inhabitants of the city prefer the beach at the harbour Porto de Vale de Cavaleiros, about 4 km in the north of Sao Filipe. In spite of the harbour, the water is cleaner and the sea is not so rough. The most popular beach of the island is Ponta da Sallina in São Jorge.

Demography

São Filipe used to be the third largest city in Cape Verde, but now it is only the fifth largest.

Population of the city of São Filipe, Cape Verde (1990–Present)
1990	2000	2005	2010
25,616	67,860	89,550	93,885