Need help organizing a trip to Cape Verde during Carnival (page 2 of 2)

After a late arrival in Sal due to a 5-hour delay with Cabo Verde Airlines, we stayed at "Kleine Schweiz" (Little Switzerland!) or another name: Lafayette! A large, comfortable, and well-equipped building near Espargos in the middle of an arid plain, 2 km from town and only accessible by 4x4. As we walked closer to the "outskirts" during an evening stroll, we came across piles of rubbish, rubble, and dilapidated buildings... Not the best environment.😕 Our friendly hostess took us for an evening by the sea (Murdeira) at a Caribbean pirate-style restaurant with a fun beach show. This morning, collectivos to Santa Maria! Not really disappointed since we kind of expected it. It’s true that back home, there are plenty of fans of La Grande Motte or Palavas-les-Flots... it’s a bit like that but uglier. Still, I struggle to understand why it keeps developing—you see new constructions everywhere. On São Vicente, we saw lots of abandoned hotels and restaurants due to a lack of tourists and water shortages. Here, apparently, that’s not the case. One day in this setting will be enough for us. Our hostess was supposed to take us to see the Blue Eye, but a last-minute issue prevented her. Too bad.

Hello, This discussion interests me because I’m planning to visit Cape Verde and I only speak French. I’m reading the replies to learn more about the islands. Have a great weekend.

In our last four accommodations, it was probably just a coincidence, but all our hosts spoke French fluently. 🙂 PS: Regarding Sal, when I wrote my message, we hadn’t seen everything yet... Even though it’s very touristy like in Santa Maria, part of that long beach is still nice. The architecture isn’t so bad in some areas, and for windsurfing and kite surfing fans, it’s an ideal spot—there’s always wind.

And there goes Jean-Michel, giving in to the siren call of mass tourism and off to enjoy Sal! 😉 Just teasing, of course—Sal *can* have some nice sides, especially its huge beaches. Okay, the architecture didn’t exactly blow me away 😛

No water shortages on Sal (though there are apparently a few outages in peak season), thanks to two seawater desalination plants on the island (like on most of the Cape Verde islands, actually)

Hi there! No worries about the language in Cape Verde—lots of people speak French, which was even taught in schools. Feel free to check out my travel journal for my thoughts on this magical country!

https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10789529;#10789529

Actually, when the collectivo dropped us off in Santa Maria, we walked north toward a small cape past the beach. On our way back, we first saw piles of rubble and some tacky new constructions—what a shock! Then we settled in the only shady spot under a few palm trees. Later in the afternoon, we walked the entire beach (it’s huge) and discovered some pretty nice hotel residences and pleasant neighborhoods. Since we haven’t windsurfed in ages, the beach isn’t really our thing, but it did help us fill a day that would’ve been hard to occupy otherwise—aside from visiting the salt flats (meh) or the windy Blue Eye, which our very friendly hostess (who had already taken us for free in her 4x4 to Murdeira, where we’d had a great evening) showed us. She also picked us up at the restaurant exit in Espargos because no taxi would risk off-roading at night to get to her guesthouse in the middle of nowhere!

Hello Jean-Michel, I arrived yesterday and followed your advice—I’d booked a room with Antonio... who then offered to let me stay at his aunt’s place during Carnival (she lives in the building next door 😊 and is in Dakar right now). So after a relaxed arrival (I basically napped on Mindelo Beach) and today’s island tour with Antonio and a couple of 77-year-old English lovebirds 😍 (and yeah, Bruno, São Vicente *is* a rock, but it’s got a certain charm), I’m heading to Santo Antão tomorrow. I’ll be back on the 16th and the 17th for Fat Tuesday, but since no domestic flights are available, I think I’ll return to Santo Antão on the 18th and come back on the 21st to catch my return flight on the 22nd. I figured I’d head toward Ponto do Sol/Ribeira Grande for "Phase 1" and Tarrafal for "Phase 2." I’ve got the night to decide where I’ll sleep 😅. We’ll see 😊.

Hi! Yes, the tour of Mindelo is worth it... but that's about it. I really liked the oasis part where you feel like you're in southern Morocco. If you want info on hikes in Santo Antão, no problem—we did 8 or 9 in different spots! One was super impressive: Bordeira do Norte starting from Ribeira das Patas. You can stay at Quinta Cochete (one of the most beautiful places and accommodations) or with Suzeth or Amadeus. For some relaxation, Tarrafal de Monte Trigo is really great and always sunny, unlike the eastern part, which is often foggy! Stay at Mar e tranquilidade at the village entrance by the (deserted) beach—great buffet dinners and unlimited punch on the beach terrace starting at 6 PM! Hic... One downside: the showers are cold to save water, but since it's warm, it’s okay... PS: Two spots for easy hikes in green valleys: Paul Valley and Ribeira Grande Valley. Get dropped off at Xoxo (near Vila das Pombas) and hike up to Rabo Curto—several loops possible in each valley.

PS: Correction, Xoxo is in the Ribeira da Torre valley—you get there from Ribeira Grande... You can stay in that town or better yet, at the start of the hike at Casa Xoxo. (But reviews aren’t great for the accommodation 😕). We got a taxi to take us from Ribeira Grande to Casa Xoxo.

From Xoxo: Hike to Rabo Curto—it’s a really beautiful route, and the valley is even more stunning than Paul’s. There are several possible routes once you reach Rabo Curto... The shortest loop involves taking the steep downhill path to the right just as you enter the village (don’t miss it, or it’s an extra 5km).

For the Paul Valley, you can stay at Luz d’Sol in Cidade das Pombas, right at the bottom near the sea—great welcome in French. Or, much better but pricier and often fully booked, at the top of the valley: L’Aldea Panoramica in Cabo de Ribeira. It’s really great (accommodation and meals included)! They also welcome guests in French. The advantage here is that you can "reserve" without leaving a deposit—just fill out the form on their website or call them (in French).

If you stay at the bottom, you can explore the valley in more or less detail. If you stay at L’Aldea (Cabo de Ribeira), you can do round trips: 1. Pico da Cruz 2. Cova Crater Or, even better but tougher: a 1200m elevation gain for the full loop (we did it!). Climb to Pico da Cruz, then take the paved path/road to Cova Crater, and descend back to Cabo de Ribeira... The descent this way is less steep than the other direction!

Still about hiking. If you're staying in Ponta do Sol, there's of course the famous coastal hike to Cruzinha.. We did it the other way around, coming from Cha de Igreja/Cruzinha.. In my opinion, the last part closest to Ponta do Sol is really worth it.. So you can get a taxi to take you to the start of the hike from Ponta do Sol (paved road) and then walk to Fontainhas and Formiguinhas, then come back the same way, which will save you a long taxi ride (or boat!) back if you do the full hike—it goes up and down a lot in both directions... We stayed at Musica do Mar; the accommodation is decent by the sea but close to a bar that's busy until late at night.. so if you're a light sleeper..