Cape Verde travel guide

A scattering of ten islands flung out in the Atlantic off the west coast of Africa, Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) is surprisingly little known as a travel destination given its many diverse attractions. Only six hours on a direct flight from the UK, it offers year-round sunshine — with temperatures rarely falling below 20C, it’s the ideal place to head for a spot of winter sun.
You’ve got all the sandy beaches, hotel facilities and water sports you could want; you need look no further than the islands of Sal or Boa Vista if a fly-and-flop holiday is what you’re after. Yet there’s so much more to the archipelago, and each of the Cape Verde islands offers something different — for starters, there’s a thriving arts and music scene on cultural capital São Vicente; colonial history on the largest island Santiago; volcanic landscapes on Fogo; and hiking trails in the verdant hills of Santo Antão. It’s pretty easy to travel between the islands if you’d like to mix it up, with ferry services and domestic flights between most of them. In between exploring (or sunbathing), you’ll get to tuck into some decent food — seafood and stews are a speciality in a cuisine that draws heavily on Portuguese influences, and the quality of the local fruit is exceptional. The icing on the cake is that entry requirements are straightforward for British nationals — you need to fill out a registration form before arrival but can otherwise visit visa-free for stays up to 30 days.
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For white-sand beaches and turquoise water, you’re spoilt for choice — on Boa Vista, try Praia de Chaves and Praia de Santa Mónica, and on Sal, head to Santa Maria. Many of the islands’ beaches have facilities to try windsurfing, scuba-diving and snorkelling. For a dip of an entirely different nature, head to Pedra de Lume on Sal — the centre of the islands’ salt production, the lakes here are salty enough that you’ll float in the water. To the south of the chain, you’ll find Santiago. It’s here that the previously uninhabited islands were first discovered by the Portuguese in the 13th century, going on to become a stopover between Africa and the Americas during the slave trade — you can learn about Cape Verdean history at Cidade Velha, the old capital. Continue south and west and you reach the islands of Fogo and Brava. Tiny Brava is an excellent place to escape the world, with mountain villages and a laidback lifestyle to enjoy. Fogo looks like it belongs to a different island chain altogether, and is home to eerie volcanic landscapes; it’s possible to climb to the crater of its active volcano, Pico do Fogo. For more hiking, head north to Santo Antão — it has multiple walking trails, many delivering incredible views over its crinkled mountains towards the sea. Neighbouring São Vicente offers another change of pace: spend time roaming the cobbled streets of harbour town Mindelo and you’ll find a lively music and arts scene, with enough markets, restaurants and bars to keep you entertained for your holiday.
As with much on Cape Verde, the type and character of accommodation available is very much dependent on which island you chose to stay on. The more tourist-oriented islands of Sal and Boa Vista have the majority of the resort-style, all-inclusives and international chains. These have plenty of amenities for the traveller who doesn’t want to stray too far from the hotel grounds, with direct access to the beach, on-site restaurants, swimming pools, kids’ clubs and water sports. There are good options for villa rentals here, too. The other islands also have a smattering of larger hotels, but they offer you good opportunities to stay in smaller guesthouses and independents.
There’s a dearth of design-led hotels on Cape Verde, but São Vicente and Fogo both have eco-lodges that go some way to raising the style stakes. Their unique natural settings make them appropriate places for accommodation with a focus on natural materials, sustainability and minimal impact on their environments. For nightlife and restaurants on your doorstep, the towns of Sal Rei (Sal), Mindelo (São Vicente) and Praia (Santiago) are going to work for you. Note that some of the smaller islands are easily accessible as day trips from the larger and more popular ones so you needn’t necessarily need to find a hotel you like on them in order to plan a visit.
While a lot of people plump for Sal and Boa Vista simply to enjoy some sunshine and unadulterated beach time, both islands have incredible opportunities for wildlife-spotting, particularly of the marine variety. A major drawcard is whale-watching; in March and April, pods of humpback whales pass just off the shores of both islands, coming to the waters to breed. They’re occasionally joined by pilot and sperm whales. It’s possible to see them from the land, but the best way to see them is to take a boat tour. You can also spot dolphins year-round; a lovely way to find them is by taking an island-hopping sailing trip. You might also see Caretta Caretta (loggerhead) turtles gliding just beneath the surface of the water, too — if you come any time from July to October, you’ve a chance to see them nest and the eggs hatch on Cape Verde’s beaches. Completing the aquatic picture are lemon sharks. These medium-sized sharks feed on plankton in shallow waters in the appropriately named Shark Bay, near Pedra de Lume on Sal. Many outfitters combine a trip to see them with time spent in Sal’s very own slice of the Sahara — the grains that make up the dunes of the Viana desert are blown in from mainland Africa. If you prefer your wildlife to fly rather than swim, you’ll want to spend time at the Lagoa do Rabil on Boa Vista; the lagoon is home to wading birds, spoonbills and the endemic Iago sparrow.
Cape Verde is good to visit year-round but bear in mind that rainy season falls from July to October.
What is the best month to visit Cape Verde?Our money’s on November. Rainy season is finished, temperatures are a balmy 28C on average, you get seven hours of sunshine each day, and you’re not sharing the islands with the relative crowds of the October half-term or Christmas holidays. Sea breezes mean that the temperatures are rarely uncomfortable, so hiking and other activities are pleasant at this time of year.
Is Cape Verde safe to visit?Cape Verde is a safe destination for tourists, with generally low crime rates. Do follow local advice before swimming in the sea, though, in case of strong currents and tides. Some poor local driving, particularly on intercity buses, can also occasionally make road trips a little hairy. Get up-to-date travel advice from the UK government site, as well as info on travel health.
Which part of Cape Verde is best?It entirely depends what sort of holiday you want, but if you only have time to visit one, Santiago island is a good bet. It has white-sand beaches and good swimming; a diverse landscape of mountains and valleys that are good for walking; excellent nightlife, shopping and dining in current capital Praia; and history and culture in the old capital Cidade Velha.
Currency The Cape Verde escudo (CVE), though the euro is widely accepted
Inspired to visit Cape Verde but yet to book your trip? Here are the best packages from TUI Holidays and Expedia.
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