Cape Verde Office

Sal is the most developed of the Cape Verde Islands for tourism, the lovely little town of Santa Maria on the south coast being the centre of the action and it is the main tourist resort of Cape Verde.Crystal clear waters lap along stretches of the beautiful world class white sandy beach, and water sports enthusiasts and holidaymakers can make the most of the rapidly developing hotels, resorts and tourist infrastructure. Santa Maria is fast becoming one of the world’s top locations for wind and kite surfers as well as being an excellent destination for diving, sailing and sun worshipping. Fabulous restaurants and bars can be found on the beach close to the pier where the fresh tuna is landed every morning and also along the new palm lined pedestrianised main street where our office is located.Sal is still very much in it’s infancy as a resort however the infrastructure of the island is improving rapidly, and massive investment from world class tourist brands has assured the island is becoming a world class destination. With its cosmopolitan, multicultural and laid back ambiance, Sal is by far the most popular island for investment in Cape Verde.Cape Verde Property have resale apartments and villas for sale in Santa Maria and also properties for sale in the new resort areas such as Vila Verde, Melia Dunas, Melia Tortuga and Paradise Beach.The new upgraded international airport in Sal is just a 15 minute drive to Santa Maria.

Fogo is a volcanic island and is dominated by the spectacular volcano, Pico do Fogo (2829m). It’s possible to walk along the impressive Bordeira and view the spectacular black volcanic moonscape of Cha das Caldeiras from above. Fogo is one of the wetter islands of Cape Verde, and the lovely Cape Verde wine is made here, aswell as much of the farming. Deep sea fishing is some of the best in the world, along with other islands in Cape Verde.  Fogo capital is Sao Filipe, where the majority of the population live, and also close to where the island’s airport can be found. First settled in the 1480s, it is largely an agricultural island. Sao Filipe has a few small hotels along with some good restaurants and shops. The people of Fogo are very friendly and it is virtually crime free. The volcano has been historically active, last erupting in 2014 with a minor eruption and in 1995, forming a new crater called Pico Pequeno. Its largest feature is a 9 km wide crater, which has walls 1 km high. The crater has a breach in its eastern rim, and a large peak rises in the centre. The central cone Pico forms the highest point of the island and its summit is about 100 m higher than the surrounding wall of the crater.  The small village of Cha das Caldeiras exists at the base of the volcano, and the residents are periodically evacuated during eruptions.

Boa Vista is a beach island. In fact it has Cape Verde’s longest beach at 18 kilometres. Hotel projects started in Boa Vista by major tour operators point to the success of this island as a major tour-ist destination. It has a new international airport allowing access to growing numbers of visitors from around Europe. Long deserted white sandy beaches are what Boa Vista is all about.Property to buy in Boa Vista can be found in Sal Rei and also the new resort areas on Santa Monica Beach.Boa Vista is superb for watersports. Diving, fishing and wind and kite surfing. Or simply stroll down one of the beautiful white sandy beaches, often deserted, and you can completely relax and get away from the rigours of everyday life. Sal Rei is the capital. It has a pretty central square with small restaurants, shops and bars, and serves some of the best lobster in the world. The town has 3 beaches, Cabral Beach where hotels and apartments are springing up, Estoril beach to the south with lovely beach bars and windsurfing centres, and the town’s small beach Praia Diante, next to the small harbour where small boats bring in the freshly caught fish.To the south of the island is the wonderful Santa Monica Beach, with miles of stunning white sand, and to the west of the island is the lovely Chaves beach. Both beaches have new luxury hotel developments.

Maio is a lovely small sandy island about 20 miles east of Santiago. There is an airport on Maio which is just an 8 minute flight from Santiago. Maio is a tranquil and almost forgotten island with vast, deserted white sandy beaches and only about 6000 inhabitants, mainly living in the capital, Vila do Maio, which is next to one of the longest beaches on the archipelago. Vila do Maio is on the south-west corner of the island, so is protected from the prevailing north-easterly breeze. There will be new restaurants and bars opening soon, as the island quietly develops. On the deserted beaches sea turtles can be found laying their eggs in the summer. Maio has a desert like landscape with sugar cane plantations, small oases and a few small towns, such as Morro with its one main street fringed with coconut palms. Some excellent new developments on Maio are planned and will allow for the island to slowly develop in its own way, but with a sleepy quality that will keep it apart from some of the other islands of Cape Verde.

San Vicente has the second largest population in Cape Verde, with most of the inhabitants living in Mindelo, the centre of Cape Verdean culture, and a lovely city with a great nightlife, and music everywhere. The port of Mindelo has been redeveloped into a superb marina and promenade area, and the British and colonial influences on the islands can be seen with a lovely town square, where locals promenade around the trees and cafes. Mindelo has been called one of the most pleasing towns in west Africa and has a new whiter sandy beach with clear turquoise water. Carnival is the most important cultural event, and there is also a large music festival on the beach at Baia das Gatas, a lovely beach area a short drive from Mindelo.There are mountainous areas overlooking the beautiful bay in Mindelo, and the stunning scenery of Santo Antao is just a 1 hour ferry trip away. San Vicente has a new international airport which will give excellent access to the planned new luxury developments and will help to turn San Vicente into an exclusive holiday island, with massive investment potential for the future.

Santiago is the most African of all the islands and is also the largest in the archipelago. It was the first to be populated after its discovery by the Portuguese in 1462 and is the most densely populated today, with most of its inhabitants living in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde. The island has a spectacular mountainous interior with two large mountain chains, the highest point being Pico d’Antonia at 1392m. The coastline has numerous sandy beaches, the best being at Sao Francisco just outside Praia and Tarrafal, 80 kilometers to the north. The island is a mixture of beautiful landscapes, rural villages, lively markets and palm fringed beaches, along with lively nightlife in Praia. The capital city of Praia has plans for new resort developments. This seat of government boasts 15 foreign embassies and consulates and is an oasis of entertainment, fine dining, upscale hotels, and shopping. Praia is continuously evolving into a destination city. The new international airport is having a major impact on the island and a major new ring road from the airport to Cidade Velha has been completed, along with an excellent new road to Sao Francisco beach. Located 15 km from Praia, Cidade Velha was the old port where many slaves were traded. The old town with its narrow cobbled streets is overlooked by the old Portuguese S. Filipe Fortress, built at the end of the 15th century where the views over the town and coastline are exceptional.

Santo Antao is the most beautiful island in Cape Verde, especially if you like mountains and gorges and stunning scenery. It is just an hour ferry from San Vicente, and no visitor can help being overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery  where the colours, shapes and vegetation as well as the local wildife (which includes vultures, kestrels, wagtails, blackcaps, sparrows and some reptiles) are all so striking.Quite naturally, the vegetation varies dramatically between regions. The high zones are covered with trees like the eucalyptus, the cypress, and the pine-tree. The south, in total contrast, is arid with herbaceous vegetation. It is very different from the white sandy beach islands of Sal, Boa Vista and Maio.Economically, the island is very rich in agriculture, the main produce being sugar cane, sweet potatoes or yams, manioc, bananas, coconuts, mango, papaya and almonds. Fishing is the main occupation of most of the inhabitants of the ports of TARRAFAL, PORTO NOVO and JANELA.Pony trekking, walking and cycling along the streams are favourite pastimes, along with dancing in the evenings after a superb dinner at one of the fine local restaurants.Infrastructure is basic in many areas, but investment into the island is growing, and the new airport should be opening soon to increase access from the other islands in Cape Verde.

Sao Nicolau is one of the Barlavento islands of Cape Verde. It is located between the major islands of San Vicente and Sal. Its population is 13,536 and the land area is 388 km/sq. The mountainous island is mostly agricultural but has been subject to droughts in the past. The flat areas and hills dominate most of the coastline and the central part. A peninsula covers the eastern part of the island. The highest point on the island is Monte Gordo rising to 1312 m.First inhabited in the sixteenth century, it is known for its mountains and for its main town, Ribeira Brava, long the seat of the Cape Verde diocese. It's other town is the ferry and the fishing port of Tarrafal. Its main economy is agriculture as well as fishing and tourism mainly on its beaches, and major businesses are rare to find but new investment is slowly increasing and the future for the island in on the up. Many Cape Verdeans use Sao Nicolau as a weekend retreat. Much of the population live in rural areas. The island also has an airport to the south between Vila da Ribeira Brava and Campo with flights from Sal and San Vicente.There was a famine on the 1940s and 50s which lead to many of the population leaving the island, but a new urbanisation plan has recently been launched and the municipality  is selling land to developers which is attracting investorment into the island.Sao Nicolau is renowned for its Blue Marlin fishing, some of the best in the world and obviously the great weather.