If you are looking for a destination that combines culture, nightlife and beautiful beaches, travel to Cape Verde should be a priority. The best option for this vacation! Even during the rainy seasons - between mid-August and October, when the flora is rejuvenating - Cape Verde is a paradise to visit in the Atlantic Ocean. Let yourself be dazzled by the breathtaking scenery and the culture that emerges from the streets.
Mindelo
Mindelo where culture and fun walk with the given arms. It is one of the largest cities in Cape Verde, located on the island of São Vicente. As one of the largest cities, it combines nightlife, bars, restaurants and live music at night with the beautiful Laginha beach.
Mindelo's cultural center is an excellent option for those who like to explore the local culture. The center has a bookstore and regional handicrafts. Also, in Mindelo, it is possible to visit a replica of the Tower of Belem, near the statue of Diogo Afonso, the discoverer!
High cultural place of the island, Mindelo is the most lively city of Cape Verde: with 71 952 inhabitants, it is also known to be a cradle of art and music. It is said to open on one of the most beautiful bays in the world. To party there, it is the place to go to visit Cape Verde in music: bars, discos, restaurants are more numerous there than in Praia. If you come at the beginning of February, don't miss the Mindelo Carnival, a must to do to visit Cape Verde.
What to do in Cape Verde in São Vicente besides cultural discoveries? Go hiking! Rough and lush, the nature of the surroundings is a postcard setting. Discover Monte Verde, the highest point of the island and enjoy the superb panoramas of the place. As you pass by the fishermen's houses on your way, go and meet the symbolic face of São Vicente, Monte Cara: a volcanic peak that looks like a lying face for which the singer Cesaria Evora gave her name to one of her songs.
Boa Vista
If your destination is Cape Verde, you can't miss a stop on the island of Boa Vista! If you're looking to discover the local culture and enjoy the beaches, Boa Vista is perfect! The capital of Boa Vista, Sal-Rei, generally welcomes few tourists - who prefer to stay in the surrounding seaside resorts - and has a characteristic church and neighborhoods with local commerce. On the island, it is possible to do activities such as whale watching or exploring the Viana desert. And usually between June and October it is possible to observe the magic moment when turtles lay their eggs on the coast, there are excursions to observe the nesting turtles!
Among all the islands of Cape Verde, the one that is nicknamed "the island of the dunes", is home to many treasures. With the development of tourism, Boavista attracts more and more visitors in search of sun and paradisiacal beaches. Indeed, the island has the most beautiful beaches of the archipelago, such as the unmissable Santa Monica beach, a huge strip of white sand, where lovers of relaxation will be delighted. But Boa Vista is far from being only its dream coastline: in the north of the island, there is one of the seven wonders of Cape Verde: the Viana desert. "The crumb of the Sahara", as the locals here call it. A mini desert of dazzlingly clear dunes, and the popular playground for superb quad biking. Finally, to discover a little more of the local culture, we don't leave without visiting its capital, Sal Rei, and the small charming villages scattered around the island.
Located in the southern part of Boavista, the beach of Santa Monica (Praia in Portuguese), is known as the most beautiful beach of the island. With its 18 km of white sand along a turquoise blue water, one can only marvel at the beauty of the place. Hidden behind sand dunes, the beach is simply immense, and icing on the cake, still very wild. It is not difficult to be alone on this large expanse of sand. Lovers of idleness won't find a better place to spread their towel and sunbathe at leisure, but watch out for sunburn!
Fire volcano
The visit of Cape Verde must pass by that of the island of Fogo. Ilha do Fogo has one of the most beautiful volcanic landscapes you will see! The Fogo Natural Park allows you to explore this landscape and take a long walk to the volcano of Fogo. And a walk to the highest point of the island becomes a must for all visitors. The largest urban center of the island, São Filipe, has a historical center with a local shop and a small museum not to be missed!
Very famous, Pico do Fogo is the only volcano still active in the country, the highest point of Cape Verde, at 2,829 meters above sea level. How to visit Cape Verde without climbing Fogo? Overlooking the caldera of Chã das Caldeiras, the volcano offers a grandiose spectacle. It has been active for 22 to 24 million years and the last eruption was in 2014. The hike with 1,200 meters of vertical drop in the slag is really worth the detour: lunar landscape unique in the world or almost!
Sal
The island of Sal is perhaps one of the most popular destinations to spend a vacation in Cape Verde. With its crystal-clear, paradisiacal waters, the island offers a good dose of activities such as diving, windsurfing, surfing among other sports! For those looking for a relaxing vacation on a white sandy beach, the island of Sal is for you. Resorts, bars and lots of sunshine!
Along with the island of Boa Vista, Sal is famous for its large sandy beaches, the most beautiful of which is the 8 km long Santa Maria beach. The island is indeed the ideal destination for lovers of idleness and water sports including kitesurfing, and also the one that benefits the most from the development of tourism.
Apart from its paradisiacal beaches, some excursions are not to be missed: first of all, the salt mines of Pedra de Lume, located in the hollow of a crater now extinct, or the superb natural pools of Buracona, with its azure blue color. Also worth seeing during a stay in Sal, the charming town of Santa Maria, whose cobbled streets are lined with small typical restaurants and craft stores.
Tarrafal Beach
During your vacation in Cape Verde, you can not fail to visit one of the most beautiful beaches of the islands. The beach of Tarrafal is located on the island of Santiago, between green mountains and small villages. Ideal to spend a relaxing day and make good dives. The beauty of the turquoise waters promises you the most beautiful pictures of the trip to Cape Verde.
The largest island of Cape Verde, Santiago is considered the essence of the archipelago. Home to the majority of the population, Praia, its capital, is prized for the traditional face it offers to visitors. But Santiago is also a lush nature and eclectic surrounding landscapes which, from black sand beaches to high peaks, desert expanses and typical villages, promise a journey rich in culture and adventure.
Freshly disembarked from the plane in , we find ourselves immediately mixed with a crossroads of cultures, between Europe, Africa and Latin America. Travellers often deplore the low interest they have for Praia, the Cape Verdean capital. But there is indeed one thing that cannot be missed in Cape Verde: the market of Praia. Wandering among the stalls of fish, meat, fruit and vegetables freshly produced by the locals is to explore the country's popular culture and immerse yourself in the culinary habits of its people.
Get drunk on the multiple tastes and scents under the sounds of the shopkeepers exchanging with their customers, an authentic charm guaranteed! The center of Praia is surrounded by a rocky plateau nicknamed "Platô". On either side of this Platô lie the city's two beaches, Praia Mar and Quebra Canela. Enjoy a stroll in Praia to visit the Archaeological Museum of Praia, then leave to visit Cidade Velha, ten kilometers to the west: the first city built by the Portuguese in the Middle Ages.
Sao Nicolau
Still unknown to tourists, the island of Sao Nicolau is neglected in favor of its neighbor, Sao Vicente. This is why the island has been able to preserve its authentic character and an almost untouched nature. The inhabitants of the island live mainly from agriculture. Desert on the eastern part, a large part of the island is still dedicated to terraced crops: sugar cane, manioc, fruits, vegetables ... under its austere appearance, the island is home to very fertile land. As a result of its volcanic origin, there are also some black sand beaches. But what seduces when you set foot on Sao Nicolau is above all the kindness of the inhabitants. Very welcoming, it is also one of the few places in the archipelago where you can easily discover the traditional Cape Verdean customs and songs. The island is also a little gem for hiking lovers, who will walk through the most beautiful natural sites of the island, such as the Faja valley, or the natural park of Monte Gordo, the highest point of the island.
Santo Antão
The second largest island of the Cape Verde archipelago, Santo Antao is often included in adventure and trekking tours because of its many hiking trails that wind between valleys and mountains. Of volcanic origin, the island has the particularity to offer to those who come to discover it, a multitude of landscapes: from an arid and desert landscape in the south, the relief is transformed into green valleys suitable for agriculture, in the northern part. A paradise for hikers, the latter will be able to discover the island's must-see places along its marked trails, from the lush Paul Valley to the tropical valleys in the Ribeira Grande region. A trip to Santo Antao is also an opportunity to meet the locals, and to discover the rural potential of the island, with its many fields of sugar cane, tropical trees, or sweet potatoes. And one does not leave without having tasted the local rum, reputed as the best of the country!
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