This is an update to our previous post about the Fogo volcano eruption in 2014
Cape Verde, Fogo and Volcanoes
The Cape Verde archipelago is a string of volcanic islands of which Fogo, a single massive stratovolcano, is the most prominent.
Fogo island is roughly 25 km wide and truncated by a large 9km wide caldera that is breached to the east and has a headwall 1km high.
Pico, the youthful steep-sided central cone, rises over 1km above the caldera floor and 100 m above the caldera rim reaching a height of 2829m.
Fogo Volcano Eruption 2014
Fogo erupted from 2 closely spaced vents on the south west side of Pico on Sunday 23rd November at 10.00 am local time. The ash cloud emitted forced the airport to close and lava flow into the caldera blocking one of the entrance roads.
People living in the caldera evacuated as lava flows encroached on the houses. No casualties have been reported but buildings in the village of Portela have been destroyed and most of the National Park, including the headquarters building, has been covered.
On the 2nd December it was reported that the intensity of the Fogo volcano eruption had strongly deceased and lava flows had reduced to less than 1 meter per hour.
On the 4th December 57 houses, the National Park headquarters, a school, a hotel, 51 tanks, various agricultural buildings and around 30 hectares of farmland had been covered.
Today, Friday 5th December, domestic flights are still not going to the island although the airport is open to military planes offering assistance. The Fogo Fund has been set up to help families on the island and the Red Cross are providing support.
Fights to the other islands in the archipelago have not been affected and we have been in touch with all clients who were scheduled to travel to Fogo imminently. If you have any questions about travelling to Cape Verde in light of the Fogo volcano eruption please don’t hesitate to contact Ian or Jake who will be happy to chat on 017687 75672
About us
At Archipelago Choice, our small friendly team of island holiday specialists has been organising tailor-made holidays to the Azores since 1998 and more recently to Cape Verde, Saõ Tomé and Príncipe. Over this time we have developed the most comprehensive, flexible and fairly priced holidays to these beautiful islands.
All the holidays we organise are put together with great care using our extensive knowledge of the islands and our experience of travelling around them. We try very hard to give the most choice and flexibility possible combining activities, accommodation and island hopping so we put together holidays that best suit our clients.
The islands of Cape Verde offer incredible volcanic scenery and are a fantastic winter holiday destination. The wide range of activities available – from walking to guided tours, mountain biking to helping with turtle conservation projects, surfing and diving to sailing means that your holiday will be a colourful and exciting adventure!
Read about Ian and Sarah‘s Cape Verde Experience or Contact us and we’ll help put together the Cape Verde activity holiday of a lifetime for you