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Cape Verde Guide

You are here: Home1 / Cape Verde Guide

Cape Verde Guide

This section will provide you with more details on the Cape Verde islands; such as the beaches, the environment, entertainment, whale-watching, the weather and much more. We hope that this guide will make your visit to this fascinating country all the more enjoyable. If you haven’t visited yet, we hope that this Cape Verde guide will help to encourage you to do so.

For a more detailed guide on a specific island, please go to the Islands section.  Cape Verde is a varied country made up of 10 islands and so gathering information can be difficult.  We will aim to keep this information up to date. If there is something missing that you would like to have more information on, please contact us.

Cape Verde

  • Frigate bird
    Animals
    Many of the animals now found on the Cape Verde islands have been introduced, but there are endemic birds, creating attractions for bird watchers.
  • cape verde culture information
    Culture
    Cape Verde is a fascinating country and exhibits a mixture of African, Portuguese and Brazilian influences. This mixture of influences is found in all aspects of life in Cape Verde.
  • cape verde entertainment information
    Entertainment
    The Cape Verdean people are infected with the love of music. They love to party and enjoy themselves and when there is live music in a bar or club, there will invariably be dancing.
  • cape verde environment information
    Environment
    Cape Verde is respectful of the environment and aims to eventually produce all of its energy from renewables. The country is also protective of the wildlife such as the loggerhead turtles.
  • cape verde equality information
    Equality
    Cape Verde is one of the few African countries that treats people as equals. There is respect and empowerment for women and also acceptance of the LGBTQ community
  • cape verde food information
    Food
    The dominant theme of food in Cape Verde is fish. Fresh fish from the sea is available all over the country. In addition visitors can enjoy a local stew called Cachupa
  • cape verde geography information
    Geography
    The Cape Verde islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Senegal. The islands vary considerably in character, some being relatively flat with deserts and some being very mountainous and green
  • cape verde movies
    Movies
    We have a selection of movies taken around the Cape Verde islands. We hope they give you a flavour of this fascinating country.
  • Blue flowers in Santa Maria
    Plants
    There are a number of endemic plants found on the islands. However, many others have been introduced and thrive in the tropical climate.
  • cape verde questions and answers
    Q & A
    We have tried to anticipate the questions you may have about this lovely country and then to provide some answers. If you have other questions, please contact us
  • cape verde weather information
    Weather
    The weather in Cape Verde is lovely, with little rain and the sun is almost always shining. More facts are provided on our weather page, including a month by month description

Things to do

  • Diving
    Diving in Cape Verde
    The waters around the islands make for some great diving experiences. There is an abundance of marine life and also some wrecks, cliffs and caves to explore. There are dividing centres on most of the islands.
  • Festivals
    Festivals take place on all of the islands, but Mindelo possibly has the largest and most elaborate celebrations.
  • Golf on Sal, Cape Verde
    Golf in Cape Verde
    Golf is not a sport that many people associate with Cape Verde. However, there are currently two courses and more are planned. Equipment can be hired and a round of golf in the sun can be a pleasant experience.
  • Hiking in Santo Antão
    Cape Verde is not just a group of desert islands, some of the islands are mountainous and ideal for hiking. The most popular for this is the island of Santo Antão. This island is the furthest north of the islands that make up the archipelago.
  • Kite beach, sal island
    Kitesurfing
    Kite surfing is a popular sport in Cape Verde. The north east Trade Winds provide excellent conditions in the winter months – generally October to April or May.
  • cape verde turtle watching
    Turtle watching
    Loggerhead turtles live around Cape Verde and make their nests in the sand dunes. At the right time of year you can see the babies making their way across the beach.
  • whale's tail rising from sea
    Whale watching
    Humpback whales breed in the waters around Cape Verde. Boat trips are available from some islands to view the whales and from some places it is possible to see them from the land.

Other

  • About
    Discover Cape Verde was started in order to encourage people to visit this lovely country. You can find out more about our story, and who we are on our About page.
  • Books
    Buying a guide book can be a good investment before your holiday. There are a selection of books available on Cape Verde, so why not take a look?
  • Partners
    Partners
    We are pleased to work with a number of providers of accommodation and activities. We hope these are of assistance if you are planning a holiday in Cape Verde
  • cape verde property
    Property
    Occasionally we hear of property for sale in which case we feature it here. We also provide a link to an estate agent in Cape Verde.
  • cape verde offers
    Offers
    Our partners sometimes send us special offers, which can be found on this page.
  • São Pedro beach, São Vicente
    Subscribe
    We distribute an email newsletter several times a year. If you wish to be on our mailing list for the newsletter, please subscribe

Some interesting facts about Cape Verde

Language

Portuguese is the official language in Cape Verde, and is used for all official documents and widely spoken

Creole

Creole is the language of the street and of some popular music, reflecting the diversity of the country

Turtles

Cape Verde is one of the three largest areas for loggerhead turtles to breed and the nest in the sand dunes

Timezone

Normally Cape Verde is two hours behind Central European Time (CET) and one behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

History

Sailors from Genoa and Portugal discovered the islands in about 1456 and started to be settled in 1462

Whales

Humpback whales breed in the waters around Cape Verde, one of only two north Atlantic breeding grounds

Cabo Verde

Since 2013 the official name of the country has been Cabo Verde, although it is also still known as Cape Verde

Food

Much of Cape Verdean cuisine is based around fish, which can be bought fresh from the beach in many places

Currency

The Escudo (ECV) is the currency of the Cape Verde islands. It is is fixed to the Euro and 1 Euro is always 110 ECV

Main sections of this website

Islands

Cape Verde is an archipelago comprising 10 islands, nine of which are inhabited. Here we give you a snapshot of each island, including its terrain, culture, activities and where to stay.

Travel

There are various options for getting to Cape Verde, depending on which islands you are visiting. Here we outline the options for international travel and travel within Cape Verde.

Info

This section will give you more information about Cape Verde, the beaches, environment, whale-watching and weather, making your visit to this fascinating country all the more enjoyable

News

Our news section brings you up-to-date information on Cape Verde. Get all the latest news on activities, culture, environment, events, politics, sport, tourism and latest flight info

Accommodation

  • La Fora Eco-lodge – Fogo19/08/2022 - 11:15 am
  • BB le Gourmet, Cape VerdeLe Gourmet – São Pedro25/02/2022 - 10:05 am
  • Gardens at Tropical ResortTropical Resort Sal island05/02/2022 - 8:30 am
  • Casa Strela, TarrafalCasa Strela – Santiago26/11/2021 - 11:15 am

Beaches

  • Sunset on Maio beachMaio sunset over the pier07/10/2022 - 9:15 am
  • Maio Cape VerdeBeaches on Maio island07/05/2022 - 9:05 am
  • Santa Monica Beach, Boa VistaPraia Santa Monica, Boa Vista15/04/2022 - 9:45 am
  • Main beach on Maio in January21/01/2022 - 11:15 am

Latest News

  • Earthquake in north west Cape VerdeEarthquake in Cape Verde01/02/2023 - 11:15 am
  • plumbago on salFlowers on the island of Sal27/01/2023 - 11:15 am
  • New domestic flight legislationNew legislation for domestic flights25/01/2023 - 11:15 am
  • maio UNESCO biosphereBiodiversity tourism extension20/01/2023 - 11:15 am
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