Cape Verde Holidays – Tours & Adventure Travel Guide
PureTravel Says
"The ten islands of the Cape Verde offer a host of holiday opportunities for such a small destination. If you and your family are into watersports it offers some of the best sailing around (no doldrums here), plus you’ll have a chance to dive, surf and swim on a multitude of quiet beaches. The walking is excellent and offers a good variety of terrains and options in quiet, untouched locations."
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Cape Verde Holiday Highlights
Watersports
Cape Verde is a great place to get out and play on the water. The sailboats, skidoos and beachgoers vouch for such a claim. Sailing and sailboat chartering is a great way to get around the islands if you’ve got a few weeks. Bring along your kite surfing, wind surfing or just plain surfing equipment if you plan to do any wave riding. The surfing on Sal is said to be quite good for intermediate or more advanced surfers. Scuba diving and snorkeling can be rewarding and there are only a few places that actually can set you up for a dive. You’ll need your tour operator to structure these sort of outings, and be sure to see at least a couple of the wrecks that litter the ocean floors in and around these waters.
Trekking
Cape Verde offers some great walking possibilities. There are ten islands to choose from, and even though most of them are populated, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to get away from it all. If you like volcano/mountain walking, then go to Fogo. If Cape Verde were a backwards C, Fogo would be at the bottom curve, the penultimate island in the group. Fogo peak reaches 2829 meters high. On Santa Antao, similarly, you’ll find some mountains that offer some great day walks. Another island known for good trekking includes Sao Vicente, lying just south of Santo Antao. For those hikers who do not want to ramble up the side up mountains or wander along cliffs, Santiago is known for some easier walks.
Mountain Biking
Cape Verde has a variety of terrain - rough in some spots, flat in others. Whether you want to cycle along roads that run parallel to the coast or ride down the steeper terrain, there are itineraries to choose. Fogo has the Pico volcano with trails around the area. On Sal and Maio, both just north and south of each other, you’ll find some flat terrain and salt flats. It’s on Santo Antao, Sao Nicolau and Santiago, however, that dry slopes of earth will keep you rolling down to the sugarcane and banana fields.
Fishing
If you’ve ever wanted to fish the way the locals do, then you can on Cape Verde. Leave your rods, reels and tackle at home and come fishing a day with the locals. If you’d like to have something a little closer to what you’re used to, then you can also go deep-sea fishing. The fishing off Cape Verde has provided sustenance for the people of these islands for hundreds of years.
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When To Go
There is really no bad time of the year to visit Cape Verde. There are many days of sunny weather with no real wet or dry season. At best, Cape Verde has higher chances for rain during certain times of year and chances of no rain during other times. The rains can come in September and October with some chances in August. The climate is relatively cool when compared to the western coast of Africa just a few hundreds miles to the east. January is the hottest with temps reaching around 30 degrees Celsius. Other months can range between 25 and over 30 degrees during the winter and the summer.
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Top Tips
- Boats, inter island ferries and planes are about as unreliable as anywhere else in Africa. Be patient, have several back up plans and don’t get rushed. Nothing happens in a hurry on Cape Verde.
- Bring appropriate clothing for rain and wind and sun. This part of the world is unpredictable and when it’s 35 degrees during the day and 22 degrees at night, you’ll feel as though you’re getting hypothermia if you don’t bring your woolies and fleece gear.
- Volcano on Fogo (Pico)
- Watersports on Sal & Wreck Diving
- Mountain Biking (flatter riding on Santo Antao, Sao Nicolau and Santiago)
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Classic Itineraries
