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Travellers seeking miles of undiscovered beaches and colourful local culture in a tropical land will love the Cape Verde islands. A group of ten islands, nine of them inhabited, Cape Verde is 375 miles off Senegal on the western coast of Africa. The archipelago has been the secret of keen windsurfers and hikers in the past but this unspoilt tropical paradise is now an exciting and affordable destination for everyone, within easy reach of the UK.

Over 500,000 people live there, mostly of mixed African and European descent. Portuguese is the official language, although people speak Creole too, and the islands’ capital is Praia. Cape Verde’s lively towns have brightly painted houses and cobbled streets, many markets, bars and restaurants, and pretty, whitewashed Roman Catholic churches.

Geography and wildlife

Cape Verde is divided into two island groups. The windward islands are: Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, Sãu Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista. The leeward islands are: Maio, Santiago, Brava and Fogo. Each has a separate identity and wildly differing geographic features, from the flat sandy beaches and Saharan dunes of Boa Vista to the rugged green valleys of Santo Antão and the volcanic peak of Fogo.

Things to do and see

Tourist development is in its early stages and refreshingly low-key in Cape Verde, especially compared to other holiday islands. Sal has the highest number of visitors, mainly around the long sandy beaches of Santa Maria, and Boa Vista is the second most popular destination.

Hiking is excellent on Santo Antão and Fogo, with spectacular mountains and stunning views. There are water sports facilities with windsurfing, sailing and surfing although the currents and tides are strong and can be dangerous.
Diving is a growing sport with several dive centres springing up, mainly on Sal and Boa Vista with PADI courses available and excellent wreck and reef diving opportunities in clear, warm waters. You can also take fishing trips and boat trips to see the whales and dolphins. The area is an important nesting site for the endangered loggerhead turtle and there are organised turtle watches and visits to the hatchery.

Pedra de Lume is an old salt mine in a dramatic location deep inside a volcano where you can float in saline waters, and there are amazing rock formations at the volcanic site of Buracona. Palmeira is a picturesque fishing port with a busy marina and Mindelo is a sprawling, lively colonial port.

Where to stay

You can rent luxury villas and private houses in Cape Verde, and there are a few budget friendly, modern beachside apartment blocks too. Many of the hotels are large all-inclusive beach resorts offering very affordable deals. One of the very best is the Iberostar Club Hotel on Boa Vista - a brand new all-inclusive 4-star hotel on idyllic Areja de Chaves beach..

In the popular resort of Santa Maria on Sal the choice of 3 and 4 star beachfront hotels is wide.