Cape Verde has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in recent years. In short, it has begun to be called an ethical destination and has climbed the lists from a low-income country to a low- / middle-income country. The new favorite destination has also been classified as a safe country where not so many crimes occur and where you can definitely relax with yoga, walking, sun and water sports as well as a wonderful culture and music.
The climate is superb and lukewarm without getting nauseous, the water always has a temperature of about 25 degrees and food and drink are relatively cheap and wonderfully good!
What Cape Verde is known for
According to ejinhua, Cape Verde was discovered in 1456 by several Portuguese seafarers and since the islands at that time were completely uninhabited, a colonization of the archipelago took place fairly quickly. It then became a trading center where African slaves were taken and therefore there is still a large African indigenous population. In 1975, Cape Verde became independent and is now the most democratic country in Africa.
As Cape Verde has grown in the eyes of tourism, new hotels and a large number of restaurants have opened up their operations on the islands. The islands that have experienced the most growth are Sal and Boa Vista, although the other islands have also received much attention. This has of course made Cape Verde richer.
What people mainly get there for is surfing as there are often good winds in Cape Verde and a unique nature experience both above and below the water surface. The inner nature of the islands also has a lot to offer and sometimes it can seem like a science fiction movie when you visit certain areas with red desert landscapes or lush oases with rich bird life.
Get to Cape Verde
From Sweden it takes about 7-8 hours to fly to the lukewarm island kingdom and there are airports in Sal, Ilha do Fogo, Praia, Cape Verde and Brava. Only Boa Vista, as well as the three northwestern islands, do not have their own airport. There are direct flights with charter as well as some scheduled flights from some of Europe’s airports. The airlines that mainly operate flights on the islands are the Portuguese TAP and Royal Air Morocco.
Get around Cape Verde
Between the islands you can go by boat or fly, but if you buy a ride, you can go on several boat trips that are an experience in themselves. Once on the islands, most people find it comfortable to either walk in the villages or rent a car to see all the hidden gems. Car hire is cheap here and the best way to get ahead. However, there are a lot of minibuses and many of the hotels organize joint excursions if you are interested.
Things to do in Cape Verde
Relaxation and water sports such as surfing and diving are two of the main activities in Cape Verde and since this is a safe country where you usually do not fall victim to robbery or kidnapping, you can safely go around as you please. If you are party-hungry, Cape Verde is not the optimal destination, but music and culture are of great importance, not least when the world-famous singer Césaria Evora put Cape Verde on the map for much of the 20th century.
Top attractions in Cape Verde
The nature of Cape Verde is one of the most beautiful things to see. Together with the culture that has existed on the island for centuries, it makes the sights that can be discovered in Cape Verde unforgettable. In this article, there is a compiled list of the most interesting sights that the archipelago has to offer and it would be a shame if you missed any of them.
Pico do Fogo
Cape Verde’s highest point is called Pico do Fogo and consists of a volcano in the middle with surroundings that make up fantastic hiking trails and expeditions for tourists. It is located on the island of Fogo and extends 2829 meters above sea level. The volcano has not been too active but there have been eruptions, the last of which was in 2014. The really deadly one occurred in 1847 and forced thousands to flee.
As the volcanic splendor of the volcano dominates the island, this has become an attraction in itself and if you are brave enough, you can go close and take some fantastic photos.
Praia de Atalanta
The beach Praia de Atalanta is located on the northern coastal strip on the island of Boa Vista and is particularly interesting as it is close to the beach strip old rusty ships from ancient times. Divers from all over the world come here to view the spooky boats both outside and inside. If you do not dare to take on that challenge, it is enough to sit on the beach or rent a horse to ride at sunset and watch the ships from land. The view is spectacular and the story behind it is also interesting to take in.
The Carnival of Sao Vicente
On the island of Sao Vicente, culture and above all music flows. It was in the capital that the singer Césaria Evora lived and died and in all bars, discos and restaurants her style of music is played every night. If you happen to have the roads past in February, you can happily experience the big carnival where you can find arts and crafts, dance into the wee hours and eat local food to a wonderful music. Mindelo is otherwise known for being the music city in Cape Verde, so during the carnival days the people have the rhythm in their blood even more.
The meeting place on the island is otherwise called Praca Nova, where people make a pilgrimage to take part in culture, parties and socializing.
The wingspan of history in Cidade Velha
On the island of Santiago is a beautiful but eerie place, called Cidade Velha. Today it is a magnificent church ruin and a fort as well as some cute houses, but in the past this was a place where slaves were also punished. This can still be glimpsed as the penalty posts remain so if you have the courage up and are not too sensitive, then this can be a very interesting place to visit because the Portuguese colonization actually started here.
Even in Tarrafal in the north, there is a cruel prison camp left from times gone by and which was also used during the liberation that occurred in 1975.
Pedra de Lume at Sal
Anyone who wants to float like a cork on the water should head to the island of Sal and the volcanic crater Pedra de Lume where tourists go to float around on the water surface for fun. Thankfully, there are many freshwater showers to wash clean in afterwards but the experience is really special – much like in the Dead Sea. Active salt extraction also occurs here.
