Cape Verde
African Islands of Cape Verde are getting more and more popular among European vacationers as an alternative to the famous Canary Islands. The air tickets can be bought for an amazingly cheap price and the weather is warmer in the winter months.
The most popular island for beach holidays is Sal. Nevertheless, it was my least favorite. The golden beaches are nice, but it's yet another enclave of hotels and the tourists are separated from the reality, just like in other closed resorts of this sort.
The adventure starts when you visit other islands which, although so close to Sal, are authentic, totally off the beaten path and without tourists. Also, the nature is truly diverse, from volcanic peaks to lush green hills and spectacular cliffs. The little colonial towns are also extremely cozy and beautiful.
Have a look at the articles below to find out what more to see, beyond the beaches, in Cape Verde:
Brava is the greenest, coolest and one of the smallest islands of the archipelago Cape Verde. It has its own micro-climate which makes it so unique. Most of the tourists tend to flock to the dry, sandy islands such as Sal or Boa Vista, but in my opinion the less known ones are way more interesting. And Brava was the one we liked the most. Contrary to Sal, in Brava, you won't see any crowds of tourists.
It's located right beside another pretty unique island with the infamous volcano in its center - Fogo (take a look at my post about Fogo to see the entire old village engulfed by lava and a new village with typical round houses made of volcanic rock built by the locals on top of the destroyed town). When you're in Fogo, don't miss Brava - it's so close and it feels like a completely different world! Brava does not have typical sandy beaches but it does have amazing cliffs, coastline, nature and pretty much the most picturesque towns in Cape Verde.