Diving Holidays In Cape Verde
The Cape Verde islands are dreamlands for any Scuba diver that would like to have an unforgettable experience in deep, wreck and cave diving. The coral reefs host the most beautiful underwater fauna of the Caribbean. During the warmer weather, you are likely to see very long trumpet fish, massive loggerhead or green turtles up to one metre in diameter, enormous manta rays, the largest balloon fish you will find anywhere and schools of dolphins. Cape Verde presents an underwater world of caves, canyons, massive rock formations, ledges and sharp wall drop-offs. In most of the areas sea life is plentiful. All of these caves and crevices are home to fish, lobster, eel and in many areas, intensely yellow polyps.
Cape Verde is a country in West Africa that are comprised of a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal. In the days of slave trading, Cape Verde received its first occupants: West African slaves brought over to do the Portuguese colonists' dirty work. It also became a significant strategical stopping-point for America-bound slave ships from West Africa. Though the slave trade has long since come to an end, Cape Verde remains an important midway port. An increasing number of tourists, however, are discovering the joys that Cape Verde itself offers.
The main reason for visiting Cape Verde is to see the spectacular natural scenery; white sand beaches on the island of Sal, imposing volcanic peaks on Sao Nicolau and Fogo or verdant hillside and jungle on Santiago. Conditions in Cape Verde are excellent for a variety of watersports, particularly sailing and windsurfing. Most watersports activities are based on the island of Sal.
There are 25 diving sites on Sal and Cape Verde including wrecks at a depth of 10m. Fish include grouper, tuna and mackerel but shark are a rarity. Ribs take 10 to 12 divers each and can provide gentle drift dives in one knot of current. Night dives are made at most inshore locations. Plenty of reef fish and occasionally tuna and wahoo can be seen. Late summer brings mantas, morays, barracudas, nurse sharks and more rarely sand and tiger sharks, sting rays and small grouper. Whale shark are rare visitors.
Cape Verde is pleasant year-round. Even during the so-called rainy season from mid-August to mid-October, weeks can go by without a downpour. Thanks to cooling ocean currents and offshore winds, Cape Verde has the lowest temperatures of any country in West Africa, and also some of the most moderate, ranging from a minimum night-time average of 19°C in February to a maximum daytime average of 29°C from May to November. Summer temperatures, especially in the northern islands, can be cooler than in Europe, though the southern islands, especially Fogo, can get hot and sticky. From December to March you may need a sweater in the evenings, especially at higher altitudes. Winter months are also marked by gusty winds, which blow in dust all the way from the Sahara.
Top regions in cape-verde
Cape Verde is a small group of Islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, 1500 km south of the Canary Islands and 450 km off the western coast of Senegal..
Sal is characterized by a desert landscape and everyone who comes here is cast under its spell and plans to return. The Cape Verdeans call this phenomenon Sodade, which means yearning. The fun loving locals will shape your image of the Cape Verdes and their aim is to make your holidays in Sal an unforgettable experience. You do not need much to be happy - This saying could have originated on these islands. Fishing and enjoying music are the main activities of the inhabitants of the island.
Diving in Sal is a diver's paradise with wrecks to explore, rich tropical underwater flora and a massive array of fish including shoals of rockfish and bream, dolphins, turtles and sharks. With few coral reefs, the Cape Verde underwater topography is mostly volcanic lava rocky ridges, pinnacles and boulders, and great arches and caves.
For the more experienced a drive up to the north western coast to visit Buracona coastal area wich is full of unexplored caves and grottoes, is ideal for a half day outing. Adjacent to the Buracona Cave is a natural swimming pool. Perfect for an apres-dive picnic!
The Republic of Cape Verde (Portuguese: Cabo Verde) is located on an archipelago off the western coast of Africa. The islands of the Cape Verde archipelago are windy, hilly, dry - almost lunar - and fairly sleepy. But there is beauty in the parched hills. And some of the islands are actually lush. There is also good hiking, lively nightlife and plenty of quiet corners to hide away in.
This is a fantastic new diving destination which is truly unspoilt and you can still have the luxury of a dive site to yourself. Although the coral life is pretty limited the fantastic visibility, variety of fish life and the possibility to dive wrecks, caves etc more than makes up for it.
