The scenic island of São Vicente is perhaps best known for its culture, music and carnival.

This cultural island with its capital Mindelo is one of those places with a full calendar of social activities and musical events. Whether its the famous and spectacular Carnival festivities in February or the Baia das Gatas full moon party in August with lots of music and dancing, there’s always something going on.

Music plays an important role in the island’s existence and every evening, you’ll find local musicians jamming in the restaurants or small music venues. The famous ‘Queen of Morna’ Cesária Évora was born on the island and our guided sightseeing tours of Mindelo include a visit to a guitar-making workshop.

There are some great places to stay in the city, from the boutique Casamarel and Kira’s Boutique to the quirky Terra Lodge and Prassa 3 Hotel, the Portuguese colonial style guesthouse the Casa Colonial and the relaxing, larger city hotel the Oasis Atlantico Porto Grande.

If you’d rather not stay in the city then Sao Vicente also has amazing beaches including Sao Pedro in the west. For an alternative beach stay on an island that’s arguably more interesting than Sal, look no further than the Foya Branca, right on the beach but only a 15 minute taxi ride from Mindelo’s bars, restaurants and entertainment.

Our guides can show you around their island on foot or by driver guided tour. There’s a few good walks here, exploring the coastline and up to Sao Vicente’s highest point, Monte Verde. It’s satisfying to get here on foot but if you’re not into that then the road goes right to the summit, giving you access to one of the best views of the archipelago – across Sao Vicente, Mindelo bay and to neighbouring Santo Antao.

If you’re going to Santo Antao you’ll need to travel via Sao Vicente. The ferry crosses from Mindelo to Porto Novo on Santo Antao twice daily. A day in vibrant Mindelo on the way to and from Santo Antao is a good counterpoint to Santo Antao’s wild remoteness. Whether you’re on Sao Vicente for a night or a week or more, locals will welcome you to this cultural centre of Cape Verde.

Remote, stunning Santo Antao island is only accessible via the ferry that makes the hours’ crossing from Mindelo in Sao Vicente, twice a day.

It’s worth the effort and this mountainous and sparsely-inhabited island draws in lovers of scenery and walking. You don’t have to be a walker to appreciate the island – our English speaking guides can show you their home during an island tour by vehicle. If you are a walker though you’ll particularly love the north eastern valleys – the lush Paul Valley and the huge Ribeira Grande.

If you’re here for two to four days then we recommend that you concentrate on these north east valleys. Stay in the Paul Valley at one of several guest houses, perhaps the Casa Cavoquinho or the lovely Aldeia Manga or simpler, sociable Casa das Ilhas. There’s a network of paths in the Paul valley that you can discover for yourself or be shown around by one of our guides.

A guide is essential when walking  between valleys not least as we’ll also arrange your onward luggage. In Ribeira Grande stay at the Pedracin Village, or on the north coast get away from it all at the wonderful Kasa d’Igreja or Mamiwata Eco Village.

Ponta Do Sol is a lovely port town on the north eastern tip, with views back along the northern coast and a small selection of cafes and restaurants. In town stay at the Musica do Mar on the seafront, or if you prefer more facilities there’s the Tiduca Hotel around the harbour.

To really get under the skin of this amazing island you need at least a three-centre stay and nine nights to spare. If you have longer to stay or want to get off the more usual tourist track you can lose yourself way out west at Santo Antao’s Tarrafal – stay at the Mar Tranquilidade, where getting here’s an adventure in itself. In the central mountains there’s the Quinta Cochete (not yet on our site but we can include it in your itinerary on request) in the high plains of the Cha de Morte.

A day trip is possible from Sao Vicente but we’d definitely stay longer than that on Santo Antao ourselves!

When most people in the UK talk about ‘Cape Verde’ it’s probably Sal island they’re thinking of.

For many people the fantastic white sands of the southern beaches are quintessential Cape Verde. And why not – the beaches are truly amazing, the water sports are great with good diving, wind and kite surfing, and there are plenty of high quality all inclusive hotels lining the shores. Direct flight connections from several regional UK airports mean Sal is easy to get to.

Staying on Sal with us, you’re most likely here at the beginning and end of a wider island hopping tour of the nine islands of Cape Verde. Whilst you’re on Sal, we’ll point you towards characterful accommodation like the wonderful Hotel Morabeza, on the edge of Santa Maria town and from where it’s a short walk to town or beach. Or in town there’s the Odjo d’Agua with it’s enviable position on the ocean front of Santa Maria. If you do want some all inclusive luxury then stay with us at the Sal Hilton, newly constructed and with full facilities including it’s own beach bar.

On the approach from the air, the island appears below you like a long-forgotten desert island. But although mostly barren, there is a lot more to Sal than its popular beautiful beaches and bustling Santa Maria. To the west, the Pedra de Lume salt pans stand out and you’ll spot the half moon bay of Santa Maria to the south.

On an island tour with our guides you’ll see Buracona inlet with it’s black lava rock. Cape Verde’s a windy place and usually white waters are crashing over these black rocks. The nearby Blue Eye is an underground pool where experienced divers dare to dive through the underground tunnel that eventually comes out into the sea.

Fogo’s profile is unmistakably volcanic. This island of 25km in diameter and 2,829m in height is just the visible top of this huge and active stratovolcano.

Today the residents are more forewarned than the early settlers as detection systems give a few days warning if the mountain is about to vent. ‘Fogo’ of course translates as ‘Fire’ and the early Portuguese sailors witnessed the mountain’s power. Since the settlement of the island in the 15th century, there have been more than thirty eruptions the most recent of which was in 2014.  The 2014 eruption devastated the Caldeira’s villages of Portella and Bangaeira which are still today re-growing from the destruction. The residents happily had plenty of time to escape and half decided to return to rebuild their lives. Stay in the Caldeira at the rebuilt Casa Marisa II and take guided walks around the spectacular and alien volcanic terrain.

If the visibility is clear and you’re lucky enough to be seated on the right-hand side of the plane when you’re flying in, you’ll be treated to a spectacular aerial view of the Cha das Caldeiras and the perfect cone of Pico do Fogo, the archipelago’s highest point. The peak is quite a draw and if an ascent is definitely your thing then you can read about Max’s recent guided ascent in our blog.

The Caldeira is undoubtedly the most astounding place but there’s more to Fogo than this. Relaxed and pretty Sao Filipe offers comfortable accommodation and good local dining and music. Stay in the laid-back and friendly Melissa’s Guesthouse or next door at the Portuguese colonial house Residencial Savana. Walk down through town to the gorgeous dark sanded beach – but don’t be tempted to swim as the considerable undertow is dangerous; for swimming instead take taxis or a guided day to Salinas, where ocean swimming is safe and popular. There are guided walks on Fogo’s lower flanks; our guides can take you for a driving day tour showing you around the island’s circumference. The relaxed pace of life is infectious and it’s easy to imagine a longer stay on this friendly island. If you’d like an island escape then the La Fora Ecolodge offers seclusion on the lower mountain slopes.

Fogo’s an essential part of a trip to neighbouring Brava as the ferry departs from Sao Filipe. Ferries aren’t regular – or even timetabled well in advance – making holidays including Brava notoriously hard to plan. We’re here to help – if you’d like to visit both Fogo and Brava then we can create a flexible itinerary that our local partners will manage for you whilst you’re on the islands, adjusting your itinerary as needed so you get to do the things you want in the order that the ferry times of the week allow.

The island of Boavista is an ideal escape if you’re a fan of relaxing on fabulous beaches but prefer to avoid the crowds.

Boavista is less well-connected and well-known than it’s neighbour Sal but is still blessed with huge stretches of white sand, wind-blown from the Sahara.

Relax in the boutique coastal hideaway Spinguera, perhaps a guesthouse in the main town of Sal Rei – try the Orquidea or Migrante – or for a taste of luxury, you could stay in one of the larger all-inclusive hotels like the Iberostar.

The island is the warmest and driest in Cape Verde because it’s directly in the path of the warm harmattan winds from the Sahara. These warm and windy conditions make it perfect for all kinds of great water sports near the capital Sal Rei. The interior on the other looks like a dry moon landscape with its desert-like landscapes – explore by jeep and discover Boavista’s hidden secrets.

The white sandy beaches are stunning and are the third most important destination in the world for nesting loggerhead turtles. Humpback whales like Boavista too, as they have their young here and nurse them until they are strong enough to brave the Atlantic.