Cape Verde – New Island Paradise Evolving
The Cape Verde Archipelago, a Republic consisting of ten islands and eight smaller islets some 500 kilometers from the coast of Senegal, have been steadily evolving into a prime destination for tourists, retirees and new permanent residents alike. Due to proximity, the lion’s share of these hail from the U.K., Italy and other European locations although this exciting location is getting more attention now from U.S. and Canadian travelers as well.
Offering a potpourri of un-crowded white sandy beaches and quiet little villages nestled in picturesque coves, the Cape Verde islands have seen a twenty-five percent increase in tourism since the year 2000 and continue to gain attention worldwide as a prime destination. All islands in the archipelago are inhabited and have a total population of just under half a million with an annual increase of around ten percent during the peak tourist season. Rainfall is sparse, occurring only between April and July. New home building has likewise been increasing as has new resort development.
According to Expedia, the large travel organization, Cape Verde’s islands are now one of the top ten locations for first-time visitors as well as the new hot location for vacation homes. Travel by air is easy thanks to two international airports located on the islands of Santiago and Sal. Moreover, inter-island travel within this former Portuguese colony is easy to come by via island-to-island ferry service.
Developers and investors have discovered the business potential Cape Verde offers and this has spawned the appearance of many new resort communities and resort hotels. Cape Verde stands out for investors and developers as a result of the manner in which the government promotes tourism without sacrificing the island’s natural beauty. This is clearly evidenced by the appearance of new apartment complexes on Santiago Island, home developments on Sal Island and a planned oceanfront residential development for investors on the island of Boa Vista, amongst others. For tourists, Cape Verde stands out as the nearest tropical location to Western Europe that is ideal for water sports, great fishing and affordable property pricing, not to mention seemingly never ending sunshine in a moderate sub-tropical desert island environment.
The Cape Verde islands are volcanic, however today there is only one active volcano present. This is Mount Fogo on the island of Fogo. It goes without saying that this site is high on the list for tourists as is the volcanic big island of Hawaii in that island chain.
If you haven’t yet visited the islands of the Cape Verde archipelago, you have a treat in store. Many believe these islands are amongst the best kept vacation secrets and they are very well worth a vacation trip. Perhaps equally important to the wonders of he islands themselves, you will find that prices are significantly lower at Cape Verde than they are at many better known island locations.