It’s been a month and a half since our family returned from Cape Verde, and I’ve finally found the time to write this travel journal about this beautiful yet little-known destination.
Cape Verde is a small volcanic archipelago made up of ten isolated islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. At the crossroads of maritime routes between three continents—Africa, the Americas, and Europe—its name is tied to the history of slavery.
But today, this little piece of Africa with Creole influences has a lot to offer travelers craving a change of scenery and adventures off the beaten path.
We visited three of these ten lovely islands rising from the ocean: Maio, the wild and authentic island; Fogo, the volcanic one; and Santiago, the cosmopolitan hub.
MAIO: THE SMALL, WILD, AND AUTHENTIC ISLAND
To travel between the neighboring islands of Santiago, where we landed from France, and Maio, the first stop on our trip, there are two options: plane or boat. To avoid the risk of the boat being canceled due to rough seas—and to save time—we chose to fly. The flight takes just fifteen minutes, while the boat ride lasts three hours. Since our stay was only fifteen days, saving that half-day was a big deal.
The colorful houses of Vila de MaioOur first day on the island didn’t let us see the sun. It’s mid-August, the very start of the rainy season—which should really be called the cloudy season. This “rainy” period has nothing to do with what happens in other parts of the world, like Southeast Asia, where the monsoon can be devastating. Here, locals hadn’t seen a drop of rain in nearly a year, and for them, it’s a tragedy. That’s why the ground is so dry and the vegetation so sparse.
As a result, fruits and vegetables are scarce, and livestock are suffering so much that some farmers are forced to cull their herds. Ironically, back in France, we’d just come out of a miserable winter with nearly five months of nonstop gray skies and frequent rain, especially in some regions. Is our climate out of whack?...
The beach bordering the village of Vila de MaioWe stayed a week on Maio. We were lodged at Stella Maris Village, a small residence at the edge of Vila. A shared pool, perched on a small cliff, overlooks the deep blue sea.
Sunset at Stella Maris VillageThe cliff isn’t very high, but it offers a nice view of the surroundings.
From the residence, it’s just a ten-minute walk through the village to reach the beach.
> The beach and the fishermen
We didn’t choose Maio just for its calm, wild, and authentic vibe. It was also so Victor and Arthur, our two sons, could earn their Level 1 scuba certification in Cape Verde’s beautiful waters, known for their abundant marine life but still relatively untouched by divers—for now...
On the first day, we met Bernard, who runs AAA Maio Plongée, to plan the five dives needed for their certification.
The dive sites are accessible by boat, but to reach it, you have to cross the surf. The waves vary in strength, and while they were gentle for our first snorkeling trip, getting past them with scuba tanks on our backs was a bit more of a workout for the later dives.
Snorkeling trip: this time, the waves were gentle...
The week of diving with Bernard went perfectly, in Cape Verde’s surprisingly fish-rich waters. On the morning of the last dive, while checking the sea to cross the surf safely, we even spotted a pod of dolphins swimming across the bay in the distance. Always a magical moment...
In a week, the beach at Vila, where the dive club is located, was the liveliest spot we saw on the whole island. All day long, fishing boats returned loaded with fish of all sizes.
Return from fishingHere, fishermen have a strong sense of solidarity because they can’t pull their boats out of the water alone, especially when the waves are rough.
So, all day long, whenever a boat comes in, the fishermen on the beach rush to help drag it ashore and secure it higher up on the sand, away from the sea.
The sight of these colorful fishing boats on the beach is something we saw everywhere in Cape Verde.
Sometimes, the fishermen bring back impressive catches. Instead of carrying the fish by hand to a proper spot, they clean them right on the beach.
Sailfish
But every evening during our stay, this beach also hosted Maio’s annual soccer tournament. Residents from villages across the island gathered here at the end of the day to compete, including a few women’s teams.
Players were cheered on by hundreds of spectators—which is a lot for a small island with barely 8,000 inhabitants.
The beach doubled as a stadium: sand replaced grass, and the fishermen’s colorful boats served as seats and bleachers. The celebration had a laid-back vibe, with loudspeakers blasting music and the smell of grilled fish in the air.
Meanwhile, kids splashed around in the sea, which could sometimes be dangerous. The waves could be strong, but the currents were the real concern.
