10 Things You Might Not Know About Cape Verde

In December 2019, hubby and I traveled to Cape Verde for the holidays.

We chose Cape Verde because we’d heard about their beautiful beaches and believed it would be a great vacay destination — we were right. After our trip, we posted some photos online and got a series of responses and questions from friends — How was the trip? Which flights did we use? Where did we stay? What did we do? What is exciting or interesting about Cape Verde anyways?

We then realized that a lot of other people might have similar questions and so, I decided to write this post and share 10 key things to know about Cape Verde — for anyone interested in traveling there.

1. Country Bio (short): Cape Verde (or Cabo Verde as locally known) is an island nation made up of 10 volcanic islands in the central Atlantic Ocean (towards the western side of Africa), with a population of about 500,000 people. We visited and stayed in Sal island for the duration of our trip.
2. Language(s) Spoken: The official language spoken in Cape Verde is Portuguese; some people we met spoke English fairly well (e.g. at the resort we stayed in and at restaurants we went to) however most locals primarily communicate in Portuguese. Tip: If you’re not a decent Portuguese speaker and plan to travel there, you can download the Google Translate App to assist (ensure to get the offline version).
3. Visa Requirement: For Nigerians, you can receive a visa on arrival once you enter the country. The rate is 32 euros per person. Tip: You can check passport index to determine which countries you need a visa for, based on the type of passport you have, and if they offer visa on arrival options.
4. Flights: Cape Verde has an official airline called Cabo Verde Airlines that had flights between Lagos and Sal, Cape Verde (that flew during the December holiday period). We used this airline and route — the flight was roughly 4 hours and 30mins. Tip: you can check Skyscanner or google flights for flight options and deals in advance of your trip.

Airport photoshoot tinz. We met a lovely Nigerian couple at the airport also in Sal for the holidays.

1. Accommodation: We stayed at the Melia Tortuga Beach Resort in Sal. The Melia Hotels International group has a conglomerate of hotels across several countries, including Cape Verde. Aside from Melia Tortuga Beach Resort, there is also Melia Dunas Hotel (about 5mins walking distance from where we stayed. Fun Fact for Big Brother Nigeria lovers— we spotted Khafi and Gedoni, from the most recent season of Big Brother Nigeria at Melia Dunas). Tip: You can use Booking.com or AirBnB to get reasonably priced accomodation options. We used AirBnB.

Nightime shots of the front of the resort we stayed at (Melia Tortuga) and the one close by (Melia Dunas)

1. Things To Do: There are different activities to partake in, including their Island bus tour, Catamaran Tour Sal, 4h SSV Buggy Island Adventure(be warned, this is a very dusty experience!), and Shark Bay Tour. Tip: You can use TripAdvisor.com and AirBnB experiences to research ‘Things To Do in Cape Verde’ and read reviews from others. The best activity we participated in was the Catamaran Tour Sal— it was on a beautiful day, the sea breeze felt amazing, the music and energy of the people on the boat was a pure vibe, and we had major fun! There was also complimentary champagne included, which made me a happy gal :)

Catamaran Tour day!

7. Weather: The weather was nice and warm (not too hot) with a lot of breeze throughout the day and night. Tip: you can check besttimetogo.com to know which months are best to visit different countries.

8. Time Difference: For those based in Nigeria (which we are), Cape Verde is two hours behind. For those based elsewhere, a quick Google search will provide this information for you.

9. Currency Used: The local currency used is the Cape Verdean Escudo. Euros are also widely accepted; dollars are not.

10. The Music: This was a pleasant surprise. In thinking about our trip, we did not have any expectations about the local music and sounds however, upon getting there, we realized that music is a big part of the culture. The upbeat, high tempo energy of most of the local folk music was a welcomed addition to our experience. One of the popular songs (and now one of our favorites) is ‘Bum Bum na Coracon’ by Gil Semedo.

11 (Bonus!). Food: If you know me, you know that food is very important to me and I won’t write a travel-related post without finding a way to include details about the food involved :) The resort we stayed at provided a kitchen unit with pots/pans/utencils/plating for our use. We bought some groceries when we first arrived and focused on cooking/eating breakfast indoors and having lunch and dinner at local eateries. Some of the restaurants I recommend are Ocean Cafe and Barracuda. Tip: you can also check TripAdvisor in advance of your trip for restaurant recommendations and reviews.

Seafood Platter, Pepperoni Pizza, and Cheesecake plus ice cream at Ocean Cafe

Seafood Rice and Ribs at Barracuda

12 (Bonus!). The People: I’ve saved the best for last. From our airport pickup driver to the resort attendants to the restaurant servers to our activity guides and hosts — the locals we encountered were cheerful, kind, and full of humor. They made us feel extremely welcome with their palpable and infectious happiness. They were a joy to engage with and stand as the top highlight of our experience.

In summary, we had a really great time in Sal, Cape Verde and it is definitely a location we recommend others to visit. If you haven’t already been there, you should definitely add it to your travel bucket list — it will be worth your while!