If you like walking holidays, then Cape Verde is the perfect destination for a walking holiday.
With great weather all-year round, apart from a few rainy days in September and October, it offers fantastic walking opportunities. Whether you’re young or old, are travelling with your family and looking for an easy day walk, to multi-day hikes for those looking for a real challenge. Our walks suit everyone!
Variety of walking holidays
Not only do you have the choice of a great variety of walks, you also get to choose how you want to do it, with a local guide, self-guided or in a private group. Why not persuade your friends from your rambling group to join you? The best islands for walking holidays are: Santo Antao (lush valleys and remote villages); Santiago (jagged peaks and Serra Malagueta Natural Park); Fogo (volcano and lava fields) and Sao Nicolau (quiet and a hidden gem).
If you are interested in guided walking holidays, then you will have a different Cape Verdean walking guide on each island. Most of them were born on the island, can tell colourful stories of the area and know all the paths like the back of their hand. They also have an extensive knowledge of the local flora and fauna, and through them you get to know a lot about the culture and customs of Cape Verde. When these holidays are with a guide it is like walking with a celebrity, they know most of the people they encounter during the hike and always have time for a little chat with the locals that cross your path.
Interact with the locals
It’s also a great opportunity to interact with the locals. Even if you don’t speak their language (Creole), a simple ‘Bom Dia’, shaking of hands, and a lot of smiling, is always much appreciated. One of our guides on Santiago makes a slight detour on the Gongon Trail, and takes you through some terraced fields to the small house of his old friend Marcilino, who is also mentioned in the Bradt Guide. Seated on his porch Marcelino spends his retirement days with his little tame vervet monkey, and is always happy to talk to anyone who passes his house.
If you have itchy feet after reading this, and you hate walking holidays in the rain or cold, why not book your next walking holiday to Cape Verde. So instead of putting your gaiters on to keep off the mud, you can surely imagine yourself scree running down a volcano (with the same gaiters), if only to keep the volcanic dust and sand out of your boots.
Get in touch
Get in touch https://www.archipelagochoice.com/our-destinations/cape-verde/get-in-touch/ to request our brochure, or ring us for a chat on Tel: 017687 75672.
