Holiday Sun Cape Verde

Holidays in Cape Verde: The latest buzz word in the holidays world.

Imagine a place that has miles and miles of sand surrounded by warm crystal clear waters. Imagine a place that is quite literally a desert island. Imagine a place that is largely unspoilt by tourism and you have the Cape Verde Islands.

Sitting halfway between Portugal and Brazil; and just 5.5 hours flying time from the UK; the Cape Verde island offer year round sunshine holidays in a unique place.

The Climate

The Cape Verdean climate is one of the main reasons why Cape Verde has become such a popular holiday destination. The two main holiday islands; Sal and Boa Vista; enjoy on average 300 days of sunshine a year.

Temperatures range from 24 to 27 decrees in the winter months to around 30 degrees in the summer. The cooling trade winds that blow in from the Sahara ensure that even the hottest days in summer remain pleasant.

When is the best time to visit?

The main attraction of Cape Verde is that it is an all-year holiday destination. Even the cooler months in winter have hot days suitable for sunbathing. It is worth noting however that the trade winds that blow across Sal and Boa Vista are at their strongest in January and February making sunbathing a little tricky. However, if you are into water sports such as surfing, kite surfing and windsurfing than these months are ideal.

Cape Verde does have a short rainy season between August and October, but rainfalls vary greatly between the ten islands with Santiago, the biggest and most southerly island, receiving the most of this rainfall. Even if rain does fall on the holiday islands, rain in Cape Verde tends to be of the heavy and sort lived variety. Even in the rainiest months there is only on average 7 days of rain and if you plan to island hop the rain makes for lush tropical vegetation that Cape Verde is famed for.

The Resorts.

The main holiday resorts, as mentioned previously, are the islands of Sal and Boa Vista. Both islands are situated on the North East of the archipelago and are  desert islands. Sal is flat with the main resorts in Santa Maria, on Sal’s most southerly tip. Boa Vista has a slightly more interesting interior and it is not as developed as its neighbour Sal. What both islands have in common is the spectacular beaches. Miles and miles of coastline can be explored and odds are you will find a secluded beach away from the main crowds.

Shipwrecks and deserted beaches on Boa Vista.

All Inclusive Holidays to Cape Verde

Package holidays to Cape Verde

Things to See and Do.

Despite Cape Verde being a holiday destination mainly for the beach and sun worshippers there are still plenty of things to see and do on both islands. Explore Sal by jeep or by Quad bike, take a cruise on the Catamaran around the island, take a trip to the volcano on Fogo or visit Praia on the island of Santiago.

Boa Vista is a little quieter in terms of activities but you can explore the fascinating interior, sand dunes and ghost towns of this island. Boa Vista has some spectacular coastline that is riddles with ship wrecks and undiscovered beaches.  Island trips to Sao Nicolau, Fogo and Santiago are also available from Boa Vista.

Watersports are available on both island. Surfing, Windsurfing and Kitesurfing are the most popular. Deep sea fishing and diving are also available at some resorts.

Explore the islands by 4x4.

Families.

Cape Verdean people love children and are welcoming to young visitors to the islands. The hotels on both island also cater for families with kids’ clubs and children’s facilities.

There are many activities that children will enjoy. The Neptunas, a glass bottomed boat, will allow you to see the fascinating sea life Sal has to offer. For children over 15 years old, explore the island by quad bike. Visit the salt pans in the North and float on the top of a saline lake, just like on the Dead Sea. For the nature enthusiasts visit the turtle sanctuary in Santa Maria.

Hotels

There are plenty of hotels to choose from on both Sal and Boa Vista with 3 to 5 star accommodation with a range of boarding options. The hotels are offered through Thomson and First Choice holidays.

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The island of Sal is the main tourist island in Cape Verde. The island is flat and desert like with salt pans in the North (you can swim in Pedre de Lume, a salty lake like the Dead Sea) and miles of white sand beaches in the South.

Salinas de Pedre de Lume

Photo: Henke

The airport is located in Espargos, in the centre of the island and also the Sal Capital. The main resorts are located in Santa Maria, on the southernmost tip of the island which is surrounded by beautiful beaches. Transfer times to the hotels and resorts in Santa Maria are around 20 – 30 minutes.

Sal is home to some spectacular sea life. Dolphins and Whales are common all year round and Dolphin and Whale watching trips are sometimes available. Humpback Whales are in the area between approximately January to April and the average boat fare is around 40 Euros.

Turtles are an important part of Cape Verde. Cape Verde is the third larges nesting site for Loggerhead turtles. Turtles come onto the beaches in June and baby turtles can be seen hatching through October up until December. It is possible to see the nesting and hatching turtle, and to watch the hatchlings being released. All is subject to a donation of between 5 and 20 euros. There is also a hatchery where you can see hatchlings being born.

Diving.

Cape Verde is an excellent place to go diving, whether you are an experienced diver or just want to learn. There are six dive centres on Sal, and prices vary so shop around a bit. Diving is good all year round with warm waters but the best time to dive is between August and Late September. Diving trips depart from Santa Maria but special trips can be arranged for diving in the north where lava formations make for a very different diving experience.

Quad Bikes.

Quad Biking around the island of Sal

What better way to explore the island than on a quad bike? Half day tours are available from many hotels.

Watersports.

Windsurfing and Kite Surfing are popular sports in Cape Verde and is possible all year round. Many of the hotels in Santa Maria offer equipment rental, lessons and pick up and drop off services to the beaches. The best time to visit is February when the winds across the island is at its strongest.

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All Inclusive holidays to Cape Verde are a fantastic way to visit the Cape Verde islands without having to worry about spending too much money. Many of the all inclusive resorts in Cape Verde are rated 4 or 5 stars and there is ample entertainment and activities that offer great value for money.

One of many spectacular beaches in Cape Verde

Cape Verde all inclusive holidays are available on two islands: Sal and Boa Vista. Sal is the most developed in terms of tourism and has the largest choice of hotels. Boa Vista is less developed and only has a limited choice of hotels, but the scenery more than makes up for it.

Boa Vista Sand Dunes

There are direct flights to Sal and Boa Vista from four UK airports: Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. Flying times to both islands are around 5.5 hours.

Cape Verde Holidays: All Inclusive resorts on Sal.

All of the all inclusive hotels in Sal are located in the small town of Santa Maria, situated on the Southern most tip of the island and surrounded on all sides by the Atlantic Ocean.  Although it is a small settlement, Santa Maria has some of the most spectacular beaches in Sal. The warm waters of the Atlantic are great for surfers, divers and deep sea fishing, as well as beach lovers.  There are six all inclusive resorts on Sal:-

Hotel	Photo	Rating	Board	Swimming Pools	Beach
ClubHotel Riu Funana		4 Star	AI	2 lagoon style pools with whirlpool. 1 heated in winter.	Located on white sandy beach
ClubHotel Riu Garopa		4 Star	AI	2 Swimming pools, 1 heated in winter	Located on white sandy beach
Melia Tortuga Beach Resort and Spa		5 Star	AI	4 swimming pools, including 2 separate children’s pools.	Located on Algodoeiro Beach to the North of Santa Maria.
Oasis Belorizonte		3 Star	AI	3 swimming pools, including 2 salt water pools.	On the Beach

The following hotels are offered through First Choice Holidays:-

Hotel	Photo	Rating	Board	Swimming Pools	Beach
Sabura Hotel (adult only hotel)		3 Star	AI	1	500m to the nearest beach.
Oasis Salinas		4 Star	AI	Large salt water swimming pool and outdoor jacuzzi.	Located on Santa Maria Beach

Click here for more information about Sal

All Inclusive holidays to Cape Verde: Boa Vista.

Boa Vista is the less well developed island in terms of tourism with fewer choices when it comes to hotels. However, what it lacks in choice and development is sure makes up for in terms of scenery. The coastline is deserted and spectacular; littered with shipwrecks and snorkelling opportunities. It is not uncommon to find a deserted beach completely to yourself. If you are more into exploring the inland areas of the island; there are plenty of ghost towns to explore, as well as the magnificent sand dunes that cover the island.

The hotels are located around the Sal Rei area and have a huge stretch of beach which to relax on. Again, the choice of accommodation is limited but it is sure to expand in the coming years.

Hotel	Photo	Rating	Board	Swimming Pools	Beach
ClubHotel Riu Touareg		5 Star	AI	5 Swimming Pools	Private Beach
ClubHotel Riu Karamboa		5 Star	AI	2 swimming pools, including children’s pool heated in winter.	On the beach
Royal Decameron		4 Star	AI	2 Saltwater Swimming pools, 1 with whirlpool baths and a children’s section of the pool	On the Beach

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Cape Verde packages holidays versus all inclusive holidays? What is the better option?

When choosing a holiday it is always difficult to decide what board basis to go on. Cape Verde holiday packages, for the purposes of this article are all boards (B&B, SC, HB and FB) except all inclusive. Package Holidays to Cape Verde are the cheaper option if you want to holiday in the Cape Verde Islands without the added expense of an all inclusive holiday. There are a number of choices of hotels available ranging in standards from Bed and Breakfast and Self Catering to Half and Full Board options. Cape Verde holiday packages are available to the islands of Sal and Boa Vista with direct flights from the UK; so it is a perfect option if you want to visit Cape Verde on a budget. Cape Verde holiday packages are available through a few tour operators and the choice is likely to increase the more developed Cape Verde becomes. Cape Verde holiday packages are ideal if you want a holiday away from the crowd.

Cape Verde holiday packages versus all inclusive deals.

OK lets weigh up the options. It is a great feeling knowing that all your food, drinks and entertainment are paid for with all inclusive deals; and it is great if you want to stay around the hotel and sunbathe. It is a little restrictive when you want to do a little exploring though. Cape Verde holiday packages allow flexible meal plans without the need to stick to the hotel restaurants or feel guilty about paying for a meal twice because you ate out on an excursion. It also allows you to choose whether you want to spend the extra money on entertainment and activities rather than paying for them and not using them with all inclusive deals.

Cape Verde Holiday Packages – What is on offer?

There is in fact more choice for Cape Verde holiday packages than there is for all inclusive holidays to Cape Verde, and depending on where you go to book your holiday you could bag yourself a bargain. Below are a list of hotels that offer Cape Verde holiday packages:-

Hotels on Sal

Hotel Morabeza Hotel:Hotel Morabeza

Rating:

Location: Santa Maria, Sal, Cape Verde

Photo	Board Basis	Facilities	Flights
	B&B Half Board	Stylish and elegant Beachside location 3 à la carte restaurants Close to resort centre	London Gatwick Manchester Birmingha

Odja D’Agua Hotel Hotel:Odja D’Agua Hotel

Rating:

Location: Santa Maria, Sal, Cape Verde

• Photo	Board Basis	Facilities	Flights
  	B&B Half Board	On the beach Popular restaurant overlooking the sea Great for couples	London Gatwick Manchester Birmingham Holidays in Cape Verde – Jump To:- Holidays in Cape Verde All Inclusive Holidays to Cape Verde Flights to Sal, Cape Verde Flights to Boa Vista, Cape Verde Related Posts: All Inclusive holidays to Cape Verde

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If package holidays to Cape Verde are not your thing and you want a bit more freedom with your holiday to Cape Verde, a flight-only package can be a fun way of doing things. It can also work out a lot cheaper in some cases.

Direct flights to Sal, Cape Verde

Currently the only direct flights to Sal, Cape Verde, are through Thomson Flights. Flights are available from London Gatwick on Mondays, Birmingham on Tuesdays; and Manchester on Wednesdays. Be sure to book early as these flights are used for package holiday passengers and flight-only seating is limited. However, if you are lucky enough to get one of these seats it works out around £200 cheaper than flying indirect with other airlines. The direct flight times to Sal is around 5.5 to 6 hours.

Click here for flights to Sal, Cape Verde with Thomson.

Indirect flights to Sal, Cape Verde.

If you want more flexibility about when you fly and the duration of your stay in Cape Verde indirect flights to Sal, Cape Verde, may be a better option for you. The least expensive routes are usually via Lisbon or Amsterdam flying with TAP or TACV (Cape Verdes state run airline). Ebookers offer the cheapest and best routes available, however, bear in mind that due to layovers the journey time to Sal may be a little longer.
Click here for Flights to Sal, Cape Verde through Ebookers.

Holidays in Cape Verde – Jump to:-

• Holidays in Cape Verde
  
• All Inclusive Holidays To Cape Verde
• Cape Verde Holiday Packages
  
• Flights to Boa Vista, Cape Verde
  

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There are a fewer number of flights to Boa Vista, Cape Verde than is available for the island of Sal. However, the number of flights to Boa Vista is likely to increase in the future as more and more developments on the island are opened to holiday makers.

Direct flights to Boa Vista, Cape Verde

Currently the only direct flights to Boa Vista, Cape Verde, are through Thomson's flight-only search engine. Flights are available from London Gatwick on Thursdays; and Manchester on Mondays. Be sure to book early as these flights are used for package holiday passengers and flight-only seating is limited. However, if you are lucky enough to get one of these seats it works out around £200 cheaper than flying indirect with other airlines. The direct flight times to Boa Vista is around 5.5 to 6 hours.

Click here to search for direct flights to Boa Vista, Cape Verde with Thomson.

Indirect flights to Boa Vista, Cape Verde.

If you want more flexibility about when you fly and the duration of your stay in Cape Verde indirect flights to Boa Vista, Cape Verde may be a better option for you. The least expensive routes are usually via Lisbon however many of these flights fly via Praia on the island of Sanitago flying with TAP or TACV (Cape Verdes state run airline). You may want to use this opportunity to explore Santiago before flying on to Boa Vista for the wonderful beaches. Once again Ebookers offer the cheapest and best routes available.
 

Click here for Flights to Boa Vista, Cape Verde via Ebookers.co.uk

Holidays in Cape Verde – Jump To:-

• Holidays in Cape Verde
  
• All Inclusive Holidays to Cape Verde
  
• Cape Verde Holiday Packages
  
• Flights to Sal, Cape Verde
  

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