Cape Verde - Info If You Are Considering Buying Property
General Information:
A paradise in the middle of the Atlantic. This is how this archipelago of ten islands and eight islets defines itself, which was discovered by Portuguese navigators in 1460, without any previous human signs. Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony until July 5 1975, time where it became independent, after several struggles, led by Amilcar Cabral, together with fighters of Guinea. The archipelago is a post card of outstanding landscapes by the differences found from one island to the other, through the contact and the “morabeza” of a happy people and through out the multiple feelings offered by music and dance, that stimulate the imagination in an unique experience. By the other hand, Cape Verde offers excellent conditions to tourism and investments.
Chaves beach on the island of Boavista
Situation:
Cape Verde is in the Western Africa Coast, about 450km of Senegal and near the Canaries Islands.
Population & Size:
The archipelago has a surface of 4,033 km² and about just under half a million inhabitants. It has a mixed, friendly population.
Language:
The official language is the Portuguese language, but the most spoken is the crioulo, a mixture between old Portuguese and old African languages. Italian, French and English is spoken in the main tourist/city areas.
Climate:
Cape Verde has a hot and dry tropical climate. On the mountain islands, summer can often be foggy and evenings are even chilly in highlands.
Temperatures:
Winter: average 22º C
Summer: average 27º C
The highest temperatures don’t go beyond 35º C in summer
Water Temperatures:
Winter: average 20º C
Summer: average 25º C
Tarrafal, Santiago
Health:
There are no endemic and/or tropical diseases (always check with local doctor for necessary vaccinations). Cape Verde has several health centres, but hospitals are only in the main cities. Pharmacies are in most towns.
Currency:
The currency is the cape verdean escudo (CVE). Exchange may be done in banks, exchange places, airports and in some hotels. 1 Euro = CVE 110,265.
Economy:
Cape Verdean’s population lives mostly from agriculture and cattle stockbreeding, but in the last decades the industrial and tourism sector have known a great development. Today, its social stability and peace won the country credit within the government, companies and international financing companies, guiding the development of the economy.
Politics:
After the independence in 1975, Cape Verde was ruled by a regime of a single party until 1990. Nowadays, it is a democratic country based on a parliamentary regime with several parties. The most important ones are: PAICV, MPD and PCD.
Santiago hinterland
Culture and Tradition:
Cape Verde is a culturally rich country. Its gastronomy heavily influenced by West African cuisine, is very diverse.
The staple is corn, cooked and prepared in several different traditional dishes, like “cachupa”, “cherém”, “cuscus”, “camoca” among others. Fish and shellfish are also very popular in Cape Verdean gastronomy.
The music is a mixture of European influence and African rhythms. Thus, it appeared some unmistakable sounds, like “morna”, “funaná”, “coladeira”, “tabanka”, “batuque”, “cola são joão”, “mazurka”, etc. Cesária Évora, the worldwide famous “barefooted Diva”, made Cape Verdean music known all over the world, being for that fact known as the ambassadress of the Cape Verdean music.
The handicraft is based on weaving, tapestry, painting and some other types of artefacts based on clay, coconut, seeds and dry leaves, ropes, turtle, wood, bamboo, etc.
Santo Antão island
Sports and Leisure:
Cape Verde is among the favourite places in the world for diving and surf for several years due its clean water and trade-winds. Also popular for deep sea fishing, sailing, mountain biking, hiking, horse-riding, body boarding, windsurfing, etc.
Religion:
The cape verdean population is Christian, mostly Catholics. Although some churches have been appearing in the last years, the protestant churches are the most important ones.
Transportation and Communication:
Phone, fax, internet are widely available.
The main islands of the archipelago have a public transportation network. Taxis are widely available at all the airports.
The average price of cabs between the international airport of Sal and Baía da Murdeira is CVE 600$00 (6€), while for the village of Santa Maria is CVE 900$00 (9€).
Accommodation:
All islands have hotels and you can also find bungalows, aparthotels, residences for renting, etc. Some hotels accept international credit cards.
Mindelo, São Vicente
How to Get to Cape Verde:
The easiest way to get to Cape Verde is by plane as most island have airports. There are many airlines that guarantee regular flights, like TACV, TAP, TAAG and South Africa, but there are also some charter companies that have been making direct flight to Cape Verde. There are weekly flights from Munich, Las Palmas, Rome, Madrid, Paris, Fortaleza, Amsterdam, Luxemburg, Boston, Dakar, Guinea and South Africa.
From Portugal, there are two daily flights from Lisbon and Porto.
Cape Verde is 3h40m from Lisbon and 6h from several cities in Europe.
Currently all international flights arrive at Amilcar Cabral airport, on Sal, but there is a new international airport at Praia (Santiago) with plans to have direct flights to the UK starting soon.
UK clients can now fly direct to Cape Verde (Sal) from Manchester and Gatwick airports. Direct flights to Boavista will operate shortly and there are plans for direct flights to Sao Vicente.
Maio island |
