Cape Verde Island Travel
Cape Verde Overview
Cape Verde is a country comprised of a group of islands in West Africa, just west of Senegal. The country’s climate is temperate, with a warm and dry summer. August to October is the rainy season when rainfall is unpredictable and perhaps the only time when it’s not the ideal time to visit the country. The peak season is considered to be the months of April to September.
Cape Verde Main Attractions
Perhaps the best site to see in Cape Verde is the Cidade Velha in Santiago. This world heritage site is the first European settlement in the tropics where you can find city ruins from the 1600s that have survived the tests of time and the ravaging of pirates, and the Fortaleza Real de Sao Filipe which features a dramatic cliff-side fort providing magnificent views of the sea.
Other places to visit in Cape Verde include a trek to the islands of Fogo and Boa Vista. Fogo has a beautiful volcanic peak with sweeping views while Boa Vista is much like a desert with shifting sand dunes and palm trees. You can also visit the best beaches in Cape Verde, the white sand beaches on the island of Sal and the black sand beaches on the island of Sao Nicolau. Sal is also home to salt mines, for which the island is named after. The mines were built inside a dormant volcano.
Cape Verde Activities
There are a host of things that you can do on Cape Verde. The country is famous for having some of the best waves in the world and most of the hotels are happy to capitalize on that by offering to arrange surfing or water skiing lessons. Cape Verde is also has plentiful underwater life which makes scuba diving and snorkelling another top activity to do.
Cape Verde Accommodation & Dining
Accommodations in Cape Verde are increasing rapidly as it is gaining popularity as a tourist destination. The main islands are already home to some large international chain hotels and some islands have several beach resorts. If you’d like to stay in a beach hut or pension, the smaller islands can offer you that type of place. If you’re wondering what you can eat there, the country’s cuisine is a mixture of Creole, Portuguese and African cooking. With the rise in the number of tourists, more and more quality restaurants are also opening up.
Cape Verde Shopping & Nightlife
As for the nightlife, Cape Verde’s parties are largely based on traditional live music and dance. It’s virtually impossible to make your way around at night and not hear the locals playing morna music which is a combination of guitars, violins and lovelorn lyrics. Hotels usually serve as the hosts for nightclubs but there are a couple of local dive bars that sell alcohol on the islands. Shopping in Cape Verde can be described as low key as it is mainly found in local markets. Cape Verde’s markets are a great place to find some handicrafts like woven baskets and clay utensils and figurines.
Getting To & Around Cape Verde
If you want to go to Cape Verde, there are 3 international airports on the islands of Sal, Santiago and Boa Vista. There are regular flights from Amsterdam, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Munich and Oporto which is operated by the national airline TACV. There are also regular flights from Boston, Atlanta and Fortaleza on Delta Air Lines.
Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
