I bought this guy in Santa Maria and i was told that this is the first Cabo verdean. Can someone tell me the story behind this statue?

Hello everyone

I'm heading out to Cape Verde early January and just wanted to check what the deal is with 'Island Tax' or so I've been told.

It's booked with TUI and when I've been to speak with the travel agents, they filled my details in and said it's all done. Now I trust it's done as they've said but I don't want to arrive and have to pay some extra fees when I land.

Any advice on what I should take with me or should this be fine?

Hi!

My family is considering coming to Cabo Verde for 10-14 days. Normally we are definitely more of the adventure DIY travel kind of people. However last year we did a 5-day tour in Marocco with a local guide (private) and it was amazing.

I'm looking into options to do something similar in Cabo Verde.

During my research a found a few Dutch companies (we're from Belgium), however I'm not sure if it will be our "style". We definitely have a preference for something more local.

I know it sounds stupid as we are tourists, but we don't want to feel as "typical tourists", but rather experience the real local vibe.

The main focus should be nature and culture-oriented (heritage/way of life).

We will probably fly in to/out of Sal or Boa Vista, but Santiago, Fogo and Antão definitely sound more interesting.

The tour doesn't have to be for the full length of the trip. I looked through this sub and most recommendations are for day trips, something we're not looking for.

Any recommendations or references for guides/companies?

Thank you!

Hi, I'm planning to visit Cape Verde with my girlfriend over the New Year for a few weeks and I wanted to know about taxis. For example, we're going to visit the island of Santa Antao and we'll be doing the coastal hike from Cruzinha to Ponta del Sol but we'll be staying in Corda for a few days before. Can we get a taxi from Corda to Cruzinha the day before we hike? Is it normal to get taxi drivers numbers and arrange these things? Will the air bnbs/hotels know people that they can link us up with?

Hello everyone,

My group and I are traveling to Cape Verde – Sal Island in February, and we’ll be staying at Melia Tortuga Beach.

Although I know these are questions that should ideally be asked before booking, I’d like to ask for your opinions/experiences regarding: • the weather at that time of year • the hotel itself • the distance to the beach and how beautiful it is • how to pay the tax I’ve heard about • we’d like to do some activities on the island; which guide do you recommend, and what experiences would you suggest?

Thank you in advance!

Olá! My partner and I are planning to spend New Year’s Eve in Praia this year. Any recommendations for great places to watch the fireworks? Party or chilled vibe - either works just fine. Thanks!

Hello im planning a vacaciones to cape verde in the summer and there are some things i would like to know. 1 Driving:for what ive seen roads are ok, but i dont know how they drive there and if they are very caotic 2 inner country flights: is the nacional Airlines reliable and if its expensive would be a Praia to Mindelo flight. 3 comunication: the people around there know english or only portugueses and Kriolu. Im a native spanish speaker so i can somewhat understand texts in Portuguese but i dont know how to talk it and i barely understand it. 4 Dangerous: i know that there some áreas specially in Praia that are dangerous. But i would loke to know if in the turustic áreas is safe to walk at night.

Thanks in advance

Hello Redditors

I wanted to ask this question as I could not find answers on the Internet, despite my efforts.

Are English films (Animated and Live-Action) dubbed into Portuguese or are there Cinemas which release English films in the original format, which includes Animated films in the Cinemas of Cape Verde?

Hi everyone!

I’m Portuguese with Cape Verdean roots, and my family is originally from Boa Vista. While I know a lot about the culture, I’m curious to learn more about Cape Verdean folklore and traditions. For example, does Cabo Verde have folklore stories or figures similar to Brazil’s goddess Iemanjá?

I’ve tried looking online but haven’t found much. If anyone knows about this or has any links or resources, I’d love to learn more. Thanks in advance!

Heya, I‘ll be in Mindelo the coming days and am looking for recommendations of strings to do over Christmas. Anything from church mass to concerts to party goes :))) Thanks a bunch!

we are m+f+ 1 year baby living in Occidental near airport. 7 days. looking for simple non-fancy TODO (budget pricing)

• Are there ferry from Rabil etc to nearby islands or sal?

• is plane the recommended way of island hopping? I read some old posts telling good/bad about local flights

• is it very windy in the west coasts

• mosquito? (originally I am from Asia - well used to it but should I bring something)

thank you

We've visited Cabo Verde for the first time in December 2024, and spent 10 days on Sal island. Since we didn't find super extensive discussion threads, here are some pointers below for future visitors.

First off, if you’ve booked a trip to Cabo Verde, congratulations! You’ve discovered a gem that’s still relatively unknown, especially to those outside the Portuguese-speaking realm. Keep it under wraps and enjoy! CV is rich in culture, spirit and beauty with warm weather year-round. Try to embrace it instead of hiding out in a resort - if mass tourism is to grow, let's at least keep an open mind to residents and treat our hosts with respect 👍

Our tips to Santa Maria:

Money -> The CV escudo is pegged to the Euro at 1€ = 110cve. Many restaurants and shops will ignore this and apply a rate of 1€ = 100cve. This loses you nine euro of each hundred. To avoid it, paying by card is convenient, but some restaurants don't allow it. (We weren't sure if this is prohibited practice. I guess the point is side-passing card terminal fees). We suggest to bring € cash and exchange it locally: The rate will be 110cve, and you only pay commissions on top. For example, the bank we went to had 6€ commission. So just do a quick round and settle with the best offer.

Breakfast -> For us, Pão Quente wins this round by miles! Try their breakfast sandwich (ovo & queijo), pão de coco, coconut snail - anything you point at is a safe bet. Please try other places too, we were sold here, so don't have the relevant experience.

Shops -> The minimarkets of Santa Maria work as a cartel. Any essentials you've left home or couldn't push through in 100ml flasks at the airport (sunscreen, intim hygiene, shower gel, etc.) -- be prepared for steep prices on the spot, even for the average European pocket. It felt like a Swiss village. Especially in the town center, a basic Nivea sunscreen is 15-20€, a shower gel is 7-8€, and so forth. We found that Cazu Supermarket or minimarkts towards residential parts of town are more reasonable, but your departure airport might still be the best option.

Restaurants: Sol Doce, fresh fish straight from the ocean, the red snapper was a banger. I've never tasted fish like that. Mar Adentro for amazing Catchupa (the local dish, basically soupy fish or pork stew). Their fish and chips is the largest portion I ever received. The best Italian ones are La Trattoria (hearty, high quality, modern) and Marea (michelin style creative, hidden garden on an off-street). We liked Art Kafé and Ramboia, too. I won't mention the ones we didn't like, please experiment as you wish.

Beach: beds should be about 5€ per day. Hop in for a spontaneous volleyball match. Brasileira bar is very solid!

Excursions: Sal is a small and dry island that used to be un-inhabited for the better part of its history. Said that, there's ample to do: we did a sailing excursion starting from Bikini beach. You can visit Shark Bay to see lemon sharks swimming by your feet. Both the capital Espargos and Palmeira are interesting to experience local life better than Santa Maria. In the North there's a desert for cool (albeit dusty) 4x4 trips. We didn't do the Zipline but it's definitely an option. Neither did Kitesurfing, but Sal is one of the cradles to the sport with international competitions (and birthplace of Airton Cozzolino). December is not turtle season, but if you come another time, please go and see them hatch for us, too.

Closing tips & tricks:
- Please note electricity outages are common on the island. In our stay it happened once and lasted about 3-4 hours. Most restaurants have generators for it, you can still go out and live life with the added charm of engines whirring. Still, CV might not be your winter home office paradise (and this could be a favourable thing).
- If you're scared of food poisoning, convert that energy into research and being proactive while there: the top risks are mass produced food at resorts, and raw vegetables washed with tap water. Most local restaurants sensibly avoid these pitfalls, and especially above a certain review threshold, you shouldn't be scared!
- Safety: we've found that CVeans are friendly, peaceful and open to visitors. Poverty and the tensions it produces exist, so keep common sense. In Santa Maria vendors will try to approach you all the time, particularly on the beach. (We've heard for the most part they are not locals but immigrants from nearby countries). They're insistent but peaceful, if you wish just shut it down with a quick "no, thanks", or keep doing whatever you didn't want to be distracted of (such as reading your book on the beach). Stray dogs are not spotlessly clean, but friendly and relaxed - maybe not in more abandoned areas. Each night they're holding a concert to the moon, which you'll be able to listen to.
- Culture: don't miss out on morna, the local music genre that now has international fame due to the queen herself Cesária Evora. (If you don't know, she's the one to whom Stromae dedicated "ave cesaria")

Anything else I forgot to add, let me know and will edit the thread 🙌
Enjoy your visit and have a ton of fun!

Olá. Não consigo fazer o pagamento por mbway, revolut ou qualquer cartão virtual no site da cabo verde airlines. Alguém sabe como ultrapassar este problema por favor? Já contactei o serviço de apoio ao cliente, mas ninguém responde. Cumprimentos e obrigado

I am going for the first time to Cap Verde and we are starting from Sal and would like to see some other places (thought of Sao Vicente and maybe 1 day with a ferry to another close-by one). I wanted to book a flight but the only airline that popped-up was Cabo Verde Airlines and it was not possible to buy the ticket. Anyone has any clue? If Sao Vicente is not doable from Sal, what would be a nice and realistic alternative?

Thank youuu!

is it possible to pay in euros for things like water bottles, taxis etc? also do airport or hotels accept EC card (i.e) the ones used in Europe. we are staying in Occidental Boa Vista Beach.

thanks you

Please dm me and thank you in advance!

Yo!!! I've got a question for all my terceiras and quartas out there in boston—especially those with known ancestry from Brava—from your santola cousin over here. Do y'all have any easily accessible familiar ties back to the islands?? How much of the culture do you express/identify with on a daily? What about diasporic community affiliations? (e.g. CV Student Associations, reunions, get-togethers, functions, etc) I've been starting a thesis on the topic but for now just doing some preliminary research. Asking in part because I’m wondering in part about it because when one sees a terceira like Coi Leray barely claiming Cape Verdean identity whatsoever, it’s seemingly the majority of the 3a experience for the bostonians I’ve talked to, I just want a wider consensus. I’m 4a generation santomense/annobonese and it's been bugging me especially because y'all story is so close to ours (tad bit roundabout, instead of emigration direct to Boston, most of our original diaspora in the Americas were taken as indentured servants to Puerto Rico, then moved to New York) so even though I claim the culture, neither my dad or I really could get in touch with anyone back on the islands. And aswell as for my father—though he knows his origins, and participates a little in the culture (he listens to soukous and semba & the sort & cooks his variant of calulu every once in a blue moon) he really keeps it nebulous when he's asked what ethnicity he is (partially because people do not know where sao tome is whatsoever but also because of how far removed we and most of the diaspora—especially what there are of us in the Americas & NYC—are from the main islands' culture). This is the main STP community in Leeds, kinda like our Boston lol; for those of us not in the UK or those not assimilated with Nuyoricans, we’re kinda just here floating around aimlessly. I suppose I'm just wondering how much of this rings a bell for y'all terceiras and quartas.

Staying in RIU Palace and wondering if anyone else has brought a firestick and managed to get it to work? What VPN is best to download , not sure how to do it!!!

My fiance and I love Cape Verdean music, and we are looking for a wedding band to perform songs by Luis Morias and Cesaeria Evora. I would appreciate any help you can give me.

I'm not sure if should be posting in portuguese, so I'll just post in English, I'm sure it might be helpful for future visitors.

I booked a trip to Cabo Verde for April and am planning on staying in Tarrafal, problem is our flight lands in Praia at 23h. With getting of the place and all that entails, I don't expect to be out of the airport before 00h. Are there any buses, taxis or other means of transportation to get to Tarrafal on that same night, or should I look for accommodation in Praia for that first night?

Hello! Im in Sal now. I want a cool mask and seen a few already, but the prices are INSANEEE I know I’m supposed to haggle but idk how low I can go without being disrespectful? What’s a good price?

Thanks!