The main attractions of the islands of Cape Verde are their excellent weather and beautiful beaches.
The best tourist beaches are on the islands of Sal and Boa Vista, although Maio also has some stunning beaches. Maio is less developed than Sal and Boa Vista, however, and has fewer tourist facilities.
The best beaches in the Cape Verde islands are the Santa Maria beach on Sal and the Curralinho or Santa Monica beach on Boa Vista. If you visit Chaves beach on Boa Vista, you will see the remains of chimneys that were once associated with ceramics kilns. There are still some artisans creating ceramics on the island, and you can arrange to take a pottery tour in order to see how they work.
If you are traveling to the islands during the turtle breeding or hatching season, then you should try to visit one of the beaches where the turtles come to lay their eggs. If you arrive during the evening, you may spot some adult or newly hatched turtles. Ervatao beach on the island of Boa Vista is one of the top breeding sites for loggerhead turtles worldwide. If you are lucky enough to spot any turtles, make sure that you keep back and do not disturb them.
The ocean surrounding the islands is also a major attraction. Boa Vista is the best island for watersports, particularly surfing and windsurfing. The breeze and the waves around this island create the perfect conditions for these sports, and there are plenty of resorts and places where you can hire the gear you need.
There are also some interesting dive sites off the coast of the Cape Verde islands, with amazing marine wildlife and natural caves as well as many historic shipwrecks to investigate. There are a number of good sites around the island of Boa Vista, but it is also worthwhile checking out the other islands if you are a keen diver.
Many of the islands of Cape Verde have been used to produce salt for export, since there are a number of natural salt pans from which salt can be gathered. The island of Sal is even named after the Portuguese word for salt. You can still see some of the salt pans on Sal. The Pedro Lume salt mine on this island is the best place to visit. As well as the salt mines, which are inside the crater of an extinct volcano, there is a lake that has similar levels of salinity to the Dead Sea, allowing you to float in the water.
The island of Fogo is one of the most unmissable attractions in the Cape Verde islands. Although few visitors spend their entire vacation on Fogo, many people choose to make a short excursion to the island to see the only active volcano in Cape Verde. The volcano crater can be reached on foot, by road or on a horseback riding tour. There are some intriguing formations of rock and lava in the crater, and if you come with a guide they will show you the place where you can still feel the underground heat from the most recent eruption. You can also visit the vineyard that sits within the crater, and buy some of the wine.
The historic old city of Cidade Velha is one of the most interesting attractions on the islands, and will be a perfect excursion for anyone who is interested in history or who wants to see some of the oldest buildings in Cape Verde. Cidade Velha is on the island of Santiago, not far from the capital, Praia. Cidade Velha was itself once the capital of the islands, and it was also the first city ever to be built in the tropics by a European colonial power. The fort and cathedral are the most impressive buildings, but there is also an interesting museum about the history of Cape Verde, which is particularly informative about the role of the islands in the slave trade. The old city is now a World Heritage site.
The town of Santa Maria on the island of Sal is an attraction for very different reasons. In addition to having one of the best beaches in Cape Verde, the town of Santa Maria is one of the liveliest, and it is the best place to find a good restaurant on the island, with a selection of international styles of food as well as plenty of chances to sample some of the local dishes.
Many of the bars and restaurants in Santa Maria and other towns around Cape Verde will have live music. There is often a band playing during the evening in the town square, with plenty of locals around showing off their dance moves, but if you really want to get an authentic taste of the music and dancing of Cape Verde, then you should visit the island of Sao Vicente. This is the cultural heart of the islands, with some of the best music playing in the bars of the main town, Mindelo. The best times to visit are during the big festivals in February and August.