The Cape Verde islands count as Africa’s most westerly point. First discovered by the Portuguese in the 15th century, they have since featured on the routes of seafarers and traders sailing between Europe, Africa and Latin America, and their culture today reflects this mix. The climate is mainly dry (especially in the Leeward Islands) and years of deforestation, overcultivation and rather unpredictable weather have left the country’s economy relatively fragile. Evidently, the islands are no longer as verdant as they were when the Portuguese named them, but they offer much to interest the traveller: long, white sand beaches, a vibrant creole culture and good conditions for watersports. Their isolation has left them unspoilt and comparatively undiscovered. The Government is now trying to develop the tourist industry, and the infrastructure is being expanded to accommodate the increasing number of visitors attracted to this unusual but attractive destination.
Cape Verde has nine inhabited islands. Santiago, the largest and most populated of these, has a mountainous, lush interior fringed by small sandy beaches. The island’s capital, Praia, is a lively, pleasant town with a good nightlife. Other attractions include Cidade Velha (the old city of Praia), the first Portuguese settlement on Cape Verde. There are ruins and old buildings and, on the hill above, the Fort Real de San Felipe, an old Portuguese fort. The attractive fishing village of Tarrafal features one of the island’s best beaches and contains the old colonial prison where the Portuguese dictator, Salazar, held dissidents from all over his empire in the first two-thirds of the 20th century. This is currently being restored. The island of Sal, characterised by its fine white sand beaches, attracts most of the package tourists. There are three dive schools, and windsurfing conditions are excellent. The famous salt pits, after which the island is named, produced salt for much of the former Portuguese empire. São Vicente is the most cultural and cosmopolitan of all the islands and is home to the deep-water port of Mindelo, a lively town with old colonial buildings and a thriving local music scene. Cape Verde’s most famous daughter, Cesaria Evora (an internationally-known singer who performs in the traditional style), hails from the island, as do many other leading local musicians. The carnival in Mindelo is the liveliest in Cape Verde, while the traditional Baia das Gatas festival, which usually falls in August, has become internationally renowned for the standard of its music. The other islands in the archipelago are quieter and more appealing to nature lovers. Boa Vista features shallow seas and the 16km- (10 mile-) pristine Santa Monica beach. Sao Nicolau is the quietest island in Cape Verde with a dramatic landscape of steep rocky peaks in its interior with black sand beaches around its edge. Maio is isolated and quiet with simple fishing villages, white sand beaches and sand dunes. Sea turtles lay their eggs on the beaches. Brava, a lush island with more rainfall than most, offers beautiful views of the coast from its plateau and an abundance of unique plant life. There are no facilities for watersports. The mountainous island of Fogo features an active volcano and black sandy beaches. Coffee, grapes and local wine are amongst the island’s produce. Santo Antão’s spectacular scenery and rugged coastline attract mainly walkers and climbers, especially given that there are no beaches. It is one of Cape Verde’s greener islands and its interior contains forested hills. Many of the deep flat-bottomed valleys are the craters of extinct volcanoes, long overgrown by trees and tropical vegetation. Visitors should make sure they sample Cape Verdean rum or grog, produced on Santo Antão.