Would you like to go on vacation to an African destination? Africa It has incredible places, both on the continent and on the islands on its coast and its seas. One of these destinations is Cape Verde, an island state in Atlantic waters.
The islands are of volcanic origin and its capital is the city of Praia, a destination that today summons us to discover and appreciate.
Cape Verde
As we said it is a island state, a republic that is opposite Senegal. It was a Portuguese colony and today his official language is Portuguese. Centuries ago the islands were an important enclave in the international slave trade, although before they were discovered by the Portuguese they were uninhabited, green and black islands, by the jungle and the volcanic land.
La slave trade It spread from the 40th to the XNUMXth century, when slavery was abolished and activity here became concentrated in the cotton fields. But many inhabitants emigrated when this activity also entered into crisis, some time later. Cape Verdeans even remember that well into the twentieth century, in the XNUMXs, there was a tremendous famine of which the Portuguese government had little echo.
The struggle for independence begins with the process of decolonization of Africa after the end of World War II, but independence was only achieved in 1975. Difficult years would come, politically and economically, and the specter of famine returned to ravage several times.
The islands of Cape Verde add up to a total of ten large islands and five smaller ones. They are part of macronesia, sound of volcanic origin and on the island of Fogo, in fact, there is still an active volcano whose last eruption dates back to 2014. How is its climate? Strange as it is arid tropical, sometimes very hot, with rains and winds that make it move all the time between tremendous floods and droughts.
Visit Praia and surroundings
Praia is at the same time a city and a municipality. It is on the island of Santiago and is the capital of the country. Santiago is the largest island and is part of the Sotavento group. It is 75 kilometers long and about 35 wide. It is inhabited with 260 thousand people and Praia, one of its municipalities, is the most populated city.
The Portuguese arrived in Santiago in 1460 and founded a city but due to constant attacks by corsairs and pirates, including the famous Francis Drake, people moved to Praia towards the end of the 1975th century. Since independence in XNUMX the city has grown a lot in importance and number of inhabitants.
Although my advice is to move around several islands to discover the beauty of Cape Verde, you have to spend a couple of days in Praia. Here is the Platô neighborhood, built on the promontory overlooking the sea, which is where are the most important buildings, the presidential palace included, a XNUMXth century palace, the Old Town Hall, the Church of Our Lady of Grace and the Monument to Diogo Gomes, the navigator who discovered the island, plus some museums.
Citadela is the most elegant and luxurious neighborhood, where the wealthiest people live. Discos and nightclubs are in Achada Grande Frente and the embassies in Achada de Santo Antonio. Praia beach is in the Gamboa neighborhood but there is another in the neighborhood of Quebra Cinnamon, with shopping centers and restaurants.
Geographically speaking, Praia is a set of plains with many valleys. Neighborhoods are built on these plains. To the east is the international airport, christened Nelson Mandela, a safe gateway to Cape Verde.
It is possible to take a taxi to the center or a bus. There is one that connects Plateau with the airport, from the Solatlántico concessionaire. Another bus takes you to Tarrafal, north of the isla, about 70 kilometers, with its tourist clowns and their carnivals.
For a more historical chapter you can visit at Bye boom, near here, the concentration camp that recalls the colonial past of the country and that it worked between the '30 and 1961. Here the Resistance Museum.
For a corner with more charm you can travel just 15 kilometers and reach the Cidade Veiha, former capital of the country, the one that must have been abandoned by the constant attack of corsairs and pirates. Since 2009 it has been part of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World, list voted by Portuguese from all over the world, and since the same year it is Heritage by UNESCO.
Obviously this city has a great architectural heritage, especially in churches since Christianity took hold on the island. Here you can visit the oldest colonial church in the world, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, of Manueline style. The street in front of the church was also the first street urbanized by the Portuguese in this area of the tropics.
There are also the ruins of the Sé Cathedral, which dates from 1555 and was destroyed in an attack in 1712, or the Royal Fort of San Felipe built about 120 meters high built in 1590 and also the Convent of San Francisco from the middle of the XNUMXth century, destroyed by pirates in the early XNUMXth century.
Old City was formerly called Ribeira Grande and it was the center of the slave trade from Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau. Columbus passed through here in 1498 and also Vasco da Gama a year before, so you can imagine the stories that have been woven here.
The truth is that Cape Verde It is like that, green, lush, hot. Many Portuguese tend to vacation here and there are flights from all the capitals of Europe. The country is safe to visit But as everywhere where there is a beach, one must be very careful with the things that one takes to the sand and leaves there while sunbathing or doing water sports. You should also be aware of the weather conditions in relation to the water.
Tourists should also pay attention to always drink clean water and use insect repellent by la malaria since the island of Santiago is marked as a place with this disease. Finally, what would be a ideal tour of Cape Verde? Well, enter the island San Vicente, stay in Praia, visit the nearby Old City and then, yes, jump to one of the other islands. I in this case would recommend Fogo, where is the active volcano with 2900 meters of altitude and the city of San Felipe and beautiful beaches.