I love a boat trip. So I caught one from the beach and we sailed around the island. The catamaran was luxurious, bright white with cushioned sofas and inviting sunbeds. You could even lay on the netted material between the two floaty bits (I am not much of a ‘boaty’ in case you haven’t noticed, apologies in the lack of technical lingo!) All I know is that I felt like an absolute rock star on this shiny, yachty catamaran! The ocean sparkled as we sailed the seven seas! Arrrrg *pirate noise*. We all put on our rather dashing snorkelling masks and jumped in to the cooling water, to explore the world underneath us. The beautiful bright coral and funny looking wildlife. I love watching the fish, as long as they don’t touch me. That freaks me out!
The evenings are generally spent inside the hotel, drinking yummy cocktails and watching the entertainment. Usually traditional African dancing and the arts. One evening the ‘wally trolley’ (A land train that would have made UK health and safety cry) took us to the local beach bar for, probably one of the best nights ever! No idea was in that cocktail but it was amazing, dancing on the beach with the locals and bar staff until the sun came up! No wonder why the island motto is ‘No Stress’! I remember laying exhausted on the beach in the early hours of the morning, watching the beautiful sunrise.
The Cape Verde islands are home to the endangered loggerhead turtles. The turtles nest on the beaches and the SOS Tartarugas charity look after the eggs and make sure they hatch safely. I donated some money and adopted a turtle (well, an egg) named Tyler. When he was born I received a photo and newsletter about the animals. Hope the adorable little guys made it to sea safely. If you’re lucky, you may even see the turtles nesting. But make sure you book your space early!
I’m still in two minds about Tourism in Cape Verde. It is great for the locals as it provides jobs and income for the country, but I feel that the huge hotels are taking over and ruining the authenticity of the destination. I would recommend a trip to the ‘African Caribbean’, I absolutely fell in love with it. But visit soon, as I am concerned the beauty of Cape Verde will be ruined by growing tourism.