Cape Verde's Islands
Of fC Cape V Verde’s d’ tten socially i ll distanced, deliciously different islands, nine are inhabited. Going from one environmental extreme to another, they offer rolling sand dunes, mountain peaks, solar powered settlements, roads reaching vertiginous altitudes and a bit of everything in between. Island hopping, using local ferries and inter-island flights, is how to get around. One day I tore myself from Sal to take a mini-cruise to neighbouring Boa Vista, one of the world’s most important breeding grounds for turtles. Day trips are available by catamaran or you can head off for the day on a small plane to some of the other islands. Fogo – the name means ‘fire’ – is a coffee growing volcanic island popular with walkers, while Santiago, most African of all the islands, is a birdwatcher’s paradise. São Vicente has a lively capital, Mindelo, and is famous for its community of artists, writers and exuberant annual festivals, while tiny Brava, most hidden away of all the islands, is only reached by boat.