Has anyone been to Cape Verde? What was your experience?

[loveyouradvice]

I'd never heard of it until a week ago

Have you been? What was it like?

Where would you recommend for a couple of February weeks, swimming and studying... so really treating it like a sunny health farm with plenty of time to research/study. Somewhere quiet-ish. Relaxing, beautiful, good food.

No offense but Cape Verde may not be the right place for you! It's tricky to find good restaurants etc and quite undeveloped tourist wise.

Have you looked at La Gomera?

We went 12 years ago and absolutely loved it. We looked into going back, about 18mths ago, but Shigella is rife across both islands so we decided not to take the risk.

The Govt have updated their advice to include the Shigella now, too. Here

I’m there at the moment! In an all inclusive hotel on Boa Vista, it’s lovely!
There is hand gel on the door in all the restaurants!

Several friends have gone - the plus is amazing AI, hot and sunny, easy holiday - they had a fabulous break (over new year an Feb 1/2 term)
the minuses are it is very windy (can impact flights but also v easy to burn), not much beyond the main hotels, and more concerning lack of medical facilities - if you needed hospital you need to be medivaced back to canaries or similar.

If it was between the two, I’d choose La Gomera every time. Especially with the lack of medical facilities.

We went to Boa Vista, the hotel was amazing and so was the food. The beaches are wonderful too. But it does get quite chilly in the evenings, which I wasn't prepared for (you needed a coat, not just a cardigan) but there was nothing outside the hotel. As @samlovesdilys mentioned, there is no hospital. This bothers me more as DH and I get older. But Sal is a bigger, busier island, you can go out and about, and that's where I'd go if we returned to Cape Verde. Try looking for the Jane MacDonald documentary about it on Channel 5. But I'd look for a hospital before I made a booking to Sal!

Is La Gomera very similar to the Cape Verde islands?

Thanks all... I'm looking for warmer than La Gomera

Hmmm... Shingella... sounds significant @TheFairyCaravan

@rockstarshoes Which all inclusive are you at? Did you get a good deal? Im thinking all inclusive for ease ...And is it windy and evening cold there too??

Good tips @Millymolly99 - gosh coats not cardigans! That sounds extreme. Ill look for the C5 documentary

I'm hoping less windy if possible... is it windy EVERYWHERE @samlovesdilys ....hoping not!!

If you want to relax study and enjoy sun then why not a decent Egypt
I’m going to a 5 star in Hurghada with an amazing complex and not much around it
Last time I went I was recovering from surgery so happy to chill , relax and a daily gentle walk

We've been to Sal (Meliá Dunas, in Ponta Preta a few kilometres from Santa Maria) a number of times in February and loved it. Warm ocean, cold pools, but peaceful and relaxing. Windy (and dusty) too at times, but the staff keep everything clean. We've never found the evenings cold, but with young kids we've always been back in the room by about 8.30pm anyway.

Do not consider anything other than AI. You pay through the nose for restaurants in Santa Maria and they're just not very good unless you go for fresh local fish. Self catering is a complete non starter. We've found that within the hotel the buffet restaurant is far superior to the à la carte ones.

Cabo Verde has voluntarily adopted EU regulations and standards on things like food hygiene and Meliá is a Spanish chain with European management which runs its hotels to the same standards. You can see the kitchen staff taking samples from the buffet, checking temperatures, removing food that's been out long enough. I have no concerns at all about what goes on in the kitchens, although obviously you cannot legislate for the other guests' hygiene... Local restaurants might well be different and if you're concerned about getting the shits that's another reason to go AI and stay in the hotel.

We were actually considering going back this spring, but MIL went there last year and said that the Meliá Dunas was in dire need of a refurb - which I can believe as each visit we've noticed an obvious downward trajectory in the fabric of the buildings, towels, etc.

With military intervention in Iran a real possibility, I'd be wary of travelling to a place which has a land border with Israel...

I've stayed at the riu palace cabo Verde twice. It was lovely and near enough to the town to walk in.

However, the second time, we all had bad stomachs on our return, so it's good to be aware.

Read those reviews carefully. All I see about Cape Verde is complaints about food poisoning. Plus there is only rudimentary health care there and that alone would make it a no from me.

Went last year, it was perfectly fine for a holiday spent lounging by the pool in the sun, but the islands themselves are barren outside the hotels.

Food (AI) was adequate but nothing spectacular.

I went and enjoyed it. It was very underdeveloped but the Rui hotel was nice. The beach was lovely but it really was a chill week.
Recently I’ve read a lot of reports about poor medical care so unless you’re in perfect Health I would not risk it.

We were at Melia Dunas quite a few years ago, it was lovely so sad to hear it is declining.
Food was lovely which was just as well as there was only one restaurant in the main town, which was fully booked all week.
Shop in town did not have the usual supplies, there was a choice of Twix, Bounty or Mars Bar as the only snacks.
We did a half day island trip to some salt lake but the rest of the island we saw was desolate.

We went to Boa Vista a Riu hotel, I didn’t like it very much was very barren nothing to see really outside of the hotel, extremely windy so uncomfortable on the beach the thing that really put me off was the flies I have never seen so many you couldn’t make out what the vegetation was outside of the balcony as was covered in flies the restaurant & outside dining also overrun with them the hotel was fine typical large A/I rooms were clean I wouldn’t go back & was really glad we only booked for seven nights.

@loveyouradvice we’re in the RIU Palace, https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/africa/cape-verde/cape-verde-islands/boa-vista/hotels/riu-palace-boavista.html Not a deal just paid the price!
The food is lovely, there are loads of staff, really look after you! I’m very impressed! the beach is lovely, it is windy but tbh for me without the wind in the day I would be too hot! Like I said above they are obviously trying to look after everyone & there is hand gel everywhere!
My husband walked to the Town earlier in the week & said it was pretty but tbh I’m just flaked out by the pool, reading a book & drinking cocktails!
It is chilly in the evenings but I have my puffa from the trip to the airport & haven’t needed that yet!
I must admit that I didn’t know there weren’t any medical facilities here until I got here!
Been busy with work, just booked it & came! 😳

I enjoyed Sal. You can book a drive around the island and see key sites, I walked to the town, explored, visited the fishing pier, the beach there had a lovely atmosphere. I'm a runner so did a few runs in the area, saw a turtle sanctuary. It was enough for a week to 1O days. Not loads to see and do like a European historical area, but enough. The locals are lovely.

Out of all the groups/families that I know have gone to CV, at least one person in every single group has got really sick.

There are a few flies but nothing like the above post!…⬆️ I’m having a lovely time!

If you have any health issues it is an awful place to be. Most of the time there’s just one doctor and no hospital or proper clinic, so anything more than a quick check up you’d have to be airlifted out - and that’s not quick either. Heard many horror stories on the travel forums I’m in and it’s completely put me off.

All inclusive and relaxing by the pool and beach and a quiet experience is what you will get.

it can be a little dull if you want more

I went about 30 years ago and although cannot remember much it is surprising what I vividly can. First morning coming out of hotel and a seagull shat on me with such force it knocked my sunglasses off and put me in a foul mood for the rest of the day

”Is La Gomera very similar to the Cape Verde islands?”
I’d say not very, apart from forming part of an archipelago and not the easiest to get to.
CV is a volcanic rock with a rainforest interior and dramatic, jagged valleys going down to the sea. It has a mixture of white and black sand depending on where you go. It’s very pretty, and has pretty good road infrastructure for getting around (precipitous mountain roads though!).

We’ve just been to Boa, not in a resort (our group were doing watersports so wanted to be near the best sailing beach). The ‘right’ end of town is quite pretty in parts but the rest is pretty much an abandoned building site. A few restaurants but nothing to write home about although some of the blokes are raving about the fish (I’m vegan so have gone veggie while I’m here . . .)
I actually heard the sickness is more prevalent at the AI resorts. And it’s a flat desert rock with no outstanding features. A history of salt mining I believe. Roads are like being on safari.
edit: that said, it is lovely on the beach, if windy. Gorgeous sunsets (from the restaurant not the apartment 🥹) too.