PRACTICAL INFORMATION BEFORE TRAVELING TO CAPE VERDE
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If you want to travel to Cape Verde by plane, there are several options with different airlines.
The most popular airline to reach Cape Verde is TACV Cabo Verde Airlines. They offer direct flights from several international destinations, including Lisbon, Paris, Amsterdam, and Boston.
Another option is to travel with TAP Air Portugal. They also operate direct flights to Cape Verde from Lisbon. They usually provide convenient connections from other European cities.
Air France is an international airline that also offers flights to Cape Verde. They operate flights with connections from many cities around the world, including Paris, their main hub.
If you plan to travel from other regions of the world, you will likely need to make a connection in a European city before taking a flight to Cape Verde. Airlines like British Airways and Iberia offer connecting flights from many international cities.
Entry, stay, and travel conditions in Cape Verde are subject to change and are regularly updated on the travel advisory website. As part of your trip preparation, we invite you to consult all the measures in place on this website by clicking here.
Passport: A valid passport is required for French, Belgian, and Swiss nationals, with a validity of at least 6 months beyond the date of return. For other nationalities, we are at your disposal to assist you with the necessary procedures.
Visa: Since January 1st, 2019, French, Belgian, and Swiss travelers no longer require a visa to visit Cape Verde. However, they need to either register online before departure on the website www.ease.gov.cv and pay the airport tax of 30 euros online, or complete the formalities and payment upon arrival. For other nationalities, we are available to assist you with the necessary procedures.
Vaccination: No mandatory or recommended vaccinations are required. (COVID-19 vaccination certificate)
You can travel to Cape Verde throughout the year. However, it is worth noting:
The dry season, which extends from November to July,
The rainy season, which occurs from August to October.
The average annual temperature is around 25°C, with slight variations (maximum amplitude of about 10°C). The mountainous areas experience greater temperature differences and higher levels of precipitation compared to the low-lying regions.
It is important to mention that the months of December to March are very windy, making the archipelago an ideal playground for surfers and windsurfers!
Many people are accustomed to saying that the name Cape Verde was given to the archipelago due to its green landscapes.
However, the archipelago has been affected by droughts in recent years, leading to a diversification of landscapes. The Paul Valley, where the weather is often cloudy, remains the greenest part of Cape Verde to this day.
The name Cape Verde is more likely to have originated from a cape located in Senegal, known as "Cape Vert" by Portuguese navigators. In fact, as they descended along the African coast in search of the route to the Indies, these navigators gave names to the encountered capes based on their shape, color, location, or characteristics. For example, the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa is believed to have been named so because the navigators had the "good hope" that it was the last cape before entering the Indian Ocean and discovering the route for spice trade.
In 1444, when they arrived at the present-day city of Dakar after descending along the arid and dry coast of Mauritania, the navigators supposedly discovered a green cape which they named "Cape Vert". Even today, the tip of Dakar is called the Cap Vert neighborhood.
A few years later, when these navigators discovered islands off this cape, they then called them the Cape Verde Islands.
The archipelago was officially discovered in 1460 (though unofficially, its discovery predates it due to the arrival of Arab people on the island of Sal for its salt).
Historians agree that the first European to have discovered Cape Verde was Alvise Cadamosto, an Italian navigator working for the Portuguese crown in the context of trade along the African coast. It is said that a storm led him to deviate from the usual route and discover Cape Verde.
This discovery was followed by the colonization of the archipelago, which remained a Portuguese colony until 1975, the year of Cape Verde's independence. The achievement of independence was the result of a struggle initiated in the 1960s by Amilcar Cabral, a man of Cape Verdean and Guinean origin.
As a follower of Marxist ideology, he was the founder of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). With the support of Cubans and Russians, he organized guerrilla warfare against the Portuguese colonizers on the African continent, becoming an "African Che Guevara."
In 1974, the Carnation Revolution in Portugal led to the overthrow of the existing regime and allowed Portuguese colonies, including Cape Verde, to obtain their independence. However, Amilcar Cabral was assassinated by his bodyguard just before the archipelago gained independence.
The African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) then took the lead of the government without prior elections. They implemented major social projects focusing on education, health, and the environment, which resulted in Cape Verde having one of the highest literacy rates and life expectancy in Africa.
The PAICV remained in power until 1991 when it was challenged for its lack of democracy, notably by the Movement for Democracy (MPD), an opposition movement that emerged in the 1980s.
In 1991, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet bloc, and the questioning of communist doctrine led the PAICV to accept the organization of the country's first democratic elections.
These elections, as well as the subsequent ones held in 1996, were won by the MPD, which proceeded with the privatization of sectors of the economy and opened the country to foreign investors and tourists.
The elections in 2001 marked the return to power, until today, of the PAICV, although their mode of governance is much more flexible and open than in the past.
These transportation options are provided through air connections (domestic flights operated by Bestfly) and maritime connections (ferries).
For practical reasons (mainly due to the travel duration), the journey to the island of Fogo is usually done by plane from São Vicente via Praia (layover).
The frequency of domestic flights is approximately one round trip per week. The days and schedules of the flights are communicated shortly in advance. Tickets must be reserved quickly due to limited availability (around one hundred seats).
The reservation can be made through ACTOUR agency. The price of the tickets is not included in the trip price.
The trip to the island of Santo Antao is done by ferry from Mindelo.
These ferries operate daily, in the morning and late afternoon. Ferry tickets are reserved through ACTOUR agency, and the price is included in the trip price.
The official language of Cape Verde is Portuguese, but the majority of the population speaks Cape Verdean Creole, which is the only indigenous language spoken in the archipelago.
There are regional variations of the Creole language, specific to each of the 9 inhabited islands, but they are not significant enough to hinder understanding between the inhabitants. The different Creole dialects in Cape Verde can be categorized into two groups: Sotavento Creoles (Brava, Fogo, Santiago, and Maio) and Barlavento Creoles (Boa Vista, Sal, São Nicolau, São Vicente, and Santo Antão).
English and French are taught in schools.
Cape Verde is a member of the International Organization of La Francophonie and the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie.
The know-how related to traditional craftsmanship is part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. However, a large part of Cape Verdean artisanal techniques regressed or disappeared since the beginning of colonization, and even more so with globalization, without being sufficiently documented and recorded.
Local craftsmanship is still relatively limited, but it is gradually developing. It mainly includes batiks (artisanal dyeing), ceramics, stone or coconut sculptures, and shell jewelry.
Mindelo is home to a National Crafts Center, and some talented creators have established themselves in Santa Maria.
National Holiday
July 5th: Independence Day (1975).
Other Holiday Calendar
January 1st: New Year's Day.
January 13th: Democracy Day.
January 20th: National Heroes Day.
February: Carnival.
March 8th: International Women's Day.
In addition, there are numerous patron saint festivals celebrated on all the islands.
Cape Verdean music is a fusion of various musical influences resulting from the Portuguese colonization of the islands and the forced immigration of African populations. Originally rural, it has now become more urbanized and has been influenced by Brazilian music.
Most notably known for Morna, popularized by Bana but internationally recognized through the singer Cesária Évora, Cape Verde is also marked by other genres:
Coladeira, similar to Morna but with a more lively rhythm, closer to Brazilian music.
Batuque and Finaçon, with more African rhythms, originating from the island of Santiago. These genres feature women's choirs using cloth wrapped in plastic as percussion, tightly held between their thighs. It's worth noting that Finaçon involves improvised lyrics, and Nacia Gomi is its greatest representative.
Funaná, also from Santiago, is a music of protest that was banned during Portuguese occupation but is now very popular among young people. Funaná stands out for the use of a small accordion (gaïta) and an iron rod (ferrinho). Ferro Gaita is the most popular group in this genre.
Other musical styles include Tabanka (parade music) and Batucadeira (carnival music).