| The Cape Verde Islands | Cape Verde | Cabo Verde Don't come to the Cape Verde Islands! It's horrible here - and you'll hate it! You will loathe the scenery. You will despise the weather. And the culture - especially the music - will bore you to tears! Go someplace else! The Cape Verde Islands are not worthy of your time & money! |
| OK - maybe I'm not being totally honest with you! The fact is - I'm planning to retire here - and I don't want the place overrun with tourists! The Cape Verde Islands are, in truth, a collection of absolute gems! I love it here so much - I want to keep it all for myself. The Cape Verde Islands are an undiscovered, undeveloped treasure in the Atlantic Ocean. |
| Yachtsman have long known about the Cape Verde Islands - which is why I know about them. They are just about the only landfall for yachtsman crossing the Atlantic from Africa to Brazil. But yachtsmen are a wily bunch - and they have kept these islands a secret. While the Canary Islands, Madeira and The Azores have "enjoyed" a massive influx of tourists over the past 30 or so years - The Cape Verde Islands have been pretty much ignored. And part of me wants it to remain that way. I'd like to enjoy a lengthy retirement and a peaceful death before the Piña-Colada and ski-jet brigade arrive here in force! I'm being selfish - of course. These wonderful Islands deserve discovering. And the people here deserve to make some money from tourism. The perfect climate, the isolated location, the spectacular mountain scenery, the wonderful beaches, and the fascinating mix of African and Portuguese culture make Cape Verde an absolute joy. |
| Getting Here Unless you are a yachtsman, you will be arriving here by air. Visit Air Highways or for the best advice and information about Cape Verde flights. Passports & Visas You will need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates. You will also need a visa - your tour operator should arrange this for you. Language The official language here is Portuguese. Money The currency here is the Cape Verde Escudo. Currency exchange is available at the airport and in local banks. NOTE: Currency cannot be reconverted, except in Portugal - so don't buy too much!. There are ATMs at the airport on Sal. Credit & debit cards are hardly ever used here - cash is the best option. A few hotels accept Visa - check with your tour operator. Credit cards can be used to obtain cash from banks - but charges are very high. This should be considered as an emergency only option. Crime Petty crime is fairly common here - keep an eye on your purse! And make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance - we recommend Violent crime, however, is extremely rare. |
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| Explore Terrific UK based adventure travel specialists. The Explore staff are passionate about travel - and they really know their stuff! |
| The best travel books on the market. Lots of useful information. Always up to date. Highly recommended. |
| Easily the best travel company on the Internet for students. A must visit site for all young people who want to travel. |
| Cape Verde Travel Very experienced Cape Verde tour operator. Based in Cape Verde. Lots of local knowledge. |
| Further information and useful links |
| From our own experience we can highly recommend Sherpa Expeditions as the best tour operator for a trip to the Cape Verde Islands. |
| Good site for flight information to destinations all around the world. |
| Good quality travel insurance at very reasonable prices. Much better than the insurance that your airline will sell you! |
| Recommended Tour Operator |
| Sherpa Expeditions are Adventure Travel specialists. They have a great reputation with travellers "in the know" and the vast majority of their customers come back for a second, third, or even fourth trip! They offer excellent escorted or self-guided tours of Cape Verde Highly Recommended. |
| Recommended Tour Operator |
| Sherpa Expeditions are Adventure Travel specialists. They have a great reputation with travellers "in the know" and the vast majority of their customers come back for a second, third, or even fourth trip! They offer excellent escorted or self-guided tours of Cape Verde Highly Recommended. |
