Cape Verde -Republic of Cape Verde

The islands of the Cape Verde archipelago are windy, hilly, dry - almost lunar - and fairly sleepy. But there's beauty in them thar parched hills. And some of the islands are actually lush. There's good diving and hiking, lively nightlife and plenty of quiet corners to hide away in.

Cidade Velha, once called Ribeira Grande, was the first town built by the Portuguese in Africa and is now a Unesco world heritage site. The best-preserved structures are the ruins of the old cathedral, constructed in 1693 during the city's heyday, and the Pillory in the park where enslaved captives were chained up and displayed.

Map of Cape Verde

More Information - Cape Verde

The archipelago of Cape Verde is  a closely knit group of 10 islands and 8 islets in the Atlantic Ocean, some 400 miles west of Senegal. The islands all have their own characters, some volcanic and mountainous, others flat and sandy. The northern group includes Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Lucia and San Nicolao. To the west are the sandy islands of Sal and Boa Vista, and to the south is  Brava with its abundance of flora, the volcanic Fogo, beautiful white sandy beaches of Maio and finally the largest island of Santiago with its white sandy coves and mountainous interior. The capital Praia can be found on the south coast of Santiago. Cape Verde was first discovered in 1460 by Antonio Da Noli, a Genoan merchant, working as a Portuguese explorer. It is situated between 4 continents, Africa, Europe, North America and South America, only 3 hours from Brazil and 4 hours from mainland Europe.

Islanders mix up African, Portuguese, Mediterranean and Latin influences and come out with a flavour that's distinctly 'Cabo'. Package tourism has gained a foothold, but Cape Verde is still independent and unspoiled, the perfect place to pretend that your real life doesn't exist.

At the cross-road of the three continents that border the Atlantic, there is an obligatory stop in the middle of the ocean, the Archipelago of Cabo Verde. Located 450 km off the coast of Senegal, it is composed of 10 islands and 8 islets. Of volcanic origin and positioned between parallels 15 and 17 of the North latitude, Cape Verde is made up of two distinctly different types of islands. Its six inhabited islands, located more to the West, are characterised by their mountainous landscapes, whereas the remaining three are distinguished by their long sandy beaches.

The islands are divided into two groups named according to the trade winds that reach them from the African Continent: windward and leeward.

The first group consists of the islands of Santo Antão, S.Vicente, Santa Luzia (disabitata), S.Nicolau, Sal, Boavista, and the second, more to the South, comprises the islands of Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava. The sun spreads its warmth the whole year round, soothed by the fresh sea breeze. The climate is tropical and dry. With vast beaches that allow for all types of water sports, impressive mountains, high quality fish, various types of delicious seafood and the melodious beauty of its music all distinguish Cape Verde as an exciting tourist destination.

Where politics are, the country is known for its stability and absence of any type of conflict. Because it is strongly influenced by Western culture, the people are mainly Christian and the majority of these are Catholic.  With a total land area of 4,033 km Cape Verde is one of the five Atlantic Archipelagos of the Macaronésia. The others are Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and the Savage Isles.

The wild life is not abundant and mainly consists of birds, of which there are about 75 different species distributed throughout all islands. Cape Verde has many species that you can't find anywhere else in the world. Interested ornithologists research the wonderful birds - including the colourful Passarinha kingfisher. There are no large mammals or snakes, but there are green monkeys and geckos. Offshore you can find green turtles, dolphins, whales and yellow fin tuna.