Cape Verde - The Other Side of Africa
These archipelago islands in off the west coast of Africa are a relative newcomer to the Yacht Charter circuit, but the 10 islands have numerous secluded beaches and coves where the sailing enthusiasts can play. Coupled with a low crime rate, an engaging people that hails its cultural heritage from both Africa and Portugal, Cape Verde should make for an interesting holiday in the East Atlantic.
General Info
Probably the best known thing to come out of Cape Verde is the famous singer Cesaria Evora, who is a perfect illustration of the culture of the country that varies between the rhythmic African music and the mournful Portuguese melodies. But in order to understand what makes this country attractive, you’ll have to delve in deeper and closer.
500km off the coast of Senegal lies an archipelago of volcanic islands that have been thus separated from mainland Africa but still weren’t enough to eradicate completely that African legacy although the islands were first colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century. It is this very isolation that has proved both a blessing and a curse for Cape Verde throughout its history. But the main attraction for Yacht Charter sailors must be the landscape.
From a sailing point of view, the position of Cape Verde is perfect for those cross-Atlantic journeys and so most of the traffic comes from the neighboring Canary archipelago of islands and continues on to the Caribbean. The overall shape of the archipelago is that of a horseshoe and it is made up of 10 islands and eight islets with a total land mass of 4033 sq km.
Yacht Charter regulars will notice the disposition of the islands similar to those in the Caribbean (Leewards and Windwards): Ilhas de Barlavento and Ilhas de Sotavento. The largest island is Santiago which also hosts the capital city of Praia, the main urban agglomeration of the country.
The overall look of the islands is that of volcanic relief with very sparse vegetation due to the climate. From that point of view, there isn’t very much to see on land for the Yacht Charter tourist, except some extensive salt flats and some large volcano craters. The beaches of Sal and boas Vista will surely appeal to the tourist crowds, as will the hiking routes around the Fogo volcano and the windsurfing opportunities along the shores.
If in terms of vegetation, the scene here is sparse, the isolated nature of the islands has created some endemic species of birds and reptiles which might be worth seeing (Alexander’s Swift, Bourne’s Heron, the Cape Verde Warbler and the Cape Verde Giant Gecko).
As far as climate goes, the islands of Cape Verde enjoy milder temperatures throughout the year than the countries on mainland Africa which is another reason Yacht Charter sailing is favorable here. Average temperatures range from 25 degrees Celsius in January to 29 degrees in September. The one thing missing here though is rainfall, which is why the Cape islands can be considered arid, or, to be more precise, semi-arid. The rainy season, if it can be called that, occurs between late August and October, although there have been years with no rain. The north-easterly trade winds blow strongest during the first months of the year when they sometimes bring with them significant quantities of sand from the Sahara. This coincides with a decrease in the number of Yacht Charter vessels anchoring in Cape Verde.
Law & Order
Since the local government is looking to improve tourism, the visas for yacht which stay for short periods of time are no longer needed. Overall, the formalities have been simplified in an effort to attract more cruising boats to the archipelago. This means that only the ship’s papers will be retained by the authorities, the passports will just be stamped and returned. Yacht Charter captains should known that there is only a leaving fee payable at the harbor master at any of main ports.
You and your Yacht Charter crew will need a valid passport for at least 6 months and a visa (except for citizens of South Africa). Those for yachts on short visits will be issued on the spot, but for a longer stay, you should contact one of the embassies found all throughout western Europe capitals, as well as Las Palmas on Gran Canaria.
The main ports in Cape Verde are Mindelo (on Sao Vicente island), Palmeira (Sal island), Tarrafel (Sao Nicolau), Boa Vista, Fogo, Furna (Brava), Maio and Praia (Sao Tiago). Yacht Charter crews should enter or leave the country only though these ports and respect the local laws vis-à-vis tobacco, firearms, pets and health regulations.