Cape Verde

  • Image
Play Video

With 55 kilometres’ worth of coastline and year-round sun, holidays to Cape Verde are the real desert island deal.

Castaway islands

Framed by the Atlantic Ocean, some 500 kilometres off the coast of Senegal, the Cape Verde islands are causing quite a stir on the travel scene. Still untouched by the masses, they’ve got plenty going for them – huge swathes of creamy-white beach and year-round sun pretty much guaranteed.

Sal

One of the big names in these parts is Sal. The island’s biggest draw is the beach – miles of white sand backed by Sahara-like dunes and chilled-out beach bars. The diving’s great here, too, with caves, shipwrecks and rainbow-bright reefs. Back on dry land, you’ve got the cobbled streets and candy-coloured buildings of Santa Maria to explore.

Boa Vista

South of Sal lies Boa Vista. Its lunar landscape has earned it the nickname ‘island of dunes’, and, like Sal, it’s all about the beach here. There are 22 kilometres of ice-white sand, along with waters that make great whale and turtle-spotting territory.

Places To Stay In Cape Verde View all places to stay »

Boa Vista

Ask a room full of people to pinpoint Cape Verde on a map, and you might be surprised at how many are left scratching their heads. It’s not an uncommon reaction – these 10 tiny islands floating in the Atlantic have managed to stay blissfully below the radar. For the record, they’re just off the west coast of Africa, which means sunshine’s a given pretty much year-round.

Sal

If you’re not sure where Sal is, you’re not alone. It's one of 10 tiny islands that make up Cape Verde, and as far as tourism is concerned, it’s still early doors for this necklace of rocks in the Atlantic. To give you an idea, they’re 2 hours south of the Canaries, just off the west coast of Africa. Thanks to their history and location, you’ll find an exotic mix of African and Portuguese cultures on each island. And wherever you head, you’re guaranteed untouched beaches – there aren’t many people around here to share them with.

AT A GLANCE

  • Bask in the sun on Ilheu de Sal Rei
  • Sample the local wine on Fogo island
  • Hook a marlin on a sea fishing trip
View full size images
 

View full size images
Watch full size video
 

Watch full size video
Map of Cape Verde See places to go »

Weather

Average monthly temperature and rainfall for

TEMPERATURE (°C)RAINFALL (mm)

WHEN TO GO

Rain is rare in Cape Verde. The ‘wet’ season – August to October – sees just a few heavy downpours, which stop just as quickly as they start. On average, it stays a toasty 26°C around the calendar, with August and September the hottest months. There’s no winter season as such, although it cools down a fraction from December to March. The winter months see stronger winds, which are great for wind and kite-surfers.

Things To Do View all »

Loading

Top 5 hotels in Cape Verde

Where we go in Cape Verde Show on a map »

Popular holidays

Similar Destinations

.

Many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate