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Cape Verde is a perfect holiday destination thanks to its wonderful beaches, diverse nature and pleasant climate. Cape Verde is not just about wonderful beaches and year-round sun, it is also about the colorful culture, happy people, untouched nature and local island life. A few years ago, I moved to Cape Verde after a couple of memorable vacations, because I fell in love with the relaxation of the island life and the wonderful seascapes. Why not try moving to a distant island in Africa once in your life?

In this article, I present the best tips for Cape Verde – from accommodation and activities to local food delicacies. Grab these practical tips and make sure your vacation is memorable and stress-free. Whether you’re planning your first trip or returning to the archipelago again, these tips will help you make the most of Cape Verde’s beauty.

TOP 10 TIPS TO CAPE VERDE

1. WHAT, WHERE, HOW CAPE VERDE?

Cape Verde is a small and fascinating island nation in the Atlantic Ocean, about 500 kilometers from the coast of West Africa. This tropical paradise consists of 10 main islands, each with its own unique character. Cape Verde is known for its wonderful sandy beaches, lively culture and relaxed atmosphere. The islands attracts both nature lovers, sun worshipers and active hiking tourists.

A self-guided trip to Cape Verde offers a unique opportunity to experience the authentic culture of the archipelago and support local residents. When you travel independently, you can choose local accommodations, restaurants and guide services, which directly benefits the islands’ economy. A self-guided tour also gives you the freedom to discover hidden gems outside the tourist areas and delve into the culture of the islands at your own pace. In addition, responsible tourism helps preserve Cape Verde’s unique character and supports sustainable tourism that protects natural resources and local livelihoods.

2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT ISLAND

Cape Verde consists of 10 main islands, all of which are different from each other and offer travelers wonderful and versatile experiences:

1. Santiago – Cape Verde’s largest island, where the capital Praia is also located. Known for its history, lively market culture and great hiking trails. Read more about Santiago Island here.
2. Sal – The most popular tourist destination known for its long sandy beaches and clear waters. An excellent destination for sun worshippers, surfers and divers. Read more about Sal here.
3. Boa Vista – A peaceful and exotic island with stunning sand dunes and pristine beaches. Perfect for relaxing and admiring nature.
4. São Vicente – A paradise for culture lovers. The city of Mindelo is known for its live music and colorful nightlife. Read more about the island of Sao Vicente here.
5. Fogo – A dramatic volcanic island that offers hikers unforgettable experiences. The Fogo volcano dominates the landscape, and vineyards spread across its slopes.
6. Santo Antão – A hiker’s dream island, whose green valleys and terraced plantations create a wonderful setting for nature lovers. One of Cape Verde’s greenest islands. Read more about green Santo Antao here.
7. São Nicolau – A lesser known and quiet island that offers peace and beautiful mountain scenery. An excellent destination for nature lovers and hikers.
8. Maio – A lesser known gem with peaceful beaches and traditional villages. Maio is the perfect destination if you are looking for silence and a local atmosphere.
9. Brava – The smallest inhabited island, also known as the “island that blooms with flowers”. Brava’s mountain landscapes and floral splendor will enchant nature lovers.
10. Santa Luzia – An uninhabited island that is a popular destination for day trips and fishermen. Santa Luzia offers deserted beaches and rugged beauty.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN ISLAND HOPPING IN CAPE VERDE? READ THIS:

Island hopping Cape Verde – Best tips!

3. THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN CAPE VERDE

There is plenty to do and see in Cape Verde, but not everything happens on the same island. This is another reason why a self-guided trip to Cape Verde is a more than recommended way to explore the island nation. It’s wonderful to relax on the beach and in a hotel basking in the sun for a week, but I dare say that this does not give any kind of picture of the real Cape Verde, nor does it offer the holiday experiences that many people would want anyway (yes, wonder why?).

Here are the best activity and tour recommendations for each island offered by Kookospalmu Alla – travel site:

SAL

• Island tour with a local guide
• Snorkeling to the underwater world
• Guided tour to visit the turtles nesting
• Shark Bay – walk amongst lemon sharks
• Zipline with amazing views

SANTIAGO

• Island tour with a local guide
• Visit Cidade Velha old town
• Visit the banana fields & a couscous workshop
• Serra Malagueta natural park hike

SAO VICENTE

• Island tour with a local guide
• Snorkel with sea turtles

SANTO ANTAO

• Island tour with a local guide in amazing views

SAO NICOLAU

• Island tour with a local guide

BOA VISTA

• Island tour to the sand dunes, Santa Monica beach and caves
• Dinner with fire and drum show
• Whale watching tour

FOGO

• Hike to the Fogo volcano with a local guide

MAIO

• Island tour with a local guide

4. ACCOMMODATION IN CAPE VERDE

There is a wide variety of accommodation in Cape Verde, from small bed & breakfasts to large hotel resorts and private holiday apartments. Most of all businesses are owned by foreigners, especially on the island of Sal, but if you want to support the local community and make the most sustainable choices on your trip, I recommend favoring small businesses. Small bed & breakfasts and apartment hotels are not chain companies and their income stays on the islands. Some of these are fully or usually at least half locally owned and thus also a more comfortable choice. In addition, this way you can get closer to the local way of life right from the moment you step into your accommodation!

CHECK OUT THE BEST HOTELS AND ACCOMMODATION IN CAPE VERDE!

5. WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Pay attention to the weather when you travel. Cape Verde is sunny and warm all year round and it is a complete myth that there is wind all the time on the islands. During the winter, the evenings are cooler and the wind is a bit more during the day as well, so you should bring a small long-sleeved shirt for the evenings. Sunscreen 50+ is a must, unless you want to join the happy crowd of many tourists looking like a lobster. In the summer, the islands are hot and from August to September there is also some heavy rain. This can also be a fun time to travel as the locals love the rain!

6. MONEY AND CURRENCY

This is easy to remember, because Cape Verde uses a so-called closed currency called the escudo. Therefore, escudos cannot be exchanged anywhere in advance, and according to the law they should not be taken off the islands either (though I have never heard of anyone’s wallets being searched for this, heh). You can use escudos by withdrawing money normally from the ATM machines on site. In the Santa Maria area, the island of Sal also uses euros, because there is a lot of tourism on the island. 1 euro equals 100 escudos. In many places you can also pay by card, but for this an international card surcharge will be charged. I recommend caution when paying by card, as I have heard that sometimes zeros are added to the bill, especially at night in some bars for drunk tourists. So check the amount on the card machine before paying in the bars. However, this is quite rare and mainly targets the drunkest tourists.

7. TRY THE LOCAL DELICIOUS FOOD AND DRINKS

Most of the restaurants and cafes in Cape Verde are of a good standard. I recommend you bravely get to know different restaurants and also the small and local ones. You can usually get lunch from these locals at a very good price, and dinner doesn’t turn out to be too expensive either. The average price of lunch in Cape Verde is 4-6 euros depending on the place, a filling lunch menu with dessert and drink is around 8-13 euros. Local delicacies are Catchupa and Feijoada, which are a type of bean stew topped with rice, vegetables and meat. Both are good!

Also try the local hard and strong grog or the honey-flavored pontche as a drink, you can also buy these to take home with you!

8. SHOPPING AND LOCAL MARKETS

Don’t travel to Cape Verde looking for famous clothing stores, because there are none here. Cape Verde is not a paradise for shopping, as the clothing stores on each island are only small overpriced boutiques or cheap Chinese stores. Of course, you get clothes from these while living and visiting the islands, but you will hardly make any very wonderful discoveries.

The local market is a good option. In bigger cities, market vendors are always there, and larger street markets are also organized at certain times every week. In these you can find everything from home goods to basic branded clothes. Often the sellers also know how to recommend clothes when you just say what you’re looking for. NOTE! Don’t mix local markets with markets established by people from the African continent (e.g. Senegal). These are two completely different things and also easy to recognize and distinguish from each other. Those who came from the mainland have booths and stalls here and there in the market places and they are full of African handicrafts, baskets, hand jewelry, wooden statues and colorful fabrics and scarves. Local markets are like our flea markets and markets with sales tables. Locals never take tourists from the street to their boutiques and they give you your privacy when looking for items. The mainlanders are more about asking tourists to visit their shops and this might be too much for some. There is still no need to be afraid and you can happily visit the stalls, there is no compulsion to buy and you can always politely refuse. No stress.

9. HEALTH CARE

Health care in Cape Verde is at an okay level. Health care centers and facilities are not quite at the level of our European hospitals, but the nurses are always nice and the doctors are trained either in Europe or America. Mild ailments, such as flu, stomach ache, diarrhea, dehydration, sinusitis, etc. are easily treated. If possible, I still recommend leaving problems bigger than this to be handled in your own country if possible.

10. EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

Cape Verde has different events every year, from small local concerts to cocktail parties at beach bars and more fun white parties at clubs. Especially on the bigger islands, something happens every now and then, so it’s worth finding out about the events of your island destination when you arrive. Annual carnivals are held every year at the beginning of the year, and festivals start at the end of summer. Each island organizes its own festivals and carnivals, so you can even jump from one event to the other!

Now that you’ve got the tips and the travel bug is already biting you, there’s nothing left to do but get the flights and go. Check here for the best flight offers to Cape Verde!

HAVE YOU BEEN TO CAPE VERDE? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS AND EXPERIENCES IN THE COMMENTS! 🙂

<3: Tiina Johanna

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