Cape Verde is a great choice for a winter holiday; situated just 300 miles off the coast of Senegal it has already been called the European Caribbean and is just a five and a half hour flight from the UK.
It's perfect for sun lovers as the islands are gently cooled by trade winds and remain pleasantly warm rather than stifling.
There are 10 different islands and each has its own character, with plenty of deserted beaches, dunes and volcanic peaks to explore. Cape Verde was originally part of the Portuguese empire and its language remains a mix of Portuguese and Creole.
The main island is Santiago, and this is the business centre for all the islands. The scenery here is dramatic and mountainous and ideal for keen walkers. Fogo lies to the south and is home to an active volcano crater and is the wine and coffee producer for the country.
Saint Vincent is one of the more northerly islands and is widely recognised as being the artistic and cultural centre. However the two most visited islands are Sal and Boa Vista, and both have regular charter flights from the UK.
Boa Vista is the island closest to Africa and is perfect for water activities. It's also the third most important site in the world for nesting turtles. Sal has starkly beautiful but barren scenery, but is very much the watersport capital of the islands and is renowned as being one of the top five windsurfing locations in the world.
A holiday on Cape Verde definitely offers something a little different from the normal winter destinations, and is a perfect, stress free escape.
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