Islands of Cape Verde: photo, video, attractions, where the country of Cape Verde is located on the world map. School Encyclopedia Cape Verde language

From Lisbon, Portuguese Airlines took us to the island of Sal (translated from Portuguese as “salt”) of the Republic of Cape Verde for 3 hours and 40 minutes. The visa is placed directly at the passport control for 25 euros per person. Hotel Riu Funana and Riu Garopa are essentially one hotel, each has its own reception, but you can use the territory and services of both hotels. At check-in, they collect 10 euros per person - a tourist tax.
The hotel operates according to the all-inclusive system - food is 24 hours in fact, having arrived at 12 at night, we could safely go to eat, if desired. But I really wanted to sleep after a long journey (including a sightseeing tour of Lisbon). Settled in quickly. Porters don't ask for tips. The territory is large. The two hotels have 10 buildings with 150 rooms each.
Near the shore, the water is transparent blue, slightly cool, but it is a salvation from the heat, you don’t want to go out. But after 15 hours, the coolness of the water is more noticeable. The food is varied, well cooked, a lot of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, desserts. But there is no tea or coffee in the main restaurant during lunch and dinner, only in bars. But it's still hard to stay hungry. Although the same from day to day. In the restaurant, the waitresses are very friendly, keep everything clean and funny, but about 30% of the staff are deeply pregnant.
The hotel is located 5 minutes drive from the town of St. Mary. Taxi one way - 3 euros. The town is small, there are many cafes and restaurants (mostly open after 18 hours), many souvenir shops. A beautiful coast. Walking from the city to the hotel beach along the coast for an hour and a half.
Wifi is paid. They offer either a one-time entrance for a certain number of minutes (an hour, two, five, etc.), or a multiple entrance (for example, 2 hours within 2 days). 1 hour costs 7 euros. They say that wi-fi access is only at the reception, but in our room it connected perfectly to the network and did not have to run.
The room is practically not separated from the bathroom. The shower room is only with a curtain, but with a toilet it is better - it has a door. The closet is a stick with hangers separated by a decorative curtain. Basically, the hotel rest the Portuguese, Spaniards, French. There were only a few Russian-speaking couples. There were occasional cockroaches in the room. Plenty of loungers on the beach and by the pool. No matter what time you come, there will always be free enough.
In general, the impression was that Cape Verde for the Portuguese, French, etc. is the same as Türkiye for Russians.
Good children's animation, many sports programs, evening shows with 2 performances every evening.
The local currency is Escudo. 1 euro = 100 escudos. In tourist places, euros are accepted calmly for payment.
The first tour was in the evening. For 20 euros for 1 adult, you and other tourists are picked up from the hotel in a jeep and taken to the shore in 20 minutes, on which turtles crawl out of the ocean to lay their eggs. For about 1.5 hours they sat on the sand in the dark (only the light of the moon is allowed), you can only talk to each other in a whisper. All this in order not to frighten off the turtles. Hearing noise or light or movement, they will not come ashore. They specifically warned that the clothes were dark. When 1 turtle finally came ashore and started laying eggs, we were brought up to her in small groups from behind, we were given 3 minutes for the photo. You can only take pictures without a flash. Then they waited until she finished burying them in the sand and crawled back into the ocean. While they waited, everyone froze. The Discovery Channel made a film about this process in a more interesting and informative way.
The next excursion was a trip to Fogo Island: the cost is 243 euros per adult. Duration 12 hours. A plane flight for 20 people takes 1 hour one way. At the airport, upon boarding, they ask for a passport. But for some reason our guide forgot to tell us about it (for example, in the Dominican Republic, domestic flights as part of excursions do not require any documents at all). Having explained that we did not take our passports and smiling sweetly, they let us through. But an unpleasant aftertaste remained. Departing from Sala, the weather was wonderful (sunny and hot), and the island of Fogo met with coolness and rain. The guide broadcasts the tour in English and French. First, we were taken to a small cafe, where we were treated to coffee, freshly squeezed mango juice, buns with butter and jam. Then a short walk around the city and further into the mountains to the foot of the volcano, lunch and wine tasting. The higher above sea level, the colder, foggier and rainier. At times the force of the wind and rain were squally. Warm clothes would be helpful. Locally produced wine for every taste from 9 euros per bottle of the 2012 vintage. There are no Russian-speaking guides on the islands yet.
Fogo Island occupies 446 sq. km. The population is more than 37 thousand. It is famous for its active volcano (the last time it erupted in 1995 and the coast with black sand). You'll find out the rest when you arrive...
Then we visited the island of Santiago: the cost is 232 euros per person for a duration of 12 hours. The capital of the Republic of Cape Verde, Praia, is located on the island of Santiago. The largest island. The Republic of Cape Verde consists of 10 islands. From Sal Island, the flight takes 45 minutes. A very interesting tour: the guide talked a lot about the history of Cape Verde, the current situation in medicine, education, politics, etc. We visited the central square of Praia, the local market, sorted out the stone volcanic formations that the locals use as part of the building material (mixed with sand, etc.) during construction, visited the first defensive fortress built by the Portuguese, and a nearby village where they still traded slaves and moored pirates, climbed to the crater of a dormant volcano, visited the botanical garden. The weather was changing before our eyes. It is sunny and dry on the island of Sal, on the island of Santiago at first it rains, but without such winds as on the island of Fogo, having reached the fortress (min 20 drive), the sky turned blue and it started to get hot. Having risen to the volcano, it became cloudy, and returning to the airport, it began to rain. But I really enjoyed the tour.
Boa Vista Island: The cost of the tour is 170 euros per adult. The flight is only 15 minutes. The island is deserted. Although there are hotels (even a hotel of the large Riu chain) there, and there are direct flights to this island from Lisbon. Excursion in jeeps, at the end of the tour even burned out. At first it was cloudy and it saved, it is difficult to be under the pouring sun. And after 14 hours the sky turned blue and it was very hot here. We visited several small towns, a sandy desert, 2 beautiful beaches, saw a sunken liner - the remains (a large piece of the bow) off the coast with insanely beautiful white sand and blue clear ocean water. We drove through various places on the island, stopped 2 times for swimming. Lunch is very good. By the way, on all excursions the food was very good.
All excursions to the islands for the whole day. In principle, as the co-pilot told us (the command by the pilot and the plane was the same), that having visited 3 islands in addition to about. Sal, we saw all the options for the nature of the Republic of Cape Verde, because the rest of the islands are similar to those that we visited.
There are many excursion options on the island of Sal: fishing, diving on a Neptune boat, quad bikes, yacht trips, diving, catamarans. The average price is 70-90 euros per person. You can rent a car for the whole day for 50-80 euros, depending on the type of car (the most expensive Ford Everest is 80 euros).
Sightseeing tour of the island of Sal is designed for 5 hours for 25 euros per person. They brought us to the administrative city of Sal Island by bus, took us through the streets, showed us the local library, the market, and the central square. Then we went to the desert to see a mirage - a cool spectacle (the first time we saw it live), showed a rocky coast with an underwater cave, visited a fishing village and, finally, visited the crater of an active volcano in which salt is mined, and there is a salt lake with a temperature of about 27- 29 degrees, where you can swim, or rather feel like a log that does not sink. The island is deserted. It's hard to call it green.
On the island of Sal, it rains only 11 days a year, we caught one day, or rather half a day. Upon returning from the tour, it began to rain and went until late in the evening.
The Republic of Cape Verde consists of 10 islands, of which only two are touristic: the island of Sal and the island of Boa Vista.
In general, summing up the trip to Cape Verde comes a comparison with a vacation in the Dominican Republic: sitting in a hotel will be the same Turkey with full service, but only almost 9 thousand km from Moscow. You need to visit the islands to understand and enjoy all the diversity of nature that will meet you in this country. And you also need knowledge of a foreign language: Portuguese, French, English. German and other languages ​​will not help. English saved. No one speaks Russian…..Although this has its own huge plus. Therefore, take the money with a margin and have a pleasant trip!

From the phrase Cape Verde Island and breathes romance and adventure. Cape Verde sounds more prosaic, although this is the name of the state located on the archipelago of these islands. But still, the image of an unusual place, full of mysteries and secrets, is preserved.

And although pirates have not stormed local forts for a long time, and valiant sailors do not sail from ports to meet discoveries, Cape Verde will not disappoint you.

Cape Verde Islands on the map of the world and Africa

The Cape Verde Islands are archipelago, consisting of 10 large and 8 small islands, and located in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Large islands are divided into two groups - Leeward and Windward.

Now the Cape Verde Islands attract everyone who wants to take a break from civilization in pristine nature and solitude.

And compared to a trip to Southeast Asia or, a vacation in Cape Verde will remain a small adventure that friends and acquaintances will envy.

Where are they?

The Cape Verde Islands are located in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, about 570 kilometers off the coast of Africa, west of the state of Senegal. Geographically included in the African continent. They got their name thanks to Cape Verde- a peninsula in Senegal, located on the same geographical latitude as the archipelago.

Climate

The climate of the Cape Verde Islands dry tropical with hot, warm winters and low rainfall - from 100 to 300 mm per year. The average temperature is 22-24 degrees, in summer - 26-29 degrees above zero. The sun almost always shines on the islands, only in August-October there is a short rainy season. Cape Verde is characterized by constant moderate winds.

Sea water temperature is almost identical to air temperature and depends on the season.

How to get there?

How to get to Cape Verde only. There are no direct flights from, but you can make a flight with a transfer in Lisbon, Madrid, Frankfurt am Main or in.

There is a somewhat exotic way to be in Cape Verde - to get to the capital of Senegal, the city of Dakar, from where it goes to the islands ferry 1-2 times a month.

Going to another continent, beware of acclimatization. Read all about this ailment at.

Airplane tickets can be selected using this convenient search form. Enter departure and arrival cities, date, number of passengers.

Where to stay?

Any inhabited island of Cape Verde is quite suitable for recreation. Even in a remote village you can find one or two hotels or a boarding house, in extreme cases you can rent an apartment. For the convenience of rest, you can stay in a large city by local standards, and visit outlying islands with excursions.

• Sal Island- the main tourist center of the country. The island has an international airport that receives flights from European countries. The main feature of Sal is the almost complete absence of vegetation - the entire surface is covered with white sand and rocks. At the same time, the beaches of Sala are the best in Cape Verde. Sal got its name from the salt deposit mined on the island.
• The capital of country praia, located on the island of Santiago, has a mass of hotels and hotel complexes. There are two beautiful beaches near the city. In addition, Praia is a transport hub, from where it is convenient to make trips and day trips to the rest of the islands.
• Boavista is the third largest island in the archipelago. It is especially attractive for fans of surfing and diving.
• City of Mindelo on the island of Santo Vicente attracts lovers of active nightlife. Tourists will also be impressed by the cozy beaches overlooking the harsh mountains.

Information about the state

Until 1986, the name of the state was translated into Russian as the Cape Verde Islands, after which the local government decided that the Portuguese name is a geographical name and does not require translation in other languages. Since then we know the name of this state as Cape Verde.

Story

The islands remained uninhabited until some of them were discovered in 1456 by a Venetian. Luigi Cadamosto. The rest were first visited in 1460 by the Portuguese explorers Diogo Gomes and António de Noli. In 1462, the island of Santiago received the first Portuguese settlers, and in 1496 the islands of Cape Verde became an official colony of the kingdom.

From the 16th century, for 300 years, the islands of Cape Verde were a transshipment base for the delivery of slaves from Africa to the colonies of the New World.

After the prohibition of slavery in 1876, population growth was provided by incoming workers from other African colonies of Portugal. In 1973, the Portuguese overseas province of Cape Verde became independent.

Population

The population of Cape Verde is over 500 thousand people, of which 70% are mulattoes of European-African origin, the rest belong to the Negroid race. The official language of the country is Portuguese, and 90% of the population is Catholic.

Visa Information

For citizens, a visa is granted during passport control at local airports. The validity period is 30 days, cost - 25 euros.

Customs

In Cape Verde, free import and export currency, art treasures, jewelry, cigarettes and alcohol. A veterinary certificate is required for the import of pets.

Transport

You can move around a separate island using bus or taxi. If desired, it is quite possible to rent a car and move around the island on it. When moving between the islands, you will have to use local airlines that operate daily flights to each island. There are also ferry crossings, but they do not operate on all islands.

Currency

Local currency - Cape Verdian escudo pegged to the euro. The exchange rate is approximately 110 escudos per euro, the ruble exchange rate is approximately 60 kopecks per 1 escudo.

National cuisine

The national cuisine of Cape Verde is famous for its seafood and seafood dishes. The main national dish of the country - kachupa, which is prepared according to a "rich" or "poor" recipe. This dish can consist of many ingredients: fish, all types of meat, olive oil, beans, corn and a wide variety of vegetables. The more ingredients, the better the recipe is considered.

Holidays in Cape Verde - photo

Tourism is main source of income Cape Verde.

The main advantage of local resorts is the clean ocean, pristine nature and a complete separation from civilization.

And all this while observing European level of service.

What to see?

Cape Verde cannot boast of an abundance of historical and architectural sights. The most interesting here - nature.

• You should definitely visit Fogo Island and relax on the local beach of black volcanic sand. Here you can conquer the current Fogo volcano, which last erupted not so long ago - in 2014.
• Extinct Topu de Coroa volcano on the island of Santo Antan will impress with its rugged beauty and lunar landscapes.
• Interesting enough salt mines by Pedra Vincente Lume on the island of Sal, located in the crater of an extinct volcano. On the territory of the complex you can swim in colorful salt lakes or mud puddles.
• Here on the island of Sal there is a 25-meter natural pool with ocean water, located next to Burakona volcanic cave. The vaults of the cave reach 10 meters, and she herself has the nickname "blue" because of the sunlight reflected by her bottom.

Beaches

Cape Verde has many convenient and, importantly, deserted beaches on different islands. Their length can reach several tens of kilometers. All beaches in the Cape Verde Islands are sandy. The best beaches in popular places:

1. Beach Santa Maria in the city of the same name on the island of Sal;
2. Beach Santa Monica on the island of Boavista;
3. Beaches Praia Prainha And Cuebra Canella in the capital of Cape Verde Praia;
4. Beach Tarrafal on the island of Santiago.

It should also be noted volcanic beaches from black sand on the island of Fogo.

Entertainment

There is not so much entertainment on the Cape Verde Islands, after all, this place suggests solitude and relaxation from civilization. But you can't die of boredom either. In addition to mandatory excursions and diving, here you can:

• visit february carnival passing in Praia and Mindelo;
• Join the local musical culture at the monthly festivals in Praia, Mindelo and Fogo Island;
• get busy windsurfing;
• Fly on hang gliding in the mountains of the island of Santo Antan;
• Practice in "volcanic snowboarding" on the slopes of the volcano of Fogo Island.

shopping

It is worth noting that in Cape Verde it is common siesta, so during the day from 12 to 15 hours shops do not work. As a souvenir, you can buy products and figurines made of clay, straw, coconut or wood, which are sold in abundance by local residents.

You can visit the fish market and buy seafood, there are plenty of seafood here.

Diving

Cape Verde Islands - perfect place for diving enthusiasts. Divers are attracted here by the diversity and unusualness of the underwater fauna, numerous coral reefs, sunken ships and the opportunity to dive into caves. The water in the ocean is very clean, visibility is 30-40 meters.

Ideal dive time starts at and continues to . The most suitable diving sites:

1. Island Boavista;
2. Sal;
3. Island Santiago.

Republic of Cape Verde is located on the islands of the same name in the Atlantic Ocean, 620 km. off the west coast of Africa and consists of 10 large and 5 small islands. The territory of the country is elevated and rather dry, up to 16% of the country is occupied by dry gravelly highlands - the so-called. "lunar landscape". The highest point of the country is the city of Fogu (2840 m.). The total area is 4 thousand square meters. km.

Capital of Cape Verde - Praia

The population is 400 thousand people, mostly mulattos - 71%, Africans (fulbe, balante, manja) - 28% and European settlers.

Political status: Republican form of government. The head of state is the president. The head of government is the prime minister. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral National People's Assembly.

The language in Cape Verde is Portuguese, in communication with foreigners - Spanish, French and Creole dialect.

Religion in Cape Verde: Catholics (according to some sources - up to 80%) and adherents of local beliefs.

I must say that Cape Verde is a classic desert. Of the ten islands, only one can be called green (or rather, half of one). On the north side Santo Antana it rains at any time of the year. Therefore, there are streams, pine forests, sugarcane plantations - in general, landscapes that do not amaze with their gloomy grandeur. The southern half of Santo Antan is the same as all the other Cape Verde Islands.

The islands themselves are separated from each other by 100-150 kilometers of undulating ocean surface. Due to geographic features Cape Verde foreign visitors usually arrive in the country by plane and move around its national territory in the same way. Small (but modern) planes of the national airline TACV carry them from island to island in an hour.

There are, however, two large ocean ferries: "Sotaventu" ("Lee") and "Barlaventu" ("Windward"). They go around the archipelago in a circle: the first - clockwise, and the second - against. But these are long hours and even days of sailing. It's not something to like on Cape Verde the average vacationer.

The archipelago owes its birth to volcanoes that popped their heads out of the ocean millions of years ago. One of the volcanoes is still smoking on the island Fogo(that's why the island is called "fogu" - "fire").

The rest faded away. But the appearance Cape Verde they decided once and for all. Wherever you stand with your back to the sea in the archipelago, your eyes will be more or less the same. A sandy or rocky plain (where there is), and behind it (in some places right in front of the nose) - mountains of lava steeply leaving into the sky-high layers of the atmosphere. Flag of the Republic Cape Verde white-blue-red, almost like in Russia. In fact, the characteristic colors of the country are red, brown and black.

These colors change only once a year. At the end of August, seasonal rains come. There is a lot (even more than ever) of wind, thunder, lightning and similar dramatic effects. The desert responds to them with all its life-affirming power. Grass suddenly emerges from the bare stone. Until October, it feeds on the energy of hurricanes, and then completely dries up to reappear from nothing the next year.

If the spectacle of the scorched desert does not make a beneficial impression on you, you must urgently turn around 180 degrees. The sea is there, the colors play there all year round. But a walk in the volcanic mountains is also worth it. The sharpest effect gives a car walk. You will receive it without any effort, wherever and on what business you have to go to Cape Verde.

On the way from the south to the north of Santo Antana there is a place called Delgadinho("skinny"). Oncoming cars give way to each other. Because the highway is just the width of a heavy truck, and there are no ditches. Instead, there are almost perfectly even cliffs on the right and left. 1 km high. In not very clear weather, the view from this stone spine is spoiled by clouds. They hang somewhere in the middle between the soles of your feet and the bottom of the valley.

Roads to Cape Verde they do not cover with asphalt, as we do, but cut through the lava and pave with paving stones from the same lava. Laying out, where necessary, terraces of lava blocks. At the same time, side rails are somehow not considered very necessary. When cornering, an unprepared passenger's soul goes into the heels. But local, and not only local, drivers maneuver there quite coolly.

Cape Verde- these are, first of all, natural attractions: a stunning contrast of the azure blue ocean and yellow, sun-dried rocks create a peculiar charm of this country. The main "treasures" of the islands are under water - the ocean in the area of ​​​​the archipelago is saturated with life, so for water sports and scuba divers this is one of the best places in the world.

The underwater foothills of the islands go down very steeply and are replete with both coral reefs with countless marine life and underwater caves with a labyrinth of tunnels and caverns.

During the migration period, both herds of whales often appear off the coast of the archipelago, letting them approach at a fairly close distance, as well as shoals of oceanic fish that serve as an object of sport fishing. Suffice it to say that in 2000, 6 world records were registered off the coast of these islands in terms of the size and weight of fish caught.

The capital of the country - Praia, located on a mountain plateau, which is called the Plateau, is not rich in any architectural delights and sights, but it has two beautiful beaches to the west of the center - Praia Mar And Cuebra Canela.

10 km. west of the capital is Ciudad Velha(Old Town) - the first settlement of Europeans in the archipelago, famous for its picturesque Portuguese fort Real da Santo Felipe, hanging over the waters of the ocean. And north of the capital lies Tarrafal- a favorite vacation spot for citizens and guests of the country, known for its beautiful beaches.

deserted island Sal, on which the country's international airport is located, is almost entirely at the disposal of tourists. While waiting for a flight to the capital or to the islands, you will be offered to take a boat trip to various islands of the archipelago, visit good restaurants with local and Portuguese cuisine, or spend time on the small but cozy beaches of the island.

Mindelo on about. Santo Vincente is the largest city in the country and the only deep-water port in the archipelago. Unlike the capital, it is full of bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Built up mainly with buildings of colonial architecture with carved balconies and shady courtyards, it is the tourist capital of the islands.

Santo Antan, lying north of Santo Vincente - the greenest and most picturesque of the islands of the archipelago. It is the most popular among fans of hiking, here you can also take mini-safaris by jeeps or bicycles through the green hills of the island and admire its bizarre landscape, and then relax on the beaches of the east coast.

The archipelago is of volcanic origin, but only Fogu volcano (2829 m) on the island of the same name is active (29 eruptions have occurred since the middle of the 16th century, the last in 1995). The islands of Santiago, San Vicente and San Nicola also have a mountainous relief. The islands of the eastern group - Mayu, Boavista and Sal - are distinguished by low heights. As a rule, natural vegetation is better preserved in the valleys in the interior of the islands.

The picturesque archipelago was the birthplace of Cesaria Evora and the music of the Good Life. The ocean is considered the hallmark of the Cape Verde Islands: the resorts of Cape Verde attract travelers with secluded sandy beaches, luxury hotels, scuba diving, sport fishing, surfing and yachting. It is also necessary to highlight the picturesque nature, which creates conditions for ecological tourism.

General idea of ​​the country

The Cape Verde archipelago consists of 18 islands located in the Atlantic Ocean, 620 km from West Africa. The islands are located at a distance of 150 km from each other, which makes it very problematic to travel throughout the state.

The area is unique in its preserved virgin nature, undisturbed by the tourist infrastructure. A series of national parks is closely intertwined with the modern development of society, which makes the rest more intense and interesting. The main feature of the region is associated with a huge number of diving centers that offer sport fishing services.

Local weather is formed by a dry tropical climate. Unlike other African countries located in this belt, the islands are cooler and there are no sharp temperature changes day and night. The archipelago is blown by northeast winds, which bring coolness and bring down the heat. It is best to fly to the resorts of Cape Verde from August to October.

How to get to resorts from different CIS countries

Cape Verde is not connected to the CIS by direct flights. However, from Moscow or Minsk, tourists will be able to get to Sala or Santiago with transfers at, or. If you do not take into account the waiting between connections, then the flight will take nine hours.

To visit the country, residents of the CIS must obtain medical insurance and a special visa. As for the latter, this is done at the airport, the cost is 25 euros per person.

Santiago is the largest volcanic island in the archipelago. On the territory is the capital of the state of Praia, a port city and the center of nightlife in Cape Verde. It regularly hosts music festivals and dance performances. The metropolitan area is famous for the old colonial city, protected by UNESCO.

Sant Antao is considered the second largest in Cape Verde and the greenest. This paradise is decorated with mountains, steep canyons, huge rocks and wooded slopes. The edges of the cliffs are dotted with small fishing villages. Flat Sal attracts tourists with tropical white sand beaches in the city of Santa Maria. This is the most important ecosystem where sea turtles can be seen. The island is also considered the best for windsurfing and kitesurfing.

The most interesting, picturesque and wonderful island of San Vincente. The place is not spoiled by mass tourism and attracts with cultural diversity. The city of Mindelo is interesting for its colorful houses and festivals. This village hosts the largest event of the year in the resorts of Cape Verde - the carnival. Fogo Island with the city of San Philippe is famous for its active volcano, on the crater of which there is a village.

Medical and ecological tourism in Cape Verde

Medical tourism on the Cape Verde Islands is represented by elite spa centers located in luxury hotels and hotel complexes. Local spas for healing and rejuvenation offer clients treatments such as sea baths, a variety of massages, mud therapy and thalassotherapy. Santo Antan and Brava are known for their healing mineral springs, the local thermal water has a beneficial effect on the heart, digestive and nervous systems.

Fans of eco-tourism should be aware that most of the islands of Cape Verde are volcanic. Only one of them remained active (Fogu). The archipelago is used for the extraction of salt and limestone, volcanic tuff and pozzolana. The vegetation here is not diverse, the flora is represented by herbs and shrubs, coconut and date palms, cypresses and eucalyptus trees, pines and acacias. From living creatures you can meet exotic birds, lizards and monkeys.

Connoisseurs of green tourism come to the resorts of Cape Verde for diving, as the local coast is considered the most beautiful in the world. Coastal waters will please scuba divers with barracudas, stingrays, salmon and moray eels, sole and tuna, lobsters and eels, clams and lobsters. Whales, dolphins and sharks also live here.

Basic entertainment, how to spend time

In addition to diving and relaxing on the beach, tourists in Cape Verde most of all like to visit the island of Fogo, where they descend to the black sands on a snowboard from the top of the volcano.

Scuba divers will enjoy the coastal waters with reefs, rocks, grottoes with octopuses and crabs, sunken ships. The best time for diving is from April to November.

The Cape Verde Islands are also known for their excellent conditions for windsurfing. The mountains of Santo Antao are used for trekking and hang gliding. Hiking and cycling tours are organized in the valley.

Every February, a colorful carnival is held in the capital and Mindelo.

Attractions, what to see in the resorts of Cape Verde

Cape Verde is attractive because each island is considered unique and different from the others. Santo Antao is interesting for the picturesque mountains and craters of Cova, Brava for its beautiful flowers, and Fogo for its active volcano of the same name.

Santiago is the country's largest island. The capital, Praia, is famous for the Portuguese fortress of St. Philip in the Old Town. This is the first European building in the republic. The fortress walls are decorated with cannons raised from the depths of the ocean.

Archeology fans should visit San Nicolau. In this place, see the legendary rock with ancient writings that have not yet been unraveled by scientists and researchers.

Resorts in Cape Verde are considered safe, but keep in mind some tips and tricks:

• The islands of Boavista and Sal are completely safe for travelers, which cannot be said about Praia and Sao Vicente.
• Do not walk in the surrounding areas at night.
• Bags and valuable items must be supervised in public places.
• There are no African diseases in Cape Verde, you can not get vaccinated before the trip.
• The country should be attentive to personal hygiene.
• Water is drinkable only after boiling, but it is better to buy bottled mineral water.
• Locals willingly help tourists and take pictures.
• The islands are connected by planes, boats. Minibuses and taxis ply on land. To rent a car, you will need a standard package. Ferry services are extremely unreliable, and a flight using local airlines takes at least 1 rest day.

Reviews of tourists about a trip to the country

Valentina: Last year, my husband and I flew to Cape Verde for two weeks. The Cape Verde Islands are strikingly different from continental Africa. The infrastructure is developed, and the locals are friendly and do not try to fool a rich tourist. The nature is unusual, but amazing, and the active volcano is simply mesmerizing.

Eugene: My wife and I spent our honeymoon in Cape Verde, and we did not regret at all that we came here. Picturesque nature, a warm ocean with a rich underwater world, friendly residents and much more - all this amazed me on a romantic trip. At the first opportunity, it will be necessary to go to the resorts of Cape Verde again.

Far from mainland Africa, the Cape Verde Islands have long had excellent infrastructure. Cape Verde will delight travelers with an interesting underwater world, excellent conditions for windsurfing, picturesque nature with a volcano and mountains.

Video review: resorts of Cape Verde

Cape Verde (in some Russian-language sources - the Cape Verde Islands) is an island archipelago of volcanic origin, located in the northeastern part of the Atlantic and approximately 620 kilometers west of the African coast of Senegal. The islands got their names from the cape, the most extreme western point of Africa, opposite which they are located in the ocean.

The Cape Verde archipelago consists of 18 islands, conditionally divided into two groups: lee (Portuguese version - Sotaventu) and windward (Barlaventu). The structure of the windward part of the archipelago includes six fairly large islands: Boavista, Santo Antan, San Nicolau, San Vicente, Santa Lucia and Sal. The leeward islands consist of four large islands (Santiago, Fogo, Brava and Maio) and eight small islands (Branco, Grande, Razo, Santa Maria, Luis Carneiro, Doul Rey, Zapado and Sima). The total land area of ​​the islands of the archipelago is a little over four thousand square kilometers.

The history of the islands of Cape Verde dates back to the 12th century, when the first mention of them appeared in the records of the Arab navigator Idrisi. For Europeans, the islands were discovered by the Portuguese under the command of Diogo Afonso and Diogo Gomes, when they landed in 1446 on the island of Sal. After the first Portuguese settlers appeared here, in 1495 the islands of the archipelago were declared a Portuguese possession. The power of Portugal on the islands (with short breaks) lasted over the islands until 1974, when, after a long national liberation struggle of the people of Cape Verde, the Portuguese authorities were forced to recognize the independence of the islands.

Currently, the territory of the islands is occupied by the Republic of Cape Verde, which was previously listed in Russian-language sources as the Republic of the Cape Verde Islands.

The monetary unit of the Republic of Cape Verde is the Cape Verdean escudo (CVE, code 132), consisting of 100 centavos.

The population of the Republic of Cape Verde is currently estimated at approximately 427 thousand people. In terms of racial composition, the vast majority of the population are Creoles and Negroes, descendants of slaves once imported from Africa, accounting for approximately 99% of the total number of people living in the country. The share of people from Europe accounts for no more than 1%. The official language on the islands is Portuguese, but some modified languages ​​​​of the peoples of West Africa can be found in everyday life.

The capital of Cape Verde is currently the port city of Praia, located in the southeast of the island of Santiago, which is inhabited by approximately 113 thousand inhabitants. Among other significant settlements of the islands are the towns of Mindelo (the country's deepest port), Santa Maria, Sal Rei, Pedra Lumi, Tirrafal, Ribeira Brava and others.

Economically, Cape Verde is a developing country, and the main sources of income for its budget at the moment are fishing, services and tourism.

Getting to the Republic of Cape Verde has recently become quite simple. In addition to the fact that the city of Praia and other cities on the islands of the archipelago are ports, seven airports have been built and operate on the archipelago. Despite the fact that the bulk of tourists arrive by plane at Praia and Sal international airports, Sao Vicente, Vila Do Mayo, Sao Philippe, Boavista and Sao Nicolò airports also operate locally.

At the service of tourists on the islands there are 64 hotels and hotels of various levels of service. It is worth noting that in Cape Verde the tourism industry is at the development stage and therefore the level of service in hotels leaves much to be desired. Basically, all hotels and inns here have no more than 2-3 stars with an appropriate level of service. But still, five hotels can be noted, which, according to independent ratings, are given five stars. These are, first of all, Melia Tortuga Beach, ClubHotel Riu Garopa, Bravo Vila Farol, Crioula (Sal Island) and Club Hotel Riu Karamboa (Boavista Island).

The climate on the islands of the archipelago is tropical dry. The air temperature throughout the year does not have significant fluctuations depending on the season and averages +29…+34 °C. Precipitation in the form of rain is quite rare, and its level is only 150-300 millimeters per year. Rain mostly falls on the mountains between August and October, driven by the southwest monsoons. And in other seasons, winds blow from the northeast on the islands, which are dry. Winds from the east bring a large amount of fine dust from Western Sahara, which can create discomfort for the indigenous inhabitants of the islands and visiting tourists.

The climate favors the development of beach resorts on the islands. Despite the fact that there are conditions for this on almost all the inhabited islands of the archipelago, beach tourism is developing on just four islands: Santiago, Sal, Boavista and Saint Vincent. On the island of Santiago, in the vicinity of the capital of the country, the city of Praia (translated into Russian means “plateau” or “beach”), there are two magnificent beaches, Cuebra Canela and Praia Maar, which are equipped with everything necessary for beach lovers.

On the island of Sal, the most famous resort is the town of Santa Maria, located on the shores of the picturesque bay of the same name, which washes magnificent beaches with yellow sand with its azure clear waters. In addition to beach lovers, there are always a lot of surfers and admirers of other water sports from all over the world. The surfers center is located in the middle of Santa Maria Bay, where Club Mistarl is located, which has an extensive coastal infrastructure for vacationers (clubs, bars, various entertainment attractions). In addition to surfing, this is an ideal place for freeride and kitesurfing. It is also worth noting that on the beach of Santa Maria, the surf is rather soft with small waves, which does not pose a danger to those who swim in the ocean, breaking on stones.

The city of Mindelo on the island of Santo Vincente is also one of the centers of beach tourism in Cape Verde. There are two huge beaches in the suburban area, attracting the attention of tourists with yellow sand and convenient bays, in which, in addition to beachgoers, surfers gather in large numbers. Near the beaches there are entertainment establishments of bar and restaurant type, which are always willing to receive visitors.

On the island of Boavista, beach tourism is in its infancy, but its beaches around the city of Sal Rei are already ready to receive holidaymakers from all over the world. The beaches of Boavista, unlike similar beaches of other islands, have white sand and are quite shallow near the coast, which makes tourists with children comfortable to rest on them.

The coastal waters of the islands of the archipelago are not very deep and are inhabited by a huge number of marine life. Here, with each dive to the depth, it is possible to observe the life of huge shoals of reef fish with motley multi-colored colors, green sea turtles reaching one meter in diameter, huge three-meter rays, original-looking fish-balls, flocks of Atlantic dolphins. A huge number of sunken ships from different eras and times should be added to the number of deep-sea attractions. All this is at the service of diving enthusiasts who have recently, in the truest sense of the word, discovered the islands.

For fans of the sights, Cape Verde is not the most luxurious place, but ten kilometers west of Praia is Cidade Velha (Old Town), which is the first settlement of Europeans on the islands, here tourists should look at the old Portuguese fort Real da Santo Felipe, the walls which hang over the ocean waters.

For nature lovers there is also something to do. Despite the fact that due to the scarcity of the soils of the islands, the vegetation here is also sparse, but some places still attract the attention of tourists, for example, the greenest island in the archipelago - Brava, which is also called the island of flowers. There is a huge number of flowering plants, the flowering period of which falls at the beginning of the summer period. The lack of mammals on the islands is more than compensated by the birds that come here for wintering from the northern countries, here you can observe in nature a huge number of egrets, wood grouses, kingfishers, various waders, sea gulls, quails, parrots and flamingos.