Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cape Verde
238 / POP 491,683
Why Go?
Set sail with the Saharan trade winds and rock and roll across stormy Atlantic seas for
days. Then, just before you're halfway to Brazil, an island rises into view. You have
reached Cape Verde, an arrow-shaped archipelago that is the region's most Westernised
country, where the people are richer and better educated than almost anywhere on the con-
tinent.
Though it may appear as a set of flyspecks poking out of the eastern Atlantic, this
10-island archipelago packs a punch. On Santo Antão, craggy peaks hide piercing green
valleys of flowers and sugar cane, ideal for epic hikes. São Vicente is home to the cultural
capital of the islands, Mindelo , which throbs with bars and music clubs. On Boa Vista, Sal
and Maio, wispy white dunes merge with indigo-blue seas on unspoiled beaches of soft
sand. Throw in the constant beat of music that Cape Verde is famed for and the renowned
morabeza
(Creole for hospitality) of its people and you'll see why many have come - and
never left.
When to Go
Aug-Oct
During the so-called rainy, but very hot, season, weeks can go by without a
downpour.
Dec-Apr
Strong winds blow in dust all the way from the Sahara and make it the best time
for surfing.
Jun-Oct
Turtle-watching season (February to May is whale-watching time).
