Sal

Originally named “Llana” meaning flat when it was discovered in 1640, it was given its current name when a lagoon in a crater of a now extinct volcano was discovered to produce salt after the rains. Sal is flat and relatively small with only two major settlements, the capitol of the island Espargos and the tourist resort of Santa Maria. An International Airport was built here in 1939, making Sal the gateway to the Cape Verde archipelago and the island prides itself on providing high quality tourism, which, in turn has attracted large numbers of migrants from the nearby islands, nearly doubling the population during the last decade.

Santa Maria

The main tourist resort on the island of Sal, Santa Maria has been growing over the last 20 years specifically to accommodate the tourist. There are many things to visit in this town. The salt pits of Santa Maria lie about 1km from the town and are well worth a visit although they are no longer in use.

Santa Maria also has some splendid beaches and all the facilities necessary for the practice of sea sports, even providing lessons for beginners if required. There is a choice of fishing, windsurfing, scuba diving, game rooms, minigolf, volleyball, basketball and tennis courts.

Pedra Do Lume

This is the name given to the long extinct crater where the salt of the island was found. The crater is at sea level and although the sea is about 1km away the water manages to find a way in. You enter the crater by means of an artificial tunnel that was built in 1804.

Palmeira

A port town built to receive cargo ships; Palmeira is an interesting place to visit. You can take a tour of the salt purifying stations and anyone who likes lobster will love a visit to the lobster farms where you can purchase a lobster at very reasonable prices.

This is a stunning natural swimming pool, which fills and empties according to the tides.

Boavista

Boavista is an island of sand dunes, long white beaches, and crystal clear emerald waters. There are few properties on the island and the towns are quiet places although many new developments are planned.

Originally named S. Cristovao when it was discovered in 1480, Boavista earned its new name when a sailor on a vessel facing a terrible storm spotted it and in his joy yelled “Captain, good sight (boavista)” instead of “Land in sight”.

Boavista was unpopulated until 1620 when Captain Rodrigo Afonso was given the island for the purposes of raising cattle. The economy of the island did not improve until years later when salt was discovered attracting other industries such as weaving and ceramics.

Boavista is the most Eastern of the Cape Verde Islands and is quite near to the African continent. It has a surface area of around 620km2, with its longest distance (from North to South) being only 31 km.

Boavista is a beautiful, relaxing island, known as the island of beaches and dunes, it is bordered by over 55 km of white, sandy beaches and is mostly flat, but its volcanic origins can be seen in the formations of Rabil and Fundo das Figueiras and on its highest point, the Pico d’Estancia which climbs to 390 meters.

Curralinho beach

Boa vista coastline has beach after beach. Curralinho beach is thought to be the best in all of Cape Verde. Known as Santa Monica because of its resemblance to the beach of the same name in the USA. It has clean white sand, crystal clear blue-green waters and is ideal for sports such as windsurfing, scuba diving or fishing.

Sal-Rei

Sal-Rei is the capitol of Boavista and is a beautiful town filled with colonial architecture. In front of the town is the Islet on Sal-Rei where you can see the remains of the Duque de Bragança fort built to resist pirate attacks in the 1800’s.

Rabil

If you walk from Sal-Rei along Chave beach you arrive at Rabil. This used to be the most important place on the island and was the centre of the ceramics industry on Boavista. Here you can tour a ceramics factory and visit the oldest church on the island, San Roque, built in 1801.

Morro Negro

A short drive away from Rabil, past the mountains, rural areas and villages of Monte de Santo Antonio, Povoaçao Velha and Joao Galego you reach the most Eastern point of the Archipelago and the nearest to the African Continent. Here stands a solitary lighthouse looking out to sea.

 
Sao Nicolau

Greener than Sao Vicente but less spectacular in landscape than Santo Antao, Sao Nicolau is a very quiet and religious island. Situated in the north of the archipelago its shape is similar to the African continent. Its very volcanic past is clearly visible in the majestic peak of Monte Gordo with an altitude of 1304 meters it is the highest on the island.

Although Sao Nicholau was discovered on 6th December 1461, it did not become inhabited until the middle of the 17th Century when the coastal village of Porto da Lapa was built. However, due to almost constant pirate attacks the inhabitants soon moved inland to settle in what is now Ribeira Brava and access to the sea was obtained through the port of Preguiça in the Bay of Sao Jorge where a fortress was built in 1818 to defend the local inhabitants from further pirate attacks.

Riveira Brav

Full of rich architectural history, its narrow streets are lined with colourful and characteristic houses. You can also visit the parish church, the seminary high school and the main square, all note worthy for their beauty.

Preguiça

16km from Riveira Brava is the quaint fishing port of Preguiça. Here you can see acres of groves of eucalyptus and sisal trees as well as a magnificent view of the volcano “Caldeira” which means boiling pot.

Ribeira de Prata

Here is the well known “Rocha Escrita” or inscripted rock. This is a volcanic rock on which has been inscribed a number of rather undecipherable letters and words. Some believe them to be from the first visitors to the Archipelago and other attribute them to the pirates.

Fogo

Originally named San Filipe, Fogo or “Fire” was renamed because of its volcano, which is famous for being one of the most perfectly shaped cones in the world. Discovered in 1460 it was immediately occupied in order to expand the agriculture in Santiago and for a long time Fogo’s main economic resource was coffee and grapes although recent property development is quickly changing that to tourism.

Almost perfectly round in shape, Fogo is the fourth biggest of the Cape Verde archipelago and appears from a distance that it is only a volcanic mountain. The volcano peak is only 200 years old and a second, smaller peak was formed in 1995, both of which lie inside the partly collapsed giant crater of the ancient volcano that formed the island itself. Active right up to the 18th Century, when the main cone ceased activity, the volcano is in fact the main tourist attraction on the island taking a little over 4 hours to climb to the peak. Reaching a height of 2829 meters over the densely forested plateaus and the plantations of fruit and coffee beans it truly has the most spectacular views and scenery of the whole of the Cape Verde Islands.

Fogo is not only renowned for it grapes and coffee but also for the wine that it produces called Manecom, which at one time was exported to Brazil.

Sao Filipe

The Islands capital of Sao Filipe is perhaps Cape Verde’s most beautiful city, with the predominant and majestic Sobrado houses from the colonial period giving witness to the power held by the land owners of the 18th Century and neatly kept squares and plazas looking over a black sandy beach. Here you can also visit the “Cemitério Velho”, known as the cemetery for the whites, only the wealthy European descendants could be buried there and is a constant reminder of the old slave based society.

Pico Do Vulcao (Volcano peak)

Leaving Sao Filipe, along the road to Cha Das Caldeiras, the 4 hour hike up the peak is quite a challenge but well worth the effort. The hike will take you through a magnificent natural park called Monte Velho where the enormous trees contrast with the aridness of the rest of the island.

Salinas De Sao Jorge

North of Sao Filipe is the islands most stunning beach. Made of volcanic black sand it has a number of beautiful grottos and reefs, ideal for snorkelling or scuba diving.
 

Santo Antao

This is the second largest of the islands of Cape Verde and offers the archipelagos most spectacular landscapes, especially after the summer rains when the hills are green.

Santo Antao is sliced in half by a mountain range that runs from northeast to southeast and ends the relatively recent volcanic peak of Tope da Coroa at 1979 meters high. This mountain range means that the climate is dry in the south, cool in the centre and humid in the northeast and quite naturally the vegetation varies dramatically between regions. The higher areas are covered with trees like eucalyptus, cypress and pine while the south is the opposite with dry arid land and herbaceous vegetation. The otherwise inaccessible landscape of the island is intersected by sturdily constructed footpaths that make it a hikers paradise.

Santo Antao is very rich in agriculture with its main produce being sugar cane, sweet potatoes, yams, manioc, bananas, coconuts, mango, papaya and almonds and the island is famous for its Cape Verdean rum called “grougue” or “grog” made from sugar cane.

Improvements are being continuously made here, to accommodate the foreseen influx of tourists in the future. More roads are being built and the maritime service and air service links are also being improved.

Ribeira da Torre

This is a fascinating town, steeped in the islands rich culture. Here the old traditional sugar cane mills are still in use and the owners make a point of offering visitors a taste of their “grougue”

Sao Vicente

is the third smallest of the islands that make up the Cape Verde archipelago but it is home to the countries second largest city, Mindelo, as well as an airport and an 18 hole golf course. Roughly rectangular in shape, it measures 24km from East to West and only 16km from North to South. Although volcanic in origin Sao Vicente has not erupted in recorded history and the island is quite flat with few traces of its volcanic past remaining. Its highest point is at Monte Verde at an altitude of 774 meters.

Discovered on Saint Vincent's Day, the 22nd January, in 1492 it only began to grow in population in 1838 when it became a supply stop for ships on Atlantic routes from all over the world. Sailors from many different nationalities met together in the local bars and cafes of Mindelo and it became an important cultural centre where music, literature and sports were developed and encouraged which it still cultivates to this day.

All the local sports in the Cape Verde archipelago are said to come from Sao Vicente.

Mindelo

Cape Verde's second largest town, Mindelo, is a harbour town that is without a doubt the city of festivals and carnivals. Over 75% of the population of Sao Vicente live here.

With roots buried deep in the Portuguese culture mixed with Brazilian characteristics, it is a cosmopolitan town of charm and nostalgia. Its beautifully planned streets exhibit some delightful examples of Colonial British and Portuguese architecture, monuments and gardens.

During the day a trip to the nearby small, white, sandy beach of Langinha is a must and during the evening Mindelo's bars and discotheques come alive with the swaying rhythm that the Cape Verde Islands are famous for.

Baia das Gatas

Sao Pedro

Monte Verde

Oporto C Calhau

Santiago

Praia

Cidade Velha

The road from Praia to Tarrafal