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SalSal is the liveliest and most touristy of the Cape Verde Islands, the town of Santa Maria being the center of the action. Crystal clear waters lap long stretches of white sandy beach, drawing water sports enthusiasts and holidaymakers who make the most of the rapidly developing hotels and resorts. Nearer the international airport is the town of Espargos, where shops, bars and restaurants do good business, the strains of live music usually filling the air. The island's main port, Palmeira, is a working fishing harbor and import station, but is currently improving its tourist infrastructure
in line with the rest of the island.
Sal's landscape is unexciting, being flat and arid, but there are some interesting features to visit including the salt lake at Pedra de Lume and a volcano crater. Tourists also enjoy day trips to the nearby island of Boavista, known for its sand dunes, by catamaran.
Santo AntaoThe dramatic mountain range that divides the island of Santo Antao into two, with peaks rearing up to 4,921ft (1,500m), make it attractive for trekking, particularly through the tropical vegetation of the deep green valleys which encase the 16th-century town of Povoacao. Visitors can reach Santo Antao by ferry from the port of Mindelo on the more populated island of Sao Vicente, arriving at Santo Antao's small port of Porto Novo. In contrast to the mountainous interior, the island's coast is rugged and bare, but sugar cane, bananas and coffee are grown by the locals. Sugar cane is the raw material for the famed Cape Verde rum, called 'grogue', which is produced here and enjoyed by visitors and locals alike. A walk around the main town of Ponta do Sol is recommended to enjoy the vista of some old colonial buildings, and the main site of historic interest is a mysterious inscribed rock near Janela dating from the 1400s, when the islands were believed to be uninhabited and undiscovered.
Sao Tiago IslandThe largest island in the archipelago, boasting the best scenery, Sao Tiago is also the most populated. Its residents are more African in culture, which is reflected in its musical traditions, markets and the many festivals held during the year. Two towering mountain chains characterize the interior, while the coastline sports small sandy palm-fringed coves. Sao Tiago is the site of Cape Verde's capital city, Praia, and the picturesque fishing town of Tarrafal. Praia has an interesting marine archaeology museum dedicated to documenting the various shipwrecks that have occurred around the islands. The historic old port city, Cidade Velha, was a major slave-trading post and retains cobbled lanes and stone buildings in the shadow of its old 15th-century fortress and Cathedral.
Sao VicenteVoices and volcanic mountains characterize this, the most sophisticated island of the Cape Verde archipelago. It is the home of well-known singer, Cesario Evaron, renowned as the 'barefoot diva'. The vibrant port city, Mindelo, is also famed for its annual Brazilian-style carnival and its year-round lively nightlife. The island boasts beautiful beaches, too, particularly the Baia das Gatas lagoon that has been formed by volcanic activity, and the long, sandy stretch of Sao Pedro beach, sought out by windsurfers.
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