Santo Antão Island

The northernmost island of the archipelago is renowned for its jagged mountain peaks and deep valleys.

When arriving at the island by boat, you will first be met by the arid scenery of the Porto Novo city, but once the journey begins towards Ribeira Grande the lanscape changes radically, opening into the luxurious vegetation of the valleys.

Important sites to visit are the valley of Paúl - one of the most beautiful in the island -, and the town which lies stretched out against the sea, next to the airport, Ponta de Sol, that has amazing examples of colonial architecture.

Santo Antão is also renowned as the island of grog, a characteristic Cape Verdian brandy which is still made today by traditional methods of grinding the sugar cane.

The best way to discover Santo Antão definitely close to the nature, in outdoor activities. It is nowadays a very popular destination for trekking, hiking and mountain bike (MTB).

Sal Island

Home to the first Cape Verdian international airport, the scenery when landing on the island is breathtaking. The landscape is arid and almost moon like. But don't be mistaken, Sal is a tourism destination by excellence. Its turquoise sea and golden sands combine to form a contrast with the sterile and arid nature.

Being the most developed island where tourism is concerned, Sal has one of the best beaches in the world. The town of Santa Maria is the site of the beach of the same name - 8 km of golden sands with warm sea temperatures all year round, making it into a paradise for water sports lovers, whether is windsurfing, fishing or snorkeling that takes your fancy. A significant portion of visitors already come here for water sports. Scuba Diving is becoming a big attraction because of the oceans prolific sea life.

The beaches are its main asset, but any visitor should also pay a visit to Salinas de Pedra de Lume, a huge salt pit located in the crater of an inactive vulcano.

São Vicente Island

With a surface area of about 227 km2, this island is endowed with very distinctive features and is the place to go to enjoy the night life, Cape Verde style. Mindelo is the island's capital and its famous for its beautiful clear water bay.

Monte Cara is the main landmark of the city and of the island as a whole.

Must see sites: Fortim do Rei (the King's Fort), Baia das Gatas (Bay of cats), beach of Calhau among others.

Santiago island

Home to the capital city in Cape Verde, Praia, it has 991 square kilometers of area and is home to half the nation's population. It belongs to the Sotavento group of islands. Santiago, as most Cape Verdian islands, is volcanic in origin and very mountainous.

The City of Praia has doubled its size in the last years, growing in importance, not only within Cape Verde but also in a regional and international context. The accommodation facilities have been keeping up with this tendency, and Praia has doubled its accommodation capacity in the last years. More touristic developments are in course.

The main touristic points in the island are the Cidade Velha, the old city, and Tarrafal, where you can enjoy the most fabulous beaches.

About Cape Verde

Cape Verde is located in the western Africa, and consists in in a group of ten islands, where nine are inhabited. They country is divided into two groups of islands. The Barlavento group consists of the following islands: Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal and Boavista. The Sotavento group, more to the South, consists of this islands: Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava. Cabo Verde has a population of about half a milion people living in the country.

The official language is Portuguese but Creole (a mixture of Portuguese and West African words) is spoken more often. The currency is the Escudo Caboverdiano.

The commerce is open all week days from 8:00h to 19:00h (lunch break from 12:30h to 15:00h) and on Saturdays from 9:00h. to 13:00h. Some supermarkets work Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

Crime rates are low, but still be aware of your belongings. The emergency number is 132.

There are 2 major airports in Cape Verde, one in Sal, and another one in Santiago. Between the islands transportation is possible by plane or boat, being that almost all islands have airports.

Cape Verde’s climate is temperate all year round, with a warm, dry summer.

Welcome

Welcome to "Cape Verde - Land of Morabeza". This blog purpose is to divulge and promote Cape Verde, a country rich in culture and breathtaking landscapes. Here I'll show you beautiful sceneries and landscapes, take you on a voyage through Cape Verdian culture - art, music, events, etc. -, and give you also some tips and useful information when traveling to the islands. Enjoy your stay!