Cape Verde Islands Caribbean Islands  wrong side of Atlantic as undeveloped as Lanzarote was 25 years ago.

Melia Tortuga Beach Resort & Spa  Sal Island Cape Verde Santa Maria • on The Cape Verde Islands  This luxury beach and spa resort is situated on Cape Verde Islands. It offers fully equipped villas, which boast private swimming pools surrounded by palm trees. There is also a spa and fitness centre. More

New! Casa Verde  in Cape Verde Islands Mindelo • Sao-Vincente Island  Located in the centre of the historic Mindelo, this Portuguese-style guest house has a rooftop terrace with an outdoor lounge. It is just a 10-minute walk from Laginha beach. More

Palm Beach Resort    in Cape Verde Islands Santa Cruz • Set by the beach on Santiago Island, this hotel is just 200 metres from Pedra Badejo village. It offers free Wi-Fi access and rooms with a private veranda and panoramic sea views. There are 3 people looking at this hotel. More Latest booking: yesterday

International Flights:

Cape Verde's International Airport, Amílcar Cabral, is located on the island of Sal, with direct flights from numerous major European cities such as Paris, Lisbon, Amsterdam and Las Palmas, travelling to this 'corner of paradise' is becoming increasingly easier and convenient.  Direct cross-Atlantic flights are also available from Boston, New York, Houston and Atlanta and the highly anticipated new international airport in Praia, the country's capital on Santiago Island, is expected to vastly increase Cape Verde's potential as a top holiday destination.

The three principle international air-carriers flying to and from the Islands are TACV (Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde), TAP Air Portugal and South African Airways.

Internal Flights:
Once on The Cape Verde Islands, travelling from one island to another is best done through internal flights. The country's national airline, TACV, offers daily flights to all of the inhabited islands apart from Brava and Santo Antao, which are only accessible by boat. Passengers also travelling internationally with TACV will qualify for an 'internal air-pass' entitling them to reduced fares on pre-booked internal flights.

For those travelling in groups between islands, private air charters are available through 'Cape Verde Express' air taxi service. Although usually a more expensive option, the in-transit views are unbeatable.


Sea:
The islands of Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Santo Antao, Santiago, Fogo and Brava are all linked through two well-established cargo-passenger ferry services.  These services are frequent and reliable, but most travellers still favour the quicker, hassle-free option of internal flights, leaving the ferries to play a more major role in industry rather than tourism.


Road:
When travelling by road, there are several different options available.  Firstly, for those wishing to truly explore, car hire is readily available on the islands of Santiago, Fogo, Sao Vicente and Sal. But be aware - only one-third or the country's roads are paved, so driving in remote areas can be somewhat of an 'adventure'!  Vehicles drive on the right-hand side of the road and an International Driving Licence is required.

The second option is to travel by taxi, known as 'Aluguer'.  This is probably the most popular way of getting around and these vehicles vary in size and shape - from cars to pick-ups, vans to minibuses. It is common practice to negotiate the price of a journey before setting off.

Finally, public buses are a reliable, inexpensive way of getting around.  The cleanliness of the buses is of a surprisingly high standard, particularly in larger towns.

CAPE VERDE ISLANDS

Cape Verde Islands is a West African archipelago of 10 islands and 8 islets 16 degrees North 24 degrees West in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, south west of the Canary Islands.  It is divided into two groups:  Northern Windward Isles (“Barlavento”): Boa Vista Island, Sal, Santo Antao Island, S. Vicente Island, Sao Nicolau and Santa Luzia Island; Southern Leeward Isles (“Sotavento”): Brava Island, Fogo Island, Maio Island,Santiago Island.

Population:                                        440,000

Official Language:                              Portuguese

National Language:                            Cape Verde Creole

Currency:                                          Cape Verde Island Escudo    

Capital City:                                      Praia (Santiago Island)

Airports:                                            3Santa Maria (Sal), Praia (Santiago) Island, Mindelo Island

Time Zone:                                        -2hrs GMT

Religion:                                            Catholic

CLIMATE  The climate as a whole is classed as dry tropical with an average temperature ranging between 21C to 31C with water temperatures between 22C and 27C.  There are 2 seasons, a dry season between November and July and a comparatively moderate humid season between August and October.  Daily sunshine averages 6 to 7 hours between August and October and 10 to 12 hours for the rest of the year.  Wind speed averages 13 knots between November and July, dropping to 9 knots in the summer and annual rainfall averages to around 10 inches, mostly falling over the higher ground.  There is a significant contrast in climate between the mountainous regions, which are cooler and wetter, to the warm, dry climate on the coast.  Sal and Boa Vista are particularly dry, unlike the Caribbean there are no hurricanes.

HEALTH  No vaccinations are required for entry to Cape Verde.  It is not recommended to drink the tap water;  mineral water is in plentiful supply.  Tourists receive free hospital treatment in general hospitals on presentation of their passports, but private health insurance is strongly advised.  There is a new hospital and new private health clinics being built on Sal

Rental Property

Food and Drink on the Islands

A mix of African and Portuguese cultures has had a large impact on the food of Cape Verde. Many different ingredients are used in the preparation of dishes resulting in very delicious tastes. As well as very traditional food, there are also many restaurants across Cape Verde who specialize in international dishes.

Cape Verde Islands has a huge variety of fresh fish and seafood, tuna fish is readily available and is the most consumed by the local Capeverdeans. These are the other main types of seafood available on Cape Verde Islands, lobster, squid, rock barnacle and many other kinds of shellfish.

Cachupa is a great national dish and is the most famous dish from Cape Verde.Islands Cachupa is made from corn, a selection of meats, variety of beans, vegetables like sweet potatoes, manioc, cabbage, squash, and different types of sausages. Cachupa is also often made with fresh tuna.

Drinking tea’s are very popular in Cape Verde Islands and are usually accompanied by pastries like cuscus or corn paddies. These are eaten with different locally made fruit jams which are usually papaya, red currant, coconut.

For an alcoholic drink the locally produced Grog which is a strong alcoholic drink which is made from sugar cane. There are also many fruit liquors which are all locally produced.