Cape Verde Travel Guide

Cape Verde Travel Guide

Cape Verde offers a great landscape given by the high peaks of the volcanic mountains whose slopes go down and meet the ocean creating a unique and impressive picture. It is a land full of history and legend that will charm you at first sight.

Cape Verde Travel Guide – Geography

Located 450 km off the African coast, the ten volcanic islands forming the Republic of Cape Verde offer a unique and diverse landscape. The natural tourist attractions of the islands bring more and more tourists every year.

Only nine from the ten islands are inhabited, the largest one being Santiago Island with their capital city of Praia. All volcanoes are inactive except one, Mount Fogo on Fogo Island which is also the highest point from the islands with 2829 m altitude. Another particularity of this island’s topography is the salt flats from Sal de Maio, on Maio Island.

Because of the ocean’s presence around the islands the climate is of semi desert, milder than the one from the continent, but still very dry with a short rainy season from August to October when it can rain heavily in short episodes.

Due to this milder climate the islands are a nice holiday destination throughout the year.

Historically, the islands were uninhabited until the Portuguese found and colonized them. They became independent from Portugal in 1975.

Cape Verde Travel Guide – Flora and Fauna

The archipelago’s flora is not very diverse, most of the local species were destroyed in order to make place for crops, which also due to the lack of water are not very prolific. On higher grounds one can still find the dragon tree which is a regional species and also the symbol of the islands. Terrestrial fauna, as well, not very diverse is made up of some bird and animal species brought by the colonizers. There are no predators or other dangerous animals. The water fauna instead is very rich and diverse captivating tourists with the numerous species of fish and sea turtles.

Cape Verde Travel Guide – Tips for Tourists

Due to its splendid landscapes and good accommodation the number of tourists in Cape Verde grows with each year that goes by. In order to travel to this country without any problems you need a visa and a passport valid for another six moths. Visas can be obtained at the airport upon arrival or in any consulate.

The local currency is the Cape Verdean Escudo and can be converted at the airport and at any local bank.

Cape Verde Travel Guide – Transport

The transport infrastructure is well developed here with hundreds of kilometers of paved roads, international airport and ports. Most of the international transport is made by air and by sea. There are nine airports on all islands among which the most important is the Amilcar Cabral International Airport connecting Cape Verde with the entire world. An important role is also played by the Mindelo on Sao Vicente and Porto Novo on Santo Antao ports, covering most of the commercial and tourist transport.

Cape Verde Travel Guide – Resorts

The sea is the major tourist attraction and locals are doing their best to please every tourist that arrives here to enjoy it. All resorts offer a wide range of activities, besides good accommodation, almost entirely connected to the ocean. You can enjoy any water sports you like, go fishing, visit the surrounding islands, or just lay on the beach. In order to enjoy all these you can choose Morabeza Sal Island Hotel, located on the beach with direct access to the ocean, with clean and well equipped rooms, swimming pool, nice restaurant, bar and unforgettable hospitality.

A great place to stay if you visit Sáo Vicente Island is Oasis Atlantico Porto Grand Hotel, located in Mindelo, it offers very comfortable and fully equipped rooms, access to adult and also children swimming pool, additional services like organizing trips, exchange office and rent a car. It is a suitable destination for families or singles, available at any time of year. Another option could be the Pestana Tropico Hotel, located in the capital and overlooking the ocean the hotel offers high class services and a multitude of facilities.

Tourism in Cape Verde is rather young so you should not be too demanding in matters of accommodation and facilities. Still, there are some very nice places to stay if you travel here, with friendly people who will make sure that you will have a great holiday.

Cape Verde Travel Guide – Cuisine

The traditional cuisine is mainly influenced by the Portuguese. Most dishes have as main ingredients tropical fruits, corn, all kinds of meat including fish, spices and more. Some specific dishes are the Catchupa which is a meat or fish stew with beans, Coscous which is made with mixed meat, vegetables or fruits and more. There are many restaurants on all islands so that any traveler can choose the most suitable one. You can find international cuisine and also local Cape Verdean dishes served in a traditional ambiance making every meal a unique experience.

As a conclusion, Cape Verde is an exotic, unique holiday destination especially due to the clear waters of the ocean and for the multitude of activities available here.