The islands of Cape Verde are home to a laid back way of life that has disappeared in our modern world. Here, nature is wild and rugged, an effect of the volcanically active land the islands sit upon.
Hiking on the island of Santo Antão was a truly memorable experience. We met many hikers there that come back year on year, always discovering new trails and perspectives on the island. Here, we stayed in the unique ecolodge, Aldeia Manga, built high up in the mountains, amidst other sheer precipices that soar around it.
We had the privilege to celebrate New Years’ in the home of a local woman, Eugenia, who had repatriated back from the United States to her home island of Brava. It was also in Brava where we got the opportunity to hike in the cloud forests that covers its peaks.
The beaches of Cape Verde are also very remote. Even the well known ones are not over-crowded, and they are perfect spots of tranquility. Our favourite was the black sand beach of Tarrafal. This beach is incredibly remote and difficult to get to, but was worth the effort.