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Cape Verde Islands
"A captivating blend of African, Brazilian and Portuguese cultures, Cape Verde is already being dubbed the African Caribbean."
Thomson Destinations
reviews Video tour & customer son.co.uk thom
` Cape Verde - no stress.' This is a local saying that certainly rings true on these tranquil isles sprinkled off the coast of West Africa. An archipelago of ten deliciously different islands floating in the Atlantic Ocean, Cabo Verde, as it's known locally, is made up of Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Sao Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista, Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava. Your own Cape Verde discovery takes you to two of the most exotic isles. First up is Sal, with its striking, lunar-like landscape that greets you like a spaghetti western film set. The colourful resort of Santa Maria sits on its southern shores and is a charismatic mixture of brightly-painted houses, cobbled streets and smiles as warm as the sun. Or will it be the apple-shaped isle of Boa Vista? Dubbed the `island of dunes', the coastline here is a halo of Bounty-like bone-white sands. A place of eyepopping contrasts, you're just as likely to come across a postbox-red house here as you are a snow-white slice of sand. Whichever dream destination has you digging out your passport, with year-round sunshine and rain a real rarity - this is one holiday hotspot you won't want to miss.
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Santo Antao
Ponta do Sol Mindelo
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Sao Vicente
Vila da Ribeira Brava
Sao Nicolau
Sal
Santa Maria Vila de Sal Rei
Boa Vista
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Fly from
· London Gatwick · Manchester
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Sao Tiago Maio
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Sao Filipe 2829
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Legroom on Thomsonfly
Porto Rincao
1392
Porto Ingles
Brava Cape Verde Islands
Fogo
Praia
CAPE VERDE ISLANDS
75 km
© TUI 2006
Beaches Cape Verde's beaches instantly grab your attention. Miles of utterly breathtaking porcelain-white sands stretch as far as the eye can see, seductively sliding into glass-like seas. On the sun-drenched island of Sal, Santa Maria's unspoilt seashore curves around the coastline for over 7km. Stroll along the sands and you can spot the island of Boa Vista on the horizon. And the beaches here are just as jaw-dropping. Dazzlingly white and stretching as far as the eye can see, with relatively little tourism, they're almost all yours. You can certainly kick your feet through the emerald-green surf for miles without seeing another soul. Eating out The food in Cape Verde will have your tastebuds tingling in no time, with an exotic mixture of African, Portuguese and Brazilian cuisine. A continental feast you could say. And if you're a fan of seafood, you're in for a real treat. Not only is it mouth wateringly delicious - it's extremely reasonably too. Tuck into charcoal grilled lobster, juicy giant prawns, tasty octopus, and of course, the fresh fish catches of the day. Santa Maria on Sal has an excellent selection of places to eat, from restaurants serving traditional dishes and tapas bars to pizzerias and Italian eateries. While on Boa Vista, you'll find a sprinkling of traditional-style eateries serving up lip smacking Cape Verde specialties. Shopping Cape Verde certainly isn't the place to shop `til you drop, but if popping your head around colourful doorways to see what you find sounds like your kind of retail therapy, then you'll love shopping here. Nightlife Although much of Cape Verde's nightlife is low-key and often hotel based, the local's lively spirit comes out to play after dark. Their philosophy is `the more the merrier' so whether you join them shimmying to live music at a bustling bar or sip ponche, firewater laced with honey, at a lively cafe, their energy and love of life is contagious. For important visa information, please visit www.thomson.co.uk/cape-verde-visas.
Explore and Enjoy
Sal Sightseeing - Join us for a half-day sightseeing trip through the Wild West-like scenery of Sal. Starting with a visit to the port of Palmeira, you can stroll through the cobbled streets of this tiny village. We then head to the famous `Blue Eye', a naturally formed lagoon shaped like an eye. Driving back through Terra Boa, you'll then stop off at the capital of Espargos, before heading to Pedra de Lume, here you can swim in the Dead Sea-like waters. Discover Santiago - Your day of discovery begins with a visit to Praia, Cape Verde's capital where you'll see the President's house and market place. You'll then head to Cidade Velha, where you can see the beach where slaves were once sold. Lunch in Rui Vaz is followed by a stop in the botanical gardens. Driving to the east coast you will have time to refresh yourself in the village of Pedra Badejo before heading back to Praia.
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Average daily maximum temp Cape Verde London
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M A M J J A S O N D
7 8 9 10 10 9 7 6 7 8 8 7 Average daily hours of sunshine - Cape Verde 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 10 11 3 1 0 Average monthly rainfall in cms - Cape Verde 59 57 55 54 55 59 66 71 73 65 63 62 Average monthly humidity % - Cape Verde
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