| Cape Verde | |
 | |
Location  | |
Coat of arms and flag   | |
| Capital | Praia |
|---|---|
| Government | parliamentary republic |
| Currency | Cape Verdean Escudo (CVE) |
| Surface | 4,033 km² |
| Inhabitants | 567.000 (2010 estimate), 509.000 (2009 census) |
| Tongue | Portuguese |
| Religion | Catholicism (79%), Christianity (10%) and the rest atheists or minor religions (2010) |
| Electricity | 220V / 50Hz (European socket) |
| Prefix | 238 |
| TLD | .cv |
| Time zone | UTC-1 |
| Website | Tourism organization |
Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) is an island state ofWest Africa, located in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Senegal.
To know
Geographical notes
The archipelago consists of 10 major islands, nine of which are inhabited plus another 8 completely uninhabited islets.
When to go
The climate is tropical dry. The average annual temperature fluctuates around 25 ° C. The hottest months remain the summer ones with an average temperature of 28 ° C, while in the winter months the average is thirsty around 24 ° C. The difference between winter and summer is given solely by the temperature range between day and night. In summer, the thermometer drops even to 23 ° C at night, in winter even to 21 ° C. In the ocean the temperature varies between 21 ° C (February and March) and 25 ° C (July, August, September The wind has no seasonality. Practically, there is no windier and no windier season. The trade winds, which always and constantly blow from the north-east, sometimes in winter, passing further south, come directly from the east and, passing over the Sahara, are charged with hot air and dust.
For the choice of the period in which to make the trip, the climate is, in practice, irrelevant. Being in the tropical north, Cape Verde has, in theory, a dry season (from October to May) and a rainy season (from June to September). Only in theory though, since in Cape Verde one of the heaviest problems is the absence of rainfall.
Background
These previously uninhabited islands have been discovered and colonized since Portugal in the 15th century; they later became a center of the African slave trade and then an important coal-firing station for transatlantic whalers and freighters. They gained independence in July 1975. The majority of Cape Verde's inhabitants have mixed African and Portuguese ancestry.
Spoken languages
The official language is Portuguese. Creole (a mixture of Portuguese and African words) is widespread in the islands of Ilha do Sal is Boa Vista the inhabitants often manage to understand and speak Italian. Only in the most inaccessible and out-of-the-way areas is it difficult to find a linguistic agreement but in any case it is always possible to recover some local who, perhaps in exchange for a couple of cigarettes, will act as a translator.
Territories and tourist destinations
Located between the 14th and 17th parallel, the archipelago is commonly divided into two main areas: the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands. This distinction is simply due to the type of gait that sailing boats must keep when sailing "upwind" (upwind) and not, as is customary to think, to the greater or lesser windiness.
Urban centers
There are 24 cities in Cape Verde. Here are the most relevant:
- Praia - The capital, onSantiago island.
- Assomada - It is the seat of the municipality of Santa Catarina onSantiago island.
- Cidade Velha (Ribeira Grande) - Historic town on theSantiago island.
- Espargos - Chief town of Ilha do Sal where the airport is located. Saint Mary the main tourist area in the south of the island.
- Mindelo - Port city on São Vicente, probably the liveliest in the country.
- Saint Mary - Old administrative capital and the most populated city of Ilha do Sal.
Other destinations
How to get
Entry requirements
The Visa for the tourist stay in the country has a cost of € 25.00 (data March 2014). Some tour operators also charge a fee on the visa. It is advisable to explicitly ask for the possibility of obtaining a visa on site, as all airports are equipped to do so. Starting with a last-minute offer, it can often happen that the tour operator does not have time to buy your visa to make regular entry into the archipelago. Upon arrival at the airport you will therefore have to arm yourself with patience and wait for the visa office to issue a receipt for it. Sometimes, in the event that the tour operator fails to purchase a visa and to communicate at least your name (situation that happens when you book 1 or 2 days before), the passport can be withdrawn and then returned to you a few days later, what which does not happen if you pay on arrival. The passport must have a residual validity of at least 6 months and the tourist visa is valid for 30 days.
By plane
International flights of European origin land at Amilcar Cabral airport on the island of Sal, 200 km northeast of the capital Praia. The archipelago is located about 6 hours flight from Italy.
At the international airport of Praia there are flights coming from the American continent (Boston is Fortaleza).
The Cape Verdean national airline TACV[link not working] provides for departure from major European airports on flights operated with its own fleet (3 Boeing 757-200s with 228 seats) and from major non-European airports through code-sharing flights. From Italy it no longer grants direct booking, thus relying on tourist intermediation. Also from Italy regular flights, and book them online, are operated by NEOS. Another opportunity to fly to Cape Verde is offered by the Portuguese national airline TAP. The flight usually always includes a stopover in Lisbon.
Cape Verde is also served by airlines Air Senegal[link not working] (departure from Dakar), from Angola Airlines (from Luanda) Condor (departure from Germany), from United Airlines (with European stopover).
The merchant ships of the CS LINE, company based in Praia, cover the following routes: Cape Verde-Rotterdam-Leixoes (Portugal) -Lisbon-Las Palmas-Cape Verde-Guinea-Bissau Bissau-Rotterdam. None of the boats have a passenger service but, by talking to the captain, you can get a berth. The same service, however, on transatlantic routes can be obtained from shipping companies such as Seage or Temerosa.
How to get around
By plane
The islands of Santiago, Sal and Sao Vincente are connected by daily flights. The other islands remain connected by non-daily flights but still quite regular.The average price of an internal return flight is about € 160.00. There is also the possibility of purchasing packages of 5 internal flights at a cost of about € 250.00. Brava and Santo Antao, although equipped with an airport, are currently accessible only by sea. It is always advisable to confirm the flight and the timetable of the internal transport a few days before departure as there are often problems of overbooking, canceled or postponed flights. It is also advisable to rely little on the actual duration of the flight as it does not happen infrequently that the aircraft makes a stop on another island even if this was not foreseen or that it leaves very late compared to the time shown. internal flights vary from 15 minutes for the nearest islands to 50 minutes for the more distant islands.
Internal flights are carried out on three ATR 42-300 with 46 seats of the TACV[link not working] where it is possible to stow a luggage of 20 kg and carry a luggage of 5 kg on board. There is also another local charter airline, the CAPOVERDEEXPRESS which connects the islands to each other with 15-seater L410s. Since these are charter flights, the company has no set times or preferential routes. Finally, it should also be considered that the current restrictions on the contents of hand baggage still have little validity for internal flights. Many internal airports do not have a metal detector and the control of what you have in tow is carried out only visually. There TACV[link not working] however, it is obtaining the safety certification that the major world carriers have. All the more reason to rely on this company and on the maintenance of its aircraft and its airports.
There are numerous private shipping companies: the ferry ship "Sal Rei" (Santiago - Fogo - Brava, Santiago - Boa Vista), the "Ribeira de Paul" (Sao Vicente - Santo Antão), the "Canal d'Mar" (Sao Vicente - Santo Antão) the ferry "Tarrafal" (Sao Vicente - Praia, Sao Vicente - Sao Nicolau - Praia), the "Sotavento" (São Vicente - São Nicolau), and the "Barlavento" (Santiago - Fogo - Brava). The São Vicente - Santo Antão route is managed by the company ARMAS.
Sao Vincente and Santo Antao (Mindelo-Porto Novo) are the only islands connected regularly and daily by a ferry service. The average return ticket price is around € 7.00. The other islands, however, remain connected to each other with a service that hardly respects a regularity. Since the boats often depart later than the published times, it is always a good idea to calculate an abundant and potential waiting time. On longer routes the cost of the return ticket remains around € 30.00. Long delays can also occur on regular routes.
A maritime connections table between the islands, including the type of boat, is published and updated regularly on the site of the town of Mindelo.
By bus
To be able to move around the islands there are three types of means: minibuses ("aluguer") / pick-ups, taxis and urban bus service. The latter is present only in Praia (Santiago) and Mindelo (Sao Vincente). The cost of urban services is cheap and can be roughly quantified around 50 Escudos per km traveled.Minibuses travel all over the islands and they are usually privately run who charge any person who beckons them to stop. It also often happens to wait for half an hour or more on board one of these waiting for it to be full but, since the more people there are and the less you pay, it is better to wait without shouting and getting nervous. It will then be necessary to have a little spirit of adaptation as it often happens to travel on very comfortable crates, stowed between sacks of potatoes or onions or undergo long detours. With the minibus / pick-up it is possible to travel up to 20 km with less than 200 Escudos per person. Taxis are expensive (on average 100 Escudos per km traveled).
What see
National parks and protected reserves
The country's biodiversity is manifested by 240 known plant species, 28 reptile species and 36 bird species.
Cabo Verde is one of the few African countries that did not adhere to the African Convention for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources of 1968. In 1991, the Government declared the islands of Santa Luzia, Branco, Razo, Cima, Curra Velho Islands and Baluarte as nature reserves. In 2002, again the Government, made public the creation of 10 Natural Parks: Chã das Caldeiras (Fogo), Monte Verde (São Vicente), Moroços (Santo Antão), Ribeira da Torre (Santo Antão), Monte Gordo and Serra da Malagueta (Santiago), Barareiro and Figueira (Maio), Natural Park of the North (Do Norte Natural Park) (Boa Vista), Serra do pico de Antonia (Santiago), Tope de Coroa (Santo Antão).
Chã das Caldeiras, Island of Fogo: this is the entire volcano and its caldera.Monte Gordo[link not working], Island of São Nicolau: mountain of volcanic origin 1304 m high.Green Mount[link not working], São Vicente Island: the highest inactive volcano on the island of 774 m.Moroços[link not working], Santo Antão Island: forest area rich in plant species including, in danger of extinction, Artemisia Laevigata and Echium Stenosiphon.Ribeira da Torre, Island of Santo Antão: mountain range covered with pine forests that can also be reached by a public road.Serra da Malagueta[link not working], Santiago Island: is a mountain located north of the island of ancient volcanic origin.
Alongside these Natural Parks, there are also 19 Nature Reserves: Boa Esperanca, Morro de Areia, Ponta do Sol, Tataruga, Baluarte Island, Curral Velho Island (Boa Vista), Casas Velhas, Lagoa Cimidor, Praia do Morro, Terras Salgadas (Maio), Costa da Fragata, Ponta de Sino , Rabo de Junco, Serra Negra (Sal), Monte do Alto das Cabacas (São Nicolau), Cruzinha (Santo Antão), Santa Luzia Island, Razo Island, (Sao Vincente), Dry Islands (Brava)
In Sal there is also the only Marine Reserve: Bay of Murdeira. This locality, where the greatest depth is about 13 m, is located halfway between Espargos and Santa Maria where the major residential complexes of the island are currently under construction.
The integral reserves are 3: Cova Tina (Fogo), the islands of Branco and Razo (São Vincente), and the Dry Islands (Brava).
Those Integral natural also 3, are all located on Boa Vista: Baluarte Island, Passaros Island, and Curral Velho Island.
There are 10 Protected Landscapes: Buracona-Ragona, Monte Grande, the salt flats of Pedra Lume, Cagarral and Santa Maria (Sal), island of Curral Velho, Monte Cacador and Pico Forcado (Boa Vista), Monte Penoso, Monte Branco, Monte Santo Antonio, the salt flats of Villa do Maio (Maio), Pombas (Santo Antão).
Finally, 6 Natural Monuments: Sal-Rei Island, Monte Estancia, Monte Santo Antonio, Rocha Estancia (Boa Vista), Morrinho do Açúcar and Morrinho do Filho (Sal)
What to do
- Sào vicente - tour of the island, fish market, municipal market, praça estrela with its countless kiosks and finally praia la djinha which at night lights up with bars and restaurants, another area that comes alive at night is madeiralzinho where you will meet the best bars and restaurants in mindelo.
Currency and purchases
The national currency is theCape Verdean escudo (CVE) The European currency is easily accepted in the tourist islands of Sal and Boa Vista, in the others, due to the lower flow of travelers, it is advisable to change into local currency. Primordial, but constantly evolving, electronic money such as credit cards and ATMs. The latter, even if enabled for international withdrawal, very often do not allow withdrawals from the counters while for credit cards it is advisable to bring VISA cards (accepted everywhere) that are not electronic. MASTERCARD cards (also non-electronic) are hardly accepted.
The Cape Verdean Escudos do not have a currency account so it is advisable, before departure, to change them on site.Here are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:
| (EN) With Google Finance: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
| With Yahoo! Finance: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
| (EN) With XE.com: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
| (EN) With OANDA.com: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
In the tourist and more populous areas of the archipelago, prices are quickly aligning with those in Europe. An espresso in a city center bar can cost you around 100 Escudos (€ 0.90), a 30cl bottle beer. on 150 Escudos (€ 1.36), a stamped postcard on 100 Escudos (€ 0.90), a dinner for two based on sea fish on 2500 Escudos (€ 22.80), a souvenir T-shirt on 1000 Escudos (€ 9.00), a pack of cigarettes on 250 Escudos (€ 2.28). Airport boutiques, although tax free, are the most expensive and therefore it is not convenient to shop in these places.
It must be said that throughout the archipelago activities managed by Eastern trade are becoming more and more present where, in the face of a lower quality of the product, it is still possible to save on your purchases.
By paying in local currency you can save an additional 10% as no merchant applies the current exchange rate.
At the table
- Kacthupa - Corn and bean soup with meat or fish and vegetables. It is usually eaten in the morning as a breakfast topped with slices of salami and eggs.
- Pudim by kexu - Cheese pudding.
- Kroketi by atum - Tuna croquettes.
- Lagostada - Lobster dish.
- Bolacha - Ice cream based on milk cream and dry biscuit.
Drinks
- Grogue - Sugar cane distillate (typical of the island of Santo Antão).
- pontche - obtained from the mixture of grogue and molasses (it can also be tasted with fruit flavors such as that of tamarind, coconut, mango, passion fruit and very similar to the Piña Colada, coconut and pineapple), the herbal liqueurs of Santo Antão are also excellent.
Tourist infrastructure
Leaving aside the pharaonic tourist villages of Sal and Boa Vista, on the archipelago it is possible to find more than dignified accommodations in small pensions or hotels of various categories. Of the latter it must be said that their service standards are increasingly adapting to European ones. It will thus be possible to find an internet point in the hall, hairdryer, air conditioner, mini-bar, satellite TV in the room depending on the category. In the pensions instead, the environment will be a bit more spartan and you will often find yourself showering with cold water only. There are also numerous foreigners who live in the archipelago willing, usually after contact, to rent you rooms of their house including breakfast in the price. Finally it is possible to rent a flat which, for 4 people in high season and excluding consumption, can cost around € 450.00 per week. For those who decide to book locally, usually not in the summer months, it is quite easy to find accommodation without even reserving it before departure.
Events and parties
National holidays
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Each town celebrates its patron saint. That of Praia for example it is May 19th.
The most spectacular carnivals are those of Mindelo, São Nicolau is Praia.
Safety
The crime rate is relatively low. The number for emergencies is 132. As regards internal air transfers, there is currently only one incident that occurred on 7 August 1999 on the island of Sant Antao of a Dornier DO-228 of the Cape Verde Coast Guard . This is a sign that traveling between the islands by plane is more than safe.
 | ATTENTION: In February 2007, two Italian girls were brutally slaughtered, the twenty-eight year old Giorgia Busato, from Verona, and the twenty-seven year old from Ravenna Dalia Spiani who had gone to theisland of Sal to participate in an international windsurfing championship. A third girl of just 17 years miraculously escaped the massacre, later providing a chilling account of the modalities of the double murder. However, the investigations ascertained that the crime was not related to the crime of Cape Verde but had been perpetrated for personal or passionate reasons. However, the latest local news regarding this fact leads back to issues related to drug trafficking. According to investigations by the Cape Verdean police, there are very strong indications of an involvement, whether or not it will be the judiciary to shed light, by the two girls in such trafficking. |
Although the crime rate is very low, it must be considered that the drug market is experiencing very fertile ground throughout the archipelago. This is mainly due to the tourist flow that, under the umbrella or on the terrace of the hotel, loves to indulge in aromatic smokes of marijuana or sniffs of cocaine. Port and airport controls are mild and drugs enter very easily. The uninhabited island of Santa Luzia has become a first-class stopover for crack and cocaine landings. While there are flourishing plantations of marjunana in the most remote valleys of Sant'Antao. It may happen, more often than you think, to see places in an evident confusion given by the use of crack that will ask you for money to eat but which in reality will be used for something else. Crack is currently the most common drug in the entire archipelago.
Another sore point is that of prostitution. More and more often it happens to see European tourists accompanied by young people often not yet of age. The phenomenon becomes visible to everyone in the islands of Sao Vincente and Santiago and, at nightfall, it is a flourishing of young women tenderly embraced by newly retired or young boys curious to experience the African flavor at a low price.
It is always advisable not to give any money to children or anyone who asks you for it. Children who insist on having little change in Sal or on the other islands usually prefer not to go to school and adults who ask you for a few Euros will do so to get, contrary to what they will tell you, a dose of cocaine or crack. Offer him a sandwich or a drink, assuming it will suit him, just that. If you really want to offer money, rely on those who know how to use it in the best way without going to feed the delinquent world. Always be firm in denying an economic request, the hesitation will only bind you for several minutes the beggar who, often and willingly, will start following you with a very long and interminable request for money until you have to surrender due to exhaustion.
Finally, attention should be paid to the widespread stray dogs present in the islands. Cats, but especially dogs, in poor health are present almost everywhere. It is a good idea not to give them food (a practice dear to tourists but strongly discouraged by the local government) and to move away when you witness a territorial brawl. Dogs and cats are everywhere and almost become part of the natural landscape of the archipelago. It is not uncommon, especially in large cities, to find them wandering around the aisles of hospitals or in some supermarket.
Health situation
The only hospitals are present in Mindelo (Island of Sao Vincente) and in Praia (Island of Santiago). On the other islands there are modest medical clinics. The main generic medicines are readily available while for specific ones it is advisable to carry them with you. No vaccinations are required for passengers coming from European destinations.
Particular attention must be paid to protection from the sun's rays. A few degrees north from the equator, the archipelago is illuminated by a warm, tropical sun. Even for the most resistant skins, a sunscreen with FP 30 is the minimum advisable. The sun present at these latitudes is much stronger than that of European latitudes so that the exposure time will be reduced and the sun protection factor increased depending on the duration of exposure. The "wind factor" is then very often used, which deceives the tourist by making them better tolerate the exposure, the solar refraction given by the sea and the white beaches. Last but not least, the scattered cloudiness which, contrary to popular belief, allows a passage of the sun's rays almost similar to that of a clear day. In any case, it is always useful to bring a sunburn ointment and hope not to use it.
Respect the customs
"Obrigado" if you are a man, "Obrigada" if you are a woman ... It is always customary to thank any person with whom you have contact. Thanksgiving is as if it were a form of greeting in all respects. It should be considered that you are in an African country and that often the local customs and traditions seem ridiculous to us. It is a good idea to avoid pitying smiles in front of robust ladies with 15 kg of potatoes on their heads or to observe the cleanliness of the fish in the port areas with disgusted air. Getting annoyed by the long queues at the bank or the slowness of the supermarket cashier is bad taste and out of place. We are in an African country and the rhythms, timetables, readiness are certainly not what we can find in Milan or New York.The espresso, if not in the very Italian villages of Sal and Boa Vista, will often be a soup at the height of the cup. Expecting at all costs a macchiato coffee in a small cup or a purifying herbal tea often becomes ridiculous and lacking in common sense precisely in compliance with local habits. Shouting out loud in public places, getting annoyed if GSM coverage is weak, getting irritated if the driver decides to stop during the journey with a friend, is the same as above. minibus or t-shirt but always limit yourself in requesting the discount. Cape Verdeans don't enjoy bargaining on price like Arab populations.
How to keep in touch
The local telephone company is there Cape Verde Telecom which offers fixed and GSM telephony service. Tim, Vodafone, Wind and 3 have an agreement with the aforementioned company for the provision of the gsm service in international roaming. It is therefore possible to call and receive both local and international phone calls as well as send and receive sms. The access network is GSM 900 therefore also suitable for a normal, old and cheap dualband mobile phone. Given the essential coverage, it is not currently possible to use GPRS and UMTS services (then send / receive multimedia messages, video calls and connect to the internet). To access the internet, just connect to any free wifi hotspot or buy a Cape Verdean SIM (CV telecom or T) to be able to use 3G. The area code is not required to make calls between the islands.
The current coverage of the archipelago (February 2007) is 70% complete. Maio, Fogo, Boa Vista and Sant'Antao are still discovered in most of the territory (in this case the mountainous and desert area). Given the current cost of calls, both incoming and outgoing, and the difficulty in using the ancillary services of the various companies, it is advisable to leave (for rechargeable cards) with a good residual credit or by stipulating a charge for the credit card calls.
There Cape Verde Telecom it also provides a fast ADSL navigation service through the Internet Points.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Cape Verde
Commons contains images or other files on Cape Verde
Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Cape Verde
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