Travel to Cape Verde without any tourist traps! Here you will find a list of the top 10 attractions in Cape Verde! Which highlights and attractions should you not miss on your holiday in Cape Verde?
The Cape Verde islands lie off the coast of Senegal like stepping stones in the Atlantic. They offer mountains and gorges, deserts and green valleys, wide beaches and small bays. The 7 islands impress with their interesting symbiosis of European and African culture and are a paradise for volcano explorers, hikers and surfers - visiting only one island on holiday in Cape Verde is out of the question!
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Mindelo on São Vicente
Thanks to its natural deep-sea harbour, the "cultural capital" of Cape Verde has seen numerous peoples settle here over the centuries. The lively harbour promenade, the noisy markets and the splendid colonial buildings in the old town quarter worth seeing make Mindelo one of the most visited cities in Cape Verde.
Article: Mindelo on São Vicente
Accommodation and hotels São Vicente Island
Cidade Velha on Santiago
Cidade Velha, the "old town", is the oldest settlement on Cape Verde and was the very first tropical colonial town in Europe. The great explorers, such as Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama, anchored here before setting off on their journey into the unknown. Today, Cidade Velha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and impresses with its simple but enormously historic colonial buildings.
Article: Cidade Velha on Santiago
Accommodation and hotels Santiago Island
Beaches on Boa Vista
If you are planning a beach holiday on Cape Verde, you should choose Boa Vista! The easternmost island of the archipelago has the largest and most beautiful beaches of Cape Verde and has been able to preserve its original, cosy flair until today. Surfers and divers also get their money's worth in and under the waves off Boa Vista's coast.
Article: Beaches on Boa Vista
Photo gallery: Beaches on Boa Vista
Accommodation and hotels Boa Vista Island
Santa Maria on Sal
Excellent bathing conditions are also created by the sun, sand and sea on the island of Sal. Bathing holidaymakers meet here above all in the tourist stronghold of Santa Maria, on whose dream beach the largest hotel resorts of Cape Verde are located. Restaurants, bars, diving and surfing schools create the best conditions for a paradisiacal island holiday.
Article: Santa Maria on Sal
Accommodation and hotels Sal Island
Tarrafal on Santiago
The idyllic village of Tarrafal is located in the mountainous north of the island on Santiago's most beautiful beach. With fine light sand and lined with palm trees, which are not often found on Cape Verde, it spreads an almost Caribbean flair. After a few hours of swimming on the beach and a hearty fish meal, hiking trails invite you to explore the lush hinterland of Tarrafal.
Article: Tarrafal on Santiago
Accommodation and hotels Santiago Island
Ribeira do Paúl on Santo Antão
The idyllic green valley Ribeira do Paúl on the hiking island of Santo Antão is also densely overgrown. The entrance to the rugged valley is in the pastel-coloured coastal village of Vila das Pombas, from where it leads through coconut palms and sugar cane plantations to the crater of Coya do Paúl.
Article: Ribeira do Paúl on Santo Antão
Accommodation and hotels Santo Antão Island
São Filipe on Fogo
The capital of the volcanic island of Fogo is the second oldest settlement in Cape Verde after Cidade Velha on Santiago and is perched on a 70-metre-high cliff. São Filipe attracts Cape Verde holidaymakers with magnificent colonial buildings and a pitch-black volcanic beach against which the wild Atlantic thunders.
Article: Sao Filipe on Fogo
Accommodation and hotels Fogo Island
Sal Rei on Boa Vista
The tranquil Sal Rei is the main town of Boa Vista. Its pretty town centre with lovingly renovated houses houses everything a tourist needs on Cape Verde and thus offers the ideal starting point to explore the dreamlike beaches on Boa Vista.
Article: Sal Rei on Boa Vista
Accommodation and hotels Boa Vista Island
Pico do Fogo on Fogo
At 2,829m, Pico do Fogo is the highest mountain in Cape Verde. The still smoking volcano can be explored from Chã das Caldeiras. The path to the summit changes from lush green vegetation to a coal-black scree landscape of solidified lava.
Article: Hiking at the Pico do Fogo on Fogo
Accommodation and Hotels Fogo Island
Assomada on Santiago
Assomada is located in the idyllic green heart of Santiago, halfway between the capital Praia and the picturesque coastal town of Tarrafal. Nowhere else in Cape Verde can the African soul of the archipelago be felt as strongly as in Assomada. It is evident in the markets, in the historic city centre, in the dances and in the music.
Article: Assomada on Santiago
Accommodation and hotels Santiago Island
