The Ilha do Cabo (Cape Island, also called Ilha de Luanda) is the narrow sand peninsula that curls around Luanda's bay, connected to the mainland by a short bridge. It is Luanda's most popular leisure destination: a string of restaurants, beach bars, and seafood restaurants facing the bay on one side and the open Atlantic on the other.
The Ilha has Luanda's best beaches — the bay side is calmer, the Atlantic side has more surf. Weekend afternoons bring out the full mix of Luanda life, from families with coolers and footballs to expats nursing cold Cuca beer at beach bars. The restaurant strip is the best place in the city for fresh seafood: grilled fish, prawns, and lobster served with pirão (a cornmeal porridge) or rice. Prices reflect Luanda's cost-of-living, which is high — Angola has historically been one of Africa's most expensive cities for visitors.