The Palácio da Presidência da República sits at the southern end of the Platô, a handsome colonial-era building that has served as the official residence and office of Cape Verde's head of state since independence in 1975. The building's exterior is well-preserved and the surrounding square is pleasant to walk through, with the drop to the harbour visible beyond the palace grounds.
It is not open to public visits, but the exterior and the surrounding area give a good sense of the scale and ambition of the colonial administration's urban planning. The Monumento de Diogo Gomes statue near the palace marks the Portuguese explorer who is credited as one of the first Europeans to reach the Cape Verde islands in the 15th century.