I discovered destination Cape Verde for the first time in the last week of October 2019, when my friend and I were trying to decide a holiday destination. I have got so many countries I would love to visit…better put – I would love to see the world and I hope life permits me, but for now, I am doing it city by city with respect to my account balance and so far, I can say – “Drops of water will definitely fill a cup”.
Choosing to go Cape Verde was interesting for me because it came off as an adventure with a little bit of risk. It was risk because not many vacationing Nigerians have been to the destination, I couldn’t find pointers online but I knew its an island and to top it all up, Cabo Airlines was going to start direct flight from Lagos to Sal in December. That sounded like a perfect ‘inaugurative’ plan…I dare say it turned out to be a pretty decent decision and great plan until cabo Verde airlines decided to display their incompetence, unapologetically.
Cape Verde or Cabo Verde is an island located in the central Atlantic Ocean. The island was discovered by Portuguese explorers who colonized the islands, establishing the first European settlement in the tropics. With 500,000+ population and zero natural resources, the developing economy is service oriented with focus on tourism and foreign investment. If you are reading this post, you probably came here to see the beautiful photos I promised to blog or you are planning a visit to Cape Verde. If you are planning a relaxing vacation then your choice of Cape Verde is rather too perfect as the country literarily lives by her slogan – No Stress. It’s the perfect destination to sit by the beach, drink some wine, read a book, take in nature and rest or just speak with a horse 🙂
I spent 7 nights in the city of Sal, Cape Verde and coming from a city like Lagos, Nigeria, I dare say it became too relaxing at some point. The people are quite warm and friendly. The only barrier for me was language – I speak English, while they dominantly speak the Portuguese based creole. Of course there were very few people who could communicate in English but you will need a great deal of patience and sign language.
If you follow me on Instagram and/or Twitter, you may have seen some of my posts about cape Verde. If yes, this blog post will be more and if not, Why?
For their exchange – Currency, they spend Euros and Escudos. 1 Euro equals 100 – 110 Cape Verdean Escudos, depending on who and where you are buying. As a Nigerian, I was particularly in love with how they still spend coins. I could have a bag of coins and be a millionaire. Going to the island, ensure you change your monies to Euros to avoid being stranded.
So here are the photos you so want to see!
Buracona Also Known As The Blue Eye
The Buracona and the Blue Eye is one of the most beautiful tourist attraction in Sal, Cape Verde. It is a beautiful underwater cage turning magic blue and turquoise by the sunlight. The Buracona is a natural pool formed by the ocean into the lava rock. For me, this was the most beautiful tourist site in Sal, Cape Verde. See more photos of the Buracona below;
Monte Leao
The Monte Leao sits directly below the sleeping lion mountain. My photos didn’t quite capture the sleeping mountain as i was carried away by the serendipity of the ocean. See photos below:
Espargos
This is the main commercial centre of the sal island. It is situated at the heart of the island and standing at this spot, you can view the city in all its glory.
Miragen
According to the tour guides, this place is supposed to be where we see some form of mirage. You basically see a pool of water but in the actual sense, there isn’t one. My dears, all i sha saw was the desert, i took pictures and i met awesome humans. Case closed.
Shark Bay (Santa Maria)
It is worth experiencing but not without your rubber water shoes as you have to walk a distance into the ocean on stony grounds to see the sharks. If you dont have a rubber water shoe, not to worry, you can rent one at the shore for 3 Euros. I can categorically say i was strong enough to see some baby sharks. LOL
Viveiro Botanical Garden
This Botanical Garden was my most favorite place in Sal, Cape Verde. Of course if was beautiful but the owners of the property were more charming and willing to help. The couple were so kind and didn’t hesitate to tell us about their dog, how she mingles with people, would rather eat with humans rather than have her food and their experience in Cape Verde. Paola is now my friend on facebook. I also met Joy – the warrior donkey. i shared her story on instagram – short but inspiring. click here to view. Now enjoy the view and be sure to visit this botanical garden whenever you visit Sal!
Catamaran Cruise
This cruise has got to be one of the best highlights of my stay. please don’t miss going on the cruise when in Sal. You could literally have a mini party of the yatch like we did. Just enjoy the sea for hours
3 comments
Uhmmm… now I want to go to Cape Verde??
Super! I am watching all the photos and in these photos, you look so pretty. In the white upper and black jeans, you look stunning.
This city is located on the island of Sao Vicente and is known for its colorful colonial architecture, lively nightlife, and rich music scene. It is also home to the annual Baía das Gatas Music Festival, which attracts music lovers from all over the world.
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