Would you like a holiday to Cape Verde with children? Recently I was chatting with a friend and of course the subject of holidays was also discussed. She knew someone who went to Cape Verde with her children and was very enthusiastic about it. Since I like to listen and read about holidays, I was already an ear, you get that 😉 . Even though Cape Verde with children didn't seem obvious to me, I decided it was worth investigating. And I must confess.. I was quite mistaken.
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So, first of all, let's refresh my topographical knowledge and check where Cape Verde is exactly. Google is your best friend in that case, isn't it? This group of islands is therefore located west of Africa in the North Atlantic Ocean. Not too far from the Canary Islands where we were last May holiday. Then we explored Tenerife with the children. And how fantastic that was! Not least because of the wonderful weather there. Cape Verde has the same climate! That is already one plus 😉 .
In addition, it is a 6.5 hour flight, which I think is doable with children. If you still need tips, read this article about flying with a baby.
This archipelago may not be as well-known as the Canary Islands, but tourism is slowly starting to seep through here too. Cape Verde consists of a total of 10 islands, 9 of which are inhabited:
Of these islands, Sal is the largest and perhaps the most obvious to visit. After the necessary research, it turns out that you are really at the right place for a relaxing holiday in Cape Verde. The beaches are very attractive and there are plenty of accommodations to be found. I think it would be great to refuel there for a week 😛 .
Sal has countless white sandy beaches and certainly seems to be the end of the line for water sports enthusiasts. Kitesufers, divers and deep-sea fishermen will get their money's worth here. Now I'm not much of a kite surfer myself (read:rather a fearful hare) but whale watching like we did on Tenerife? That is also possible here! And for an animal lover like me, that will definitely be on the must-see list when we go to Cape Verde with the kids.
Tip:In the south of Sal is Pedra de Lume, a salt lake where you can float in, just like in the Dead Sea. In this old salt mine you can test your buoyancy for € 5.00 per person and according to many you will come out 10 years younger. Well worth a try 😉 .
For local life in Cape Verde, you don't look for the tourist spots, but you go to the authentic harbor town of Palmeira, for example. A harbor town with beautiful pastel colored houses. I think this is very nice to see, especially with the children. And when you are in the harbor at the end of the day, you can see how the locals bring in the full fishing boats. Nice piece of culture, right?!
If you are on Sal, but you don't want to go to another island for a walk, you can always visit the botanical garden in Santa Maria, also beautiful.
As we discovered last year, our children really enjoy walking on holiday. You are not quite at the right place on Sal, as it is fairly flat. Santo Antão will probably live up to expectations. This island is the greenest island of all and is (probably therefore) also called the most beautiful island. Besides hiking, you can also practice plenty of other sports such as cycling, horseback riding, canyoning, or climbing. They also really like the latter here.
The island of Santiago is also excellent if you want to go hiking. For example to the top of the Pico d'Antonia.
But you can also take nice shorter walks if your children are a bit younger. For example, take your children to the Forte Real de São Filipe in the city of Cidade Velha. A fortress always works well!
What is also on my list -if we visit the Cape Verde Islands- is to make a trip to Fogo. The volcano here covers just about the entire island. Here you can walk to the base of the crater and also see the smoldering part which is a kind of leftover from the last eruption in 1995. Besides the volcano you can also visit caves here. A must-see if you ask me.
A nice island to explore. For example, by car you can do the mountain route to Ribeira Grande. Or you go at the weekend because then there is a lot of live music in the city Mindelo. Enjoying the outdoors and music is one of the great ways to explore another culture. Especially if the local population is open to a tourist snooper 😉 .
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