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It's so easy to rent a boat or charter a yacht in Cape Verde with Yachtious. Book Now!
It's so easy to rent a boat or charter a yacht in Cape Verde with Yachtious. Book Now!
SAILING IN CAPE VERDE
DISCOVER THE ISLANDS OF ETERNAL SUMMER
Basking in the sun just off the northwestern coast of Africa, Cape Verde is a glorious archipelago of ten volcanic islands boasting a colorful creole of African and European cultures. Located in the Macaronesia ecoregion of North Atlantic Ocean, this beautiful island chain has a captivating blend of mountains, wide deserted beaches, and peaceful seaside villages.
The Cape Verde islands are out in the ocean for real blue water cruising and are just about perfect for an island hopping holiday. The islands are also conveniently placed close to the best sailing route from the Canaries to the Caribbean, and most cruising yachts that visit are on their way to the Caribbean, a few to Brazil or West Africa, mainly Senegal and Gambia.
The Cape Verde archipelago is divided into the Barlavento (Windward) group to the north and the Sotavento (Leeward) group to the south. The northern islands include Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia (which is uninhabited), São Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista, together with the islets of Raso and Ilhéu Branco. The southern islands include Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava and the three islets called the Rombos—Grande, Ilhéu Luís Carneiro, and Ilhéu de Cima.
Each island varies regarding terrain and climate. The hottest and driest tend to be in the north of the group of islands. Sal, Boa Vista, and Sao Vicente have the most hours of sunshine. Some islands are quite flat and barren with beaches stretching for miles like Sal and Boa Vista. Others are more typically volcanic with fertile soils, moisture giving trade wind clouds over mountain peaks and craters, gorges and terraced slopes full of banana, coffee, sugar cane and all sorts of crops.
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BEST TIME TO VISIT CAPE VERDE
Cape Verde has 10 different islands, all of which offer different climates and attractions. Set sail to any of the islands here any time of year if you wish, though by far, the best time is from November to March. In summer, from July through September, it’s quite hot with lots of rain. The temperatures are high and the wind is barely there. From October to June, the dry season prevails and brings with it more wind and cooler evenings.
Coming for windsurfing? You’ll want to book your yacht charter for January or February in particular though you still can come any time of year. For divers, visibility is best from June through December. The islands that feature mountains are the best for hikers from July to December. And if you want to see the turtles nest, you should come from June to October. These magnificent creatures are born in mid-August to November and make their perilous journey to the sea.
Whale lovers can spot them at Boavista in March and April. For festivals and music, come in February for the Sao Vicente Carnival in February, or the Sao Vicente Baia das Gates festival in August. Come in May for the Gamboa music festival in Santiago. Throughout the year, there are plenty of smaller festivals too. It’s not very expensive in Cape Verde though if budget is a concern, you’ll find the lowest rates for accommodations from April to June as well as in October.
QUICK FACTS
BEST FOR CRUISING: NOVEMBER TO MARCH
TIME ZONE: GMT −01:00
LANGUAGE: PORTUGUESE.
CURRENCY: CAPE VERDEAN ESCUDO
REASONS TO VISIT
DESERTED BEACHES
KITE SURFING
MOUNTAINS
PEACEFUL SEASIDE VILLAGES
QUAD BIKING ON SAND DUNES
SAO NICOLAU MOUNTAIN TREKKING
UNDERWATER WORLDS
WILDLIFE
GETTING TO CAPE VERDE
You’ll find international airports on São Vicente, Sal, Santiago, and Boavista. Most of the international flight come in to Sal but air traffic is increasing to the other airports. Flights can be a little unreliable with cancellations and such so it’s recommended you fly into the airport that is closest to the island you’ll be vacationing on. You’ll have a better journey to Santo Antão if you fly directly to São Vicente, for example. And if you’re heading to Fogo, you’ll want to arrive in Santiago.
You can use the airlines TAP Portugal, national carrier TACV, Bintercanarias, Transavia, Royal Air Maroc, TAAG Angola, and Senegal Airlines. Charter flights are also an option. You can try Thomson and Thomas Cook from the UK, TUI Nordic from Scandinavia, Jetair from Belgium, and TUIfly from Germany if you’re coming from Europe. If you can swing a direct flight from Europe, it takes about 6 hours coming from the north and three hours from southern European countries like Portugal.
By and large, British visitors compose the majority of tourists to Cape Verde, however, there are no direct scheduled flights from the UK as of yet, perhaps because most of these travelers come via package holidays to visit Sal or Boavista. With many charter flights servicing the package set, you can find a flight-only style deal with Thomsonfly or Thomas Cook.
For scheduled flights from Lisbon, try TAP. There are also other ways for British folks to arrive like choosing a low-cost flight to a mainstream destination in Europe or North Africa and then hopping onto another flight. For these situations, you can start your trek to Cape Verde in the Canary Islands with Bintercanarias, Amsterdam or Paris with Transavia, or Morocco with Royal Air Maroc. You can even save quite a bit of money however, the stopovers are often overnight and will leave you with less time to spend on the islands. You can also fly from any UK airport to Germany, Belgium, or Lisbon And snag a scheduled or charter flight to Boavista or Sal. Irish residents can connect through Manchester, Lisbon, Gatwick, or Birmingham.
You can also rent a private jet and enjoy the freedom of choice, total comfort and flexible terms for your travel.
Always bear in mind that the airline industry is a fluid one and the services detailed here may change, sometimes from month to month. Please do not rely solely on this information for your travel plans. To keep an eye out for any new flights and to search for excellent flight deals, a website such as Tripadvisor can be a handy resource.
Sometimes the best way is to board a cruise ship and head over. You’ll have fun along the way too. Some of these ships stay for up to 48 hours, giving you plenty of time to go from Mindelo to see Santo Antão. More and more cruise ships are coming through, mostly in Mindelo including P&), Cunard, and Celebrity Cruises. Smaller ships like the Marco Polo sometimes travel to Fogo. There are also island-hopping tours to 7 of the islands through Noble Caledonia.
Of course, you can skip the crowds and have your own personal crew and ship by chartering a yacht. You can anchor in Mindelo Harbour, Palmeira on Sal, and Sal Rei on Boavista. Cape Verde is an excellent place to stop and visit while aboard a luxurious yacht charter.
EXPLORE OTHER CHARTER AREAS WITHIN WESTERN EUROPE AND THE NORTH ATLANTIC
AZORES
BALTIC
BAY OF BISCAY
BERMUDA
BRITTANY
CANADA
CANARY ISLANDS
COWES
FAROE ISLANDS
HOLLAND
IRELAND
MADEIRA
NORWAY
SCOTLAND
SWEDEN
WALES
WHERE TO STAY IN CAPE VERDE
Cape Verde has it all from luxury boutique hotels to budget hotels and opulent suites or inexpensive rooms. The mountainous regions offer killer views while desert areas are prone to lack mobile communications and beaches.
Villa rental options are available on all the islands. Smaller, more tranquil places on the lesser-developed islands like Santo Antao in the Lombo Branco hillside community are a nice choice. So is Sao Vicente in the exclusive Pedra Branca development. Larger resort communities have all the luxury amenities you desire on the more touristy islands like Sal at Melia Dunas Beach or Boa Vista at the Santa Monica Beach Resort.
If you have a bigger group, townhouses are a smart option. You’ll find them in larger resort communities like Vila Verde on Sal Island. Most have their own pool and have much more room for you and your family to enjoy.
Self-catering apartments range from small 1 bedroom/1 bathroom accommodations to sprawling luxury penthouses. You can find the most suitable one for your private rental needs on almost every island, though you’ll have the most options on the more tourist-filled ones like Boa Vista and Sal. Wherever you choose, Cape Verde will be vacation bliss!
WINING AND DINING IN CAPE VERDE
West African, Portuguese, and European influences are what make up the cuisine of Cape Verde. Since this archipelago is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, fish is a huge part of the diet here. You should make sure to taste the following foods when you come to Cape Verde.
Cachupa
This is arguably one of the most famous dishes of Cape Verde. It’s a delicious stew filled with bean, vegetables, and chunks of meat, all beautifully seasoned with herbs and spices. Everyone has their own unique recipe, making it a must-try at just about any Cape Verde stop.
Fish
If you love seafood, you’re in the right place. Try the cachupa rica, a fish version of the previous stew. Buzio is another tasty stew made with mussels and other shellfish in a soya sauce. Cado de Peixe ou Caiderado is a fish dish with potato, carrots, pumpkin, and assorted vegetables with a tomato puree. Bafas is a snack, sometimes served as an appetizer, of fish cooked with tomato, onions and peppers and dressed with breadcrumbs. Carpachio is thinly-sliced raw tuna marinated in lime, oil and salt. Tuna tartar is another popular raw tuna offering though it’s served chopped and marinated in a soy sauce dressing. Morreia is fried eel, a true taste of heaven.
Other seafood
Try the steamed lobster, known as lagosta suada. Percebes are sea fingers or gooseneck barnacles. They’re quite strange to look at. You’ve got to crack off the end and peel the skin back to get the meat which is similar to squid in texture. Cracas is another barnacle served while still attached to rock with a slice of lemon. Lapas are stewed limpets with peppers.
Desserts
The fruits on the islands are so sweet and juicy, they make for the best desserts. You’ll find papayas, guavas, mangos and coconuts here. Plus, they’re all used to make desserts too. Doce de Papaya is a sweet jelly you’ll love. Others to try are Bol de Cus-Cus, a scrumptious cake that’s usually served warm with butter and goat cheese and Queijo de Cabra com Doce de Popoia, another dessert served with goat cheese as well as papaya jam. Fogo coffee pudding is another one you shouldn’t miss.
Drinks
Classic grogue is everywhere, though you should try pontche, the national drink. It’s a mixture of grog and sugarcane molasses that’s refined with citrus and cloves. Variant include pontche de coco and orange grogue.
