Cape Verde

[Hoppinggreen]

Has anyone been and what did you think?
I’ve heard all sorts- from best holiday ever to a barren rock covered in flies where you are guaranteed to get dysentery!
We have decide to do a last minute week away before the dc go back to school and we usually do something a bit more cultural or active but DH has a bad knee so city break combined with walking/cycling won’t really work and I’ve seen a pretty good deal to Cape Verde going a week on Sunday
AI doesn’t usually appeal, neither do big hotels but teen DD fancies something a bit more Instagram Worthy and DS is up for going to “Africa” as long as the spiders aren’t too big and he can get plenty to eat. If we are just hoping for sunshine, half decent food, bit of snorkelling, plenty of swimming and possibly an excursion or 2 do you think we will be ok?
We’ve already been to Germany, Spain and Portugal this year a couple of times so something non European appeals as well or I would be considering Greece

I've been.
For a completely hotel based holiday for a week it's absolutely fine.
Just chill out by the pool or sea.
But there is absolutely nothing else to do on the island.

I've never really fancied Cape Verde (I've got the impression from friends that have been that it's all AI resorts and bog all to do!). However I've watched two programmes that do suggest there's more beyond the loungers - take a look at Channel 4's Holidays Unpacked (you'd have to google the episode) and Africa with Ade Adepitan episode 1.

Thank you
With only a week there I think that as long as we could escape the hotel once it would be fine. Apparently you can do a Jeep safari and swim in a volcano or something so that would be fine and a trip to the (only) town another day along with snorkelling and a bit to do around the hotel would be ok. I don’t think we would be bored, I just wanted to make sure it’s not generally a horrible place

Went to Cape Verde about 2 yrs ago. Hot and sunny and if all you want to do is lay about then it’s perfect.
We did however go quad biking over the huge sand dunes and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done - other worldly

Someone suggested that to me the other day and Sal seems to be the island to go for.
I've looked at the Hilton which I understand is quite new and the Melia.
The only thing putting me off a little is that apparently none of the hotels offer heated pools and in Feb, when I am looking at, it might be chilly for swimming.

Been to Sal, hot but windy

Swam in sea, was rough due to wind

Did desert buggy ride, sailing, horse riding

There was very little in the town to see or do

Take a book to read

It's ok for a week to chill out. But it's not a developed place like Spain, Portugal or Canaries

Also paddled with sharks & visited salt pans

Also ate out of hotel a couple of times

Same as everyone else - I went in 2013, it was warm but very, very windy so we ended up not even being able to go on the beach. The only thing to do was eat and sit by the pool, I was very bored! There was nothing else on the island at all.

We've been to Boa Vista and absolutely loved it.

We'd never don ever AI until we went there but it converted us. The food, and drinks , was amazing. I took loads of packets of Imodium, but we never needed one tablet, and I've got a sensitive stomach. DH went out on a quad bike trip, I didn't because I'm disabled,we got a taxi into the capital one morning. That was so eye opening because the people are so poor. We didn't take our kids on that holiday but I wish they'd seen the conditions those people live in.

It's unlikely you'd be able to do much swimming in the sea in BOa Vista because it's very rough, but the beaches are beautiful. For a chilled out week, you can't go wrong

Thanks everyone
We’ve just booked to go to Sal. We’ve stretched the budget a bit to go for a really nice hotel and are looking forward to a chilled out week not doing much
As I said it’s a very different type of holiday to what we usually do so we will see, the dc are very excited!

We've just come back from Sal . Loved it .
Went with Tui. Very hot. Nice breeze. Gorgeous beaches. Lovely local people. Excursions to do : see turtles, salt mines, etc.

No spiders or creepy crawlies .
Take your snorkelling gear. Lots of fishes .

Sal was okay, you'll have enough to do for a week. It does feel African as they have lots of African things to buy, and the beaches are lovely. They are often windy though, we couldn't snorkel as too rough and the waves were too big.

The food was good and although I wouldn't go again we did enjoy it at the time.

Been to Sal and really enjoyed just a week of relaxing, eating and drinking. Stayed in the Mela Dunas hotel and there were multiple restaurants to eat in so it didn't get repetitive. The staff at the hotel were also so lovely.
There isn't a lot to do on the island but would highly recommend the island tour you go around some of the beaches, go to a naturally formed 'swimming pool', swim with lemon sharks (well paddle close to them) and go to the old salt mine where you literally float in the water.
There are locals you book it through on the beach for around €25 euros and they take you round in a Jeep and to a local cafe for lunch. We felt perfectly safe with them.
Avoid booking the tour through Tui it's about €60 per person and you get taken round on a coach which personally I think ruins the experience.

We stayed at the Morabeza hotel in Sal. There's a wonderful Brazilian bar on the beach that does amazing caiphirinas. The water is beatuifully clear. the vibe is very European. All the waiters seem to be able to talk Portuguese, German, French etc. It's true that there's not a whole lot to see, but we loved it. Did a bit of scuba diving and you're walking down the jetty past the local fishermen. I think I'd probably go back.