CABO VERDE Kitesurf, Windsurf Centre & Surf Hotel - Ilha do Sal, Santa Maria. Cape Verde

Location

Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean south of the Canary Islands (Spain), the Cape Verde archipelago lie 600 kilometres west of the African coast, at the level of Senegal and at the same latitude as the Caribbean. This once unhabited islands we red discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15ht century. They made it a trade centre for African slaves on their way to America and later on, an important supply stop for transatlantic shipping. The islands achieved their independency in 1975.

The archipelago is formed by ten main islands, nine of them inhabited. The islands are divided into windward (Barlovento) and leeward (Sotavento) islands. The largest and most populated island is Santiago, which also hosts the capital Praia. Although all the islands are of volcanic origin, they differ widely from one another, ranging from the flat, desert like Sal island to mountainous and the still active volcanic Fogo island, culminating at over 2.800 metres (9,200 ft).

Most of the population is Creole of mixed Portuguese and African descent, with some remainder of blacks and whites. This combination of African and Portuguese culture is reflected in the music of the islands, a rich tradition which has conquered the world with Cesare Evora and her famous “morna” ballades.  

Sal Island

A windward island exposed to the trade winds, Sal lies in the northeast corner of the archipelago. Practically unhabited until the 19th century, this low lying, desert island takes its name from the salt fields that brought some wealth to this rather desolated piece of land in the middle of the Atlantic. Today, the island thrive on tourism, thanks to its unpolluted beaches, crystal clear waters and excellent swell and wind conditions that bring ideal for the practice of watersports such as the various modalities of surfing and diving. The island also boasts the only international airport of the archipelago, developed before WW II as a refueling stopover between Africa and America. There are three towns on Sal island; Espargos, the administrative centre and airport, Palmeira, the harbour, and Santa Maria, the tourist resort on the southernmost tip of the island.  

Climate

The islands enjoy a dry, tropical climate with two defined seasons: From November till July, (Dry season), the weather is tempered by the cooling trade winds blowing from the Northeast. From August till November (Wet season), the weather is cooler and more humid, although precipitation are scarce, in particular on flatter islands. Mean day temperatures through the year range between 20º to 25º and rarely reach the 30º.

Getting Here

Amilcar Cabral International Airport (SID)

Sole international airport of Cabo Verde archipelago, 18 km. from Santa Maria on Sal Island.

TACV (Cabo Verde Airlines) operate flights to Ilha do Sal (Island of Sal) from several European cities including Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan and Munich direct to Cape Verde with connecting fares from most UK airports. TACV also operate a regular service from Boston, Dakar, Fortaleza and Las Palmas de Gran Canarias.

TAP (Air Portugal) operate daily flights from London via Lisbon to Cape Verde.

Entry Requisites A valid passport and a visa is required to visitors No vaccine is obligatory as there are few mosquitoes, and therefore no tropical disease