This new 7th edition of Bradt`s Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) has been fully revised & updated & remains the most comprehensive English-language guidebook available to the islands of this alluring Atlantic archipelago, described by some as ` Africa light`. The guide
Includes:: well-researched history & cultural sections, with a particularly strong section on music, & brings an honest approach to reporting the fragile balance between tourist development & protecting the environment. This new edition reflects the many changes since the previous one, including the introduction of charter flights from the UK to Sal & the first casino-hotel on Sal, as well as providing full information on how to make the most of the less developed islands away from the main tourist hotspots. Stable & peaceful, quietly isolated by its mid-Atlantic location, Cape Verde continues to grow economically & to develop its tourist infrastructure at a leisurely pace. With few natural resources, the islands are heavily dependent on imports, foreign remittances & still to some extent on foreign aid. The reduction in the latter has heightened the focus on the importance of tourism as an economic driver & visitor numbers continue to rise. Year-round sunshine makes Cape Verde a particularly appealing destination. The archipelago is diverse, particularly in terms of its tourist infrastructure. Sal & Boavista, the oldest of these volcanic islands are flat with white-sand beaches that rival anything in the world. Consequently, they attract 95% of Cape Verde`s visitors, leaving the other seven inhabited islands undeveloped. Hikers & those curious to discover something authentic are drawn to them, spending their time walking amongst the jaw-dropping mountainous landscapes of Fogo or Santo Antao, taking some true time-out in tiny Brava or mellow Maio or enjoying the cultural fusion of African, Portuguese & Brazilian influences in the cities of Praia & Mindelo. The adventurous will find adrenalin rushing as they profit from windsurfing & kitesurfing opportunities, fuelled by strong breezes & Atlantic waves, while for culture, Mindelo is the attraction with a constant backdrop of seductive music, the thread which ties together the islands scattered across the mid-Atlantic.