Planning a trip to Cape Verde ? To be able to travel to this African country you need a visa, which you can process upon arrival, and have a well planned itinerary so you don’t miss anything about this beautiful country. We also tell you that you can get to the Sal Island Airport or the Boa Vista Airport. In Cape Verde you can perfectly combine beach tourism with city tourism.
Travel to Cape Verde, an adventure for the senses
The Republic of Cape Verde, better known as Cape Verde, is a state in Africa located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Senegal and in a Maracaronesian volcanic archipelago. To this same archipelago belong the Azores, the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Wild Islands, in addition, of course, to Cape Verde.
The capital of Cape Verde is Praia, which is also its most populated city. The official language of Cape Verde is Portuguese and it belongs to the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. These islands were discovered by the Portuguese in the 15th century and colonized to turn them into a slave trade center. On your trip to Cape Verde you cannot miss the most emblematic places of this island, where, to enter, you will need a visa that you can process upon arrival in the country.
Sal Island, Santa Maria Beach
Santa María is a town located to the south of Isla de la Sal, one of the busiest in Cape Verde, despite the fact that it only has three tourist streets, which are quite popular with visitors to the island. When you visit Santa María it is almost certain that you will go to El Pontao, as it is the symbol of the town. From this small dock all the boats leave. In the morning, the Pontao becomes a bustle thanks to the large influx of people who gather there for the harvest of fish. Here you can experience what the day to day life of the island’s inhabitants really is like.
In Santa María you can visit two of the most popular beaches. The smallest is located next to the pier, and is the one that the locals visit the most. At the other end is a larger beach and where all the tourist complexes are located. The beach is ideal to relax, but if you want a bit of adventure, you can practice diving or any other aquatic activity.
Other tourist attractions on the Island of Sal that you cannot miss on your trip to Cape Verde are Burahona and its trails; it is a rock starter. Quite a sight to see when the tide rises. We also advise you to visit the Pedro Lume salt flats, which are located inside a crater.
Boa Vista Island: a must see on your trip to Cape Verde
You can get to Boa Vista on a domestic flight, from the Island of Sal and, in less than half an hour, you will be at your destination. You should go to Boa Vista because everything is beaches, very idyllic beaches and nothing else. So the most recommended thing is to stay in an all-inclusive resort and enjoy all the comforts while you are in a natural environment in which you can relax. Don’t expect to find many tourist sites to visit beyond a few streets in Sal Rei, the capital of Boa Vista.
In Boa Vista you can visit Estoril beach, one of the most beautiful in the country and which also offers you all the comforts of beach bars. Another must-see on your trip to Cape Verde is Santa Monica. It is one of the most sought after beaches by tourists.
Fire Peak
The Pico de Fuego or Pico do Fogo is an active volcano on the Island of Fogo. The volcano was formed during an eruption in 1680, prompting the island’s migration. Since its formation, the volcano has had 30 eruptions, the last of them in 2014, but the deadliest for the population was in the 19th century. On your trip to Cape Verde you cannot stop getting close to the volcano because seeing it is quite a spectacle.
In addition, on the slopes of the volcano, the inhabitants of the place cultivate coffee, without a doubt, a curious activity to develop near the Pico de Fuego. On the other hand, we tell you that near the volcano there is a caldera, since the volcanic rock is used for construction and, within the same caldera there is a small village, Chã das Caldeiras.
Cape Verde Old Town
In Cape Verde not everything is beaches. Do not forget that Cape Verde was a colony, so, like the vast majority of colonial territories from the time of the great empires, it also has an old city; the one in Cape Verde is called Cidade Velha. It is 15 kilometers from the capital of the country and is the oldest city in the country, the first to be founded by the Portuguese.
The Cidade Velha is of great historical interest since Vasco de Gama and Christopher Columbus arrived here. One on one of his trips to India, and the other, on his third trip to the new continent. Since 2009 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mindelo
Obligatory stop on a trip to Cape Verde is the island of San Vicente. Here is a very important city: Mindelo, which has almost 70,000 inhabitants and is one of the largest cities in Cape Verde. Mindelo is considered the cultural capital of the country and was founded in 1795.
