Islands of Cape Verde Archipelago

Explore the archipelago of Cape Verde with its intoxicating mixture of African and Portuguese heritage and its welcoming locals. Once a former colony and slave trade outpost, the Cape Verde Islands of today offer a spellbinding blend of African and Portuguese influences in their architecture, food, customs and traditions. Being blessed with a pleasant year-round climate, the archipelago offers a diverse range of landscapes from verdant mountain ranges, lush hills and jungles to explore, to volcanic landscapes or wide deserted beaches.

This cruise holiday will open up for you a vibrant and colorful world, all set to the gentle rhythms of West African music.

Day By Day

Day 1 

Palmeira (Sal Island)

Palmeira, Sal (4PM)
Ben Vindo! That’s Portuguese for welcome, and we welcome you to Cape Verde. Meet us on board at the port of Palmeira in Sal and get to know your home for the week, as well as your fellow travellers, over housewarming (or should we say shipwarming) cocktails. We’ll have dinner on board together, before a midnight departure to Boavista. Overnight at sea.

Day 2 

Sal Rei (Boa Vista Island)

Boa Vista is the island that has it all: volcanic landscapes, white stretches of sand, sparkling seas. Appreciate the relaxed way of life at one of the many beaches, or join us on an optional tour to discover the authentic aspects of island life: ceramics, colourful architecture and local agriculture. We’ll meet for lunch at a traditional restaurant (don’t miss our homemade goat’s cheese specialty the *homemade goat’s cheese*) before we embark on our overnight journey to Santiago.

Day 3 

Praia (Santiago Island)

Early morning arrival at Santiago, the largest of the Cape Verde archipelago. We know you’re eager to jump into the tempting waters and this morning is a great opportunity. Enjoy a morning at leisure followed by lunch on board before our optional afternoon trip to Cidade Velha. Founded in 1462, this was the first city to be built on the islands, and the former capital. Come evening, we’ll set off for an overnight at sea. Destination Fogo, the island of fire.

Day 4 

Sao Felipe (Fogo Island)

We arrive at the island to the dominating sight of Fogo Volcano. Fogo means fire in Portuguese: no prizes for guessing how the island got its name! Today’s optional excursion is a full-day expedition: first to the top of the volcano for a walk along the crater’s edge with lunch in Chã das Caldeiras, the crater’s village. This is a trip for the ages, but we’re not finished yet. We’ll visit charming San Felipe in the afternoon, before setting sail for Sao Vicente. Overnight at sea.

Day 5 

Mindelo (Sao Vincente Island)

Mindelo, Sao Vicente, is a cultural hub known for its traditional music, art and architecture. Join us as we meandre through the colonial streets and soak up the colourful sights, sounds and flavours. Visit the National Museum of Handicrafts for a deeper understanding into the rich island heritage. Mindelo is also famous for its lively nightlife; revel in it this evening as we overnight in the port.

Day 6 

Mindelo (Sao Vincente Island) – Porto Novo (Santo Antao)

With just 10 KM between the two islands, it’s a short sail from Sao Vicente to Santo Antao this morning. Santo Antao is the greenest of all the Cape Verde Islands; let us show you its verdant heart – Valley Paul – on our optional tour. A place where passion fruit, mangos, and sugarcane grow in abundance, and where local alcoholic drink, Grogue, is distilled from the latter. Go ahead, try some – but not too much as we’ve still got time to visit the Valley of Ribeira before dinner on board. Overnight in port.

Day 7 

Porto Novo (Santo Antao)

This morning we’ll discover the south west of the island, with its volcanic, arid landscapes. Join our optional half day excursion as we journey through volcanic landscapes, crop plantations, and isolated villages. Lagedos is one such village, where ecological tourism…. Overnight at sea on route to Sal.

Day 8 

Palmeira (Sal Island)

As we come full circle (literally!) back to Sal, it’s time for breakfast and goodbyes. For now. We hope to sea you on board one of our other cruises soon.

Highlights

Taste the famous “Grogue” in Santo Antao

Taste in home-distillery “grogue” – a white rum, made from sugarcane. Its production is fundamentally artisanal, and nearly all the sugarcane is used in the production of grogue. The cane is processed in a press known as a trapiche. Grogue is the basis for a Cape Verdean cocktail known as ponche, which also includes lime and molasses.

Fogo Volcano: The island of Fire

The island of Fire (Fogo translates as fire) consists of a single, giant black volcano, which dominates every view and every waking moment.São Filipe is easily one of the most attractive towns in the archipelago with pretty drives around the island’s eastern side. Taste the traditional Chã das Caldeiras wine better known as Manecon, as well as have the opportunity to purchase locally-produced coffee. Coffee connoisseurs consider the coffee from Fogo as one of the best in the world.

Cultural Mindelo & Cesaria Evora

Set around a moon-shaped port and ringed by barren mountains, Mindelo is Cabo Verde’s answer to the Riviera, complete with cobblestone streets, candy-coloured colonial buildings. Mindelo has long been the country’s cultural centre, producing more than its share of poets and musicians, including the late Cesária Évora, and it’s still a fine place to hear morna while downing some grogue . We will go on an optional discovery tour of the lively markets and the secret corners of the harbor town. Visit the fish market and the African market PRACA ESTRELA passing a traditional quarter, with the town hall, and the vegetable market.

Boat

Harmony G

Gallery

Dates & Rates