Practical informations

The Cape Verde islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coasts of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. The archipelago is divided into two series of islands. The Sotavento islands, or ‘Islands beneath the wind’, include Brava, Fogo, Santiago and Maio. These islands total 1803 km². They are less exposed to the wind, and are thus warmer. The largest and most densely populated island is Santiago, which has a land mass of 991 km². The smallest inhabited island is Brava, with 67.4 km². The greenest island, with the most land used for agriculture, and also the most surprising, is Santo Antão. The highest point in Cape Verde, at 2829 meters above sea level, is on Fogo.

Like pebbles thrown into the sea between 3 continents, the Cape Verde islands form a horse-shoe with its mouth facing South America. Most of the islands are very arid, but they are among the planet’s few unspoilt places. The islands are mainly of volcanic origin. Along with the Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira they form the archipelago known as Macaronesia.

Cape Verde has four international airports: Amílcar Cabral on the island of Sal (since 1 November 2005), Praia International Airport on the island of Santiago (since 31 October 2007), the international airport on the island of Boa Vista and, finally, the São Vicente airport (since 22 December 2009). Praia, the country’s administrative capital, is on the island of Santiago, the largest of the Cape Verde islands.

  • Climate: located in the Sudan-Sahel zone that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, the country has a hot, dry climate for most of the year. There are two seasons:

    - the ‘dry season’ lasts from the end of October to the beginning of July. Temperatures are lower but there are very high winds from December to February.

    - the ‘rainy season’ stretches from August to October. The months of September and October are fairly hot.

  • Languages: Portuguese (official), Creole (mother tongue)

  • Currency: Cape Verde Escudo - the Euro is also widely accepted

  • Health precautions: there are no particular health risks and no vaccinations are required for entry. Visitors should, however, avoid drinking water from the tap and using ice cubes, unless they have been made from bottled water.

  • Formalities: depend on the visitor’s nationality. If a visa is required, the visitor’s passport should be valid for a period of six months after the return date. Visas should be obtained from the Cape Verde consulate at least two weeks before departure. They may also be obtained upon arrival and in this case cost 25 euros.