Cape Verde holidays

Holidays in the Cape Verde islands are fairly new on the horizon of the British traveller, however they are growing in popularity.  The group of islands lie to the West of Africa and are around one and a half hours flying time south of the Canaries.  They enjoy a climate bordering on the sub tropical with excellent year round temperatures and some fabulous quiet and undiscovered beaches.  In fact the constant temperature in the mid to high 20s make this an excellent getaway from it all break. 

Cape Verde holidays start on arrival at the islands international airport at Sal.  There are a number of islands to explore and stay on, however the major places for holidaymakers are on the island of Sal itself around Santa Maria and neighbouring Boa Vista island.  However the remaining eight islands offer a great choice of places to visit or to build an itinerary to travel around.

The islands have a strong cultural mix, with the laid back nature of West Africa, the European influence of Portugal, previous colonial occupants and of the South American country of Brazil.  This unique mix gives a real feeling of holiday to anyone visiting and creates a real atmosphere.

Best for...
Couples of all ages will enjoy the nature of a break in the islands.  The fairly long flight times have been reduced by direct charter services from the UK, making the islands reachable in a five and a half hour hop from London or Manchester.  The islands offer great value for money with a full range of properties on offer, however many will find the resorts quiet by Mediterranean standards and there is also a significant amount of development taking place in many resorts.  However you will be pleased to find that hotels are low rise and often built sensitively to the local environment.

What to do...
Rest and relax on the beautiful beaches or by the pool and soak up the sun.  The beaches are pure white, bleached by the sun and soft to the touch.  Get out and about and explore the scenery.  This ranges from the stunning coastline through to volcanic landscapes.  The islands are also very green with tropical vegetation, however this is tempered by barren landscapes often reminding you of the desert.  Such is the diversity.

Local markets offer an insight into the local culture and the excellent sea food restaurants are great value for eating out.  The islands are not known for their entertainment so this is a quiet getaway from it all holiday, although many of the hotels lay on things to see and do at night.  Much of this is based around the local music, a mix of samba and salsa with an African beat.

Water sports are well catered for with excellent windsurfing, diving and sailing.  There are lots of walking opportunities too as well as horse riding, mountain biking and trekking.

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