10 Reasons Why Cape Verde Is the Most Underrated Winter Sun Destination on Earth
Some countries stand out vividly on the world map, capturing your attention almost instantly. The United States is one of those, as are France and Italy, with its alluring coastline dipping into the Mediterranean Sea.
On the other hand, Cape Verde might not be one of those eye-catching nations. Nestled in the mid-Atlantic, this group of ten volcanic islands is both stunning and enigmatic.
So, where exactly can you find them? Just let your eyes travel down the western side of Africa. Move past Morocco and Mauritania until you reach Senegal, then shift your focus about 350 miles to the west.
And there you have it, Cape Verde!
So not the most famous or obvious of destinations, then? True. But today (September 12) is also the Cape Verdean National Day. A good enough reason to provide 10 reasons as to why you should pay it a visit.
1. It’s more accessible than you think
Despite the distance involved – the capital Praia is 2,837 miles from London, and the journey takes you most of the way to the Equator – Cape Verde can be reached with ease from the UK. In fact, there are direct flights. Thomson Airways (0871 231 4787; thomson.co.uk/flight) flies to the island of Sal from Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Gatwick and Manchester – and to its neighbour Boa Vista from Birmingham, Gatwick and Manchester. Thomas Cook Airlines (01733 224 330; thomascookairlines.com ) follows suit, touching down on Sal from Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham, and on Boa Vista from Birmingham. Each of these services takes six hours or thereabouts.
Portugal’s national carrier TAP (0345 601 0932; flytap.com) is a further option, serving Sal and Boa Vista – plus sibling islands Santiago and Sao Vicente – from Lisbon. It offers UK connections to London City, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester.
2. Its nearly year-round sun
The Canary Islands tend to be Britain’s go-to destination for a decent dose of warmth in the depths of December, January and February. But those who are prepared to fly an extra two hours into the Atlantic are rewarded by the Cape Verdean weather, which rarely shifts from the upper 20°C at any time of year. The nearest it comes to a vast swing in temperature is the five-degree gap between the January average of 25°C and the 30°C that defines September. Hours of sunshine? Between five and nine. Lovely.
3. To bag a good package holiday
The presence of Thomson and Thomas Cook in the list of travel options should be a clue that these travel giants sell fly-and-flop escapes to Cape Verde as well as flights. They focus on Sal and Boa Vista, the two islands where you find the majority of the beach resorts.
These tend to be solid rather than spectacular, and dependable rather than deluxe – but if you want a swimming pool and a balcony, they will do nicely. Thomas Cook (01733 224 808; thomascook.com) offers breaks at the Oasis Salinas Sea, at Santa Maria on the south coast of Sal – a seven-night all-inclusive stay, flying from Gatwick on November 22, costs from £679 per person. Thomson (020 3451 2585; thomson.co.uk) offers the Hotel Riu Touareg – a one-week all-inclusive stay, flying from Birmingham on October 25, costs from £927 per person.
4. Its intriguing colonial heritage
The anthropological history of Cape Verde is an unusual one. Unlike most parts of the planet, it was empty until colonialism gave it a population – the isles were uninhabited when Portuguese and Genoese sailors stumbled upon them in 1456. Portugal put down the first roots, founding what is now the town of Cidade Velha, on the south coast of Santiago, in 1462. Praia followed in 1615, before becoming the archipelago capital in 1770. A small city of 130,000 people, it looks back into the past (Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal in 1975) via the Monumento de Diogo Gomes (a statue of the Portuguese explorer who discovered Santiago in 1460) and the Presidential Palace (which was built in the 19th century for the Portuguese governor).
5. Its unique music
Cape Verde’s cultural gift to the world is morna – a lilting, rhythmic form of music which slipped into life on the archipelago (probably on Boa Vista) at some undefined point in the 18th century. Its spiritual leader is Cesaria Evora, a singer nicknamed the “Barefoot Diva” who hailed from Sao Vicente – and was so loved that, since her death in 2011, its airport has been named after her. Her powerful voice and grasp of melody lingers in her birthplace, the island capital Mindelo. Here is a pleasant, picturesque small town where morna drifts out of the doorways of bars and cafes – such as the Casa Cafe Mindelo (casacafemindelo.com), where you can witness live performances.
6. To explore Africa’s most westerly point
São Vicente’s neighbour Santo Antão is an outpost. It is the most westerly segment of the archipelago and – depending on how specific you want to be about geography – the most westerly point in Africa as a consequence. It certainly feels like the end of a continent. Home to just 44,000 people – many of them clustered in the town of Porto Novo – it is a place of desolate grandeur, with its rocky interior rearing up from the water, coffee plantations strewn across its sides. You can only travel to it by water, via ferry from Mindelo – but if you make the crossing you have definitely left the beaten track.
7. Its incredible volcanic landscape
Santo Antao makes little attempt to disguise its lava-fried origins – but its is beaten to the unoffical title of “Most Visibly Volcanic Island in the Cape Verde Archipelago” by Fogo. The giveaway is the name – “fogo” is, of course, Portuguese for “fire”. The island lives up to its moniker, rising to the conical summit of Pico do Fogo, which troubles the sky at an altitude of 9,281 feet (2,829 metres). It has erupted as recently as 2014. Not that this seems to worry the locals. You can drive up to Chã das Caldeiras, a village of some 1,000 souls which, remarkably, is located inside this kraken’s crater.
8. To go island-hopping
Although strewn across some 1,500 square miles of the Atlantic, the archipelago lends itself to multi-island journeys. Specialist operator Cape Verde Experience (01489 866 969; capeverde.co.uk) offers a range of island-hopping breaks, including a 14-night “The Peaks of Cape Verde” package which takes two weeks to tick off São Vicente, Santo Antão, Santiago, Fogo and Sal. From £1,869 a head – with international flights.
9. …and sailing
Tropical islands plus ocean also equals sailing escapes. So it proves with Cape Verde. Classic Sailing (01872 580 022; classic-sailing.co.uk) describes the archipelago as an “unspoilt alternative to the Caribbean” – and has an 11-day “Island Hopping in Cape Verde” voyage scheduled to depart from Sal on January 11 2018. The journey will be aboard the Oosterschelde, a 300-ton schooner. No prior experience is needed to sign up for this near-fortnight under sail, and participants can help out as much or as little as they like on a route which will also take in Santiago, São Vicente, Santo Antão, Sao Nicolau and Boa Vista. Berths are available for £1,486 (€1,650) per person. Flights extra.
10. Its eerie abandoned airport
If you want to venture truly off-grid, the islet of Brava is your obvious port of call. “Port” being the pertinent word here because, as with Santo Antão, you can only reach it by boat. Not that it doesn’t have a runway. Esperadinha Airport sits on its west coast next to the hamlet of the same name. It occupies one of the only flat pieces of land on the island – a precarious location on a narrow promontory on the edge of the water. Too precarious, in fact. Opened in 1992, the airport ceased operations in 2004 because the strong winds which swirl here make it too dangerous for planes to land. You can, though, stroll along its deserted tarmac. Cue the Scooby Doo theme tune…
