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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Tell me about Cape Verde?

45 replies

NewMoonPhase · 01/01/2023 09:06

Where's the best place to stay with kids?
Best airport to fly to?
What did you love there?
Which is the best beach?
Where was the best place to eat that you found?

OP posts:
GCSquirrel · 01/01/2023 09:09

There was absolutely nothing to do there. There’s whale watching depending on the season you go but other than that you’ll just be in the hotel. Absolute nightmare with kids unless they’re tiny they’ll be climbing the walls.

Juicylychee · 01/01/2023 09:09

Quite boring tbh. Have you considered other places?

grayhairdontcare · 01/01/2023 09:26

There is nothing at all to do.
Absolutely nothing.
It's lovely to look at but it's so dull.

Original poster
NewMoonPhase · 01/01/2023 10:38

There must be something to do!

OP posts:
AHelpfulHand · 01/01/2023 10:43

Pick a hotel that has loads of things with it like…

  • on site water park
  • gym
  • indoor pool
  • several restaurants on site
  • spa and massage
  • kids clubs
  • own private beach
Happiestwithtea · 01/01/2023 10:44

GCSquirrel · 01/01/2023 09:09

There was absolutely nothing to do there. There’s whale watching depending on the season you go but other than that you’ll just be in the hotel. Absolute nightmare with kids unless they’re tiny they’ll be climbing the walls.

Yep this.

You will literally spend your entire time at the hotel. And if you’re lucky you’ll avoid food poisoning. 🤞

NotLovingWFH · 01/01/2023 10:46

It’s lovely if you’re a fan of holidays where you just eat, sunbathe, have beach walks and read. There are things to do but most involve nature/sights or water sports. There is a website visit-caboverde.com (apologies don’t know how to link) which has more information. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea but if you need sun, a change of scenery and a rest it’s great.

AdaColeman · 01/01/2023 10:49

It's like having a holiday in Swindon in the 1950s, though not as exciting.

dontcallmelen · 01/01/2023 10:51

Oh & it’s windy, extremely windy so no comfort on the beach.
we went to Boa Vista, never have I encountered so many flies in all my life don’t know if Sal might be better, also agree absolutely nothing to do apart from hang around the hotel.

MindPalace · 01/01/2023 10:54

I have never been but it’s the one holiday destination I’ve only heard negative things about. I’d pick somewhere else if possible, sorry.

minipie · 01/01/2023 11:06

My parents go and like it but they are in their 70s and they go to fly and flop in the sun.

If you’re after winter sun with kids I’d suggest Tenerife, hotels outside Marrakech or Mauritius.

Nosecamera · 01/01/2023 11:14

I thought about taking the family there and chose the Canaries instead. It was absolutely fab, beaches, history, countryside, comfortable temperature, everyone was happy.

IhearyouClemFandango · 01/01/2023 11:14

We had a flat and flop there at Easter with 3 kids, we went to boa vista. We loved the climate, didn't encounter any flies and the hotel was nice enough. We did a day trip by 4x4 which was fun, enlightening as to how little there was there though.

We would go again, but probably Sal instead. We had considered an air BnB, but flights are so.limited it isn't worth it, may as well hotel again.

We are looking at Tenerife this Easter instead.

Dragonskin · 01/01/2023 11:15

We went to Sal for a week. It was OK but we did everything the island had to offer outside the hotel in a day. The hotel was nice, the beaches were a bit meh and had packs of stray dogs wandering around, the mosquitos were HUGE and vicious. All in all we wouldn't consider going back

igglepigglegingin · 01/01/2023 11:17

We went all inclusive as a engaged young couple to Sal to the main resort hotel. It was immensely boring - sparsely populated, half finished buildings and not much infrastructure. Loads of stray dogs on the private resort beach and the wind was so strong we couldn't go in the sea. We didn't seem to care as we were young and there to drink, and lie in the sun. I got food poisoning on the last day, and I definitely wouldn't return or take my family there.

IhearyouClemFandango · 01/01/2023 11:25

Actually there were mosquitoes, I'd forgotten them. Youngest was a pin cushion.

Iliveditwizbit · 01/01/2023 11:27

I’d be very wary and look into the stories of the people who travelled to Sal in 2021 with tui.
you’d have to pay me!

1000yellowdaisies · 01/01/2023 11:29

I went to Cape verde years ago with a partner, before I had kids. Just make sure you go to a hotel with lots of activities available as there isn't much do do outside the Hotel. We stayed on Sal and we ventured into Santa Maria in the evenings, very boring, not a lot to do. Obviously there are locals but there isnt the culture or anything historically interesting you could go and explore. We did a trip to a volcanic lagoon and a boat trip, that was about it. There was also a fish restaurant in Santa Maria that did gorgeous fresh seafood that we went to a few times.
Its obviously hot in summer and the sea was lovely to swim in. We spent a lot of time sunbathing by the pool, reading and relaxing, which suited us at the time. And the holiday was cheaper than other places we looked at. I wouldn't go back with the kids.

Abraxan · 01/01/2023 11:29

From what friends who've been tell me it's just somewhere to go that I'm has winter sun, and they went for a week in winter and didn't really do anything behind sunbathing and the pool, plus eating and drinking, all at the hotel. The odd small areas to visit and the odd bar/restaurant.

A lying in the winter sun for a week May he exactly what you need.

But I've always been told it's not somewhere to go off you want to do anything more than that.

Hoppinggreen · 01/01/2023 11:36

We went in 2019 in September with a 14 and 11 year old and really enjoyed it.
There are some very large and not great hotels but we stayed at the Melia Tortuga in Sal and had a lovely 2 bedroom suite. The hotel was nice and as well as the main buffet restaurant there were 3 others you could eat in if you booked ahead.
We were there for a week and mostly swam and snorkelled but we booked a day trip (private, just us in a jeep with a driver and guide) and went all over the island. We jumped off rocks into the sea, paddled with baby sharks, swam in salt lakes and had an amazing lunch of lobster in a tiny restaurant. We also went into the big town by taxi a couple of times to see the fishermen bring in their catch and visit the market
We were never bored and would happily go again

LadyGAgain · 01/01/2023 13:05

Same as @Hoppinggreen . We also took a taxi one night into the main town and had a meal there and another day we went quad biking. Loved it. But we are lounge around a pool reading a book people.

Tiredo · 01/01/2023 13:12

It’s what I call a fly and flop holiday, it has no heart and soul that you actually see (culture, history etc) though, it’s quite baron and faceless (I assume due to previous Portuguese slavery, it being prior to influx of gentrifying quite poor and a mass of huge culturless complexes being dotted about baron seasides).

Sea is quite choppy (too choppy to enjoy or swim in), food was average, shit load of flies, it definitely wasn’t what I expected anyway. I went once and that was enough.

I prefer Turkey, Majorca and Phuket (if long hauls an option) for a fly and flop.

yaflouloci · 01/01/2023 13:14

One of the Islands (one of the major tourist ones) doesn't have a hospital.

ginforall · 01/01/2023 13:14

We went about 5 years ago with kids who were 5 and 10. Also stayed at Melia Tortuga, the 2 bedroom suite was a great size for an all inclusive. There isn't loads to do on the island but we did do a trip to go in the sea with lemon sharks which was brilliant and took a taxi to Santa Maria which was a nice afternoon out. The hotel had some stuff for kids on in the day around the pool and the beach by the hotel had a wave breaker so the sea was good for snorkeling and had lots of fish. The flight wasn't great, 6 hours but tui counted it as short haul so small plane with no entertainment, though think they use bigger planes from some airports.

custardbear · 01/01/2023 13:22

Went to Sal, wouldn't go back. It was cloudy and nothing much to do. I got bitten my mosquitoes all
Holiday too and when I managed to find and kill the one in my bedroom, my blood was smeared up the wall from his late night blood sucking antics 🤢🦟

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