Cape Verde

An amazing collision of cultures

Cape Verde has seen enormous property investor interest in the past year, touted by Channel 4’s ‘A Place in the Sun’ as number 12 in its definitive list of the top 20 places in the world to invest in property. With its white sandy beaches, exciting scenery, year round sun and being only 5 hours from the UK by direct flight, Cape Verde has finally arrived on the international property hotspot map and deservedly so. Likened to the Canary Islands and yet so very different, Cape Verde is truly unique. Politically stable and rich in history and culture, this little cluster of islands is situated 400km off the coast of West Africa. This is a country where cultures collide with quite exquisite results: African earthiness mixes with Portuguese/Brazilian energy to give us lucky visitors a truly unique environment, bursting with life and music. Property development is still in its infancy in Cape Verde and seasoned investors, tired of over-saturated traditional markets are turning their eyes towards what they see to be the next big prize. Property values here grew by 17 per cent between January and October 2006 alone. With stunning beach front property at prices unattainable in Europe and the Caribbean the value and investment potential is enormous, whether you are looking for capital growth or an excellent buy to let opportunity.

Visitors to Cape Verde have had their formerly protracted journey eased significantly with the recent introduction of direct flights from the UK and major European cities including Amsterdam, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Porto. Earlier this year, Astraeus Airlines launched a weekly direct flight from Gatwick and Manchester to Sal Island, with Cape Verdean TAVC Airlines offering an alternative route between Birmingham and the new international airport at the country’s capital Praia on Santiago Island. The flight time is around 5 ½ hours from the UK and the most convenient routes from London are via Paris and Amsterdam, where there are direct connections with no stopover time.

Praia International Airport in Santiago opened at the end of 2005 and international airports are under construction on the islands of St Vincent and Boa Vista, due to open 2007-2008. Be advised that you do need a visa to gain entry.

Car hire is by far the best option for getting around Cape Verde but all the islands have bus services to all towns and villages, with buses generally departing when there are enough paying passengers. Be warned though, some of Cape Verde’s roads are basic to say the least. Alternatively, you can hire a man with a car, to take you around – be sure to fix a price before departing. Moving between the islands usually necessitates travelling by ‘plane or ferry.

Currency

The unit of currency is the Cape Verdean escudo (CVE), broken down into 100 centavos. The CVE is tied to the Euro at CVE 110.27 = 1 Euro. There is a bureau de change at the airport, and local banks will change travellers cheques and foreign currency (Mon-Fri 0800-1400). There is an ATM at the international airport and Sal, Praia and Sâo Vincent but no others in the islands as yet. Cash is king here in Cape Verde, with credit cards infrequently accepted. Major credit cards (Visa) are accepted only in a few main resort hotels and restaurants. Banks will give cash on credit cards but commissions are high. To avoid additional charges, carry travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Currency Restrictions

The import and export of local currency is prohibited. The import of foreign currency is unlimited, subject to declaration on arrival and on departure. The export of foreign currency is limited to the equivalent of CVE1,000,000 or the amount declared on arrival, whichever is the larger.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0800-1400.

Cape Verde is a small nation that lacks resources and has experienced severe droughts. Agriculture is made difficult by lack of rain, and is restricted to only four islands for most of the year. Most of the nation's GDP comes from the service industry. Cape Verde's economy has grown since the late 1990s, and it is now considered a country of average development. Cape Verde has significant cooperation with Portugal at every level of the economy, leading it to link its currency first to the Portuguese escudo, and, in 1999, to the euro.

Tipping

In more expensive restaurants, tipping is customary. Even if a service charge is added to your bill, you're expected to give around 5% to the waiter directly and perhaps the same amount to the maitre d‘.

Cape Verde’s wonderful climate is both a blessing and a curse, great for the visitor, difficult for farmers. Despite being in a tropical zone, Cape Verde experiences precious little rainfall throughout the year, the average annual rainfall being just 68.4 mm, with September the wettest month with 33.6 mm. Thanks to cooling offshore winds, Cape Verde enjoys the lowest temperatures of West African country, and also some of the most moderate. Average temperatures range from 24°C (75°F) in January and February to 29°C (85°F) in September.

Although summer temperatures can be cooler than those in Europe, the southern islands, especially Fogo, can rather muggy and sticky. December to March calls for light sweaters in the evenings, and the winter months are also marked by gusty, Saharan winds.

International Direct Dialing code: 00 238. IDD is only possible to main cities although recent major improvements have taken place.

Roaming agreements do exist with some international mobile phone companies, but visitors are advised to check with their service provider before leaving their home country. Coverage is variable, but generally good in towns.

Major hotels offer laptop connections and public Internet access is available at the offices of Cabo Verde Telecom. Privately-run business centres in the main towns offer e-mail, Internet and fax facilities.

Postal facilities can be slow, with deliveries to Europe normally taking over a week. All Cape Verdean newspapers are in Portuguese and there are no dailies or foreign language publications.

Cape Verde is a holiday-maker’s paradise. Whether you are up for an activity filled extravaganza, featuring sailing, kite surfing, canyoning and caving, or whether you prefer to conduct your leisure time at a more sedate pace, Cape Verde has it all, as well as great nightlife - especially in the capital Praia - authentic cuisine and a bustling music scene, especially in Mindelo (internationally renown singer Cesaria Evora hails from Cape Verde). Golf, tennis, scuba, fishing, horseback tours, hiking, mountain biking, walking, trekking and bird watching – you’re never going to get bored in Cape Verde!

Of course, the exquisite climate attracts sunseekers and the attractive fishing village of Tarrafal features one of the island’s best beaches and don’t forget to visit the fine white sand beaches of Sal and the black sand beaches of Sao Nicolau. Keep your eyes open: Cape Verde is an important nesting site for loggerhead turtles and humpback whales feed in the islands’ waters.

Other attractions include examples of Cape Verde’s exciting past: Cidade Velha, the first Portuguese settlement; the Fort Real de San Felipe, an old Portuguese fort; the recently restored colonial prison where the Portuguese dictator, Salazar, held dissidents from all over his empire in the first two-thirds of the 20th century. Explore the famous salt pits of Sal, after which the island is named, which produced salt for much of the former Portuguese empire.

The culture of Cape Verde reflects its mixed African and Portuguese roots and as such the people of Cape Verde are quite unique, being a cultural mix of their two nearest neighbours – Senegal and Brazil. Cape Verde is a republic located on two small volcanic archipelagos in the Macaronesia ecoregion of the North Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of Africa. The previously uninhabited islands were discovered and colonised by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century. Enjoying a prime position on the great trade routes between the New World, Africa and Europe, the islands became a wealthy trading outpost as well as a center for the slave trade, an income that fell sharply following the abolition of slavery in 1876. In 1951, Cape Verde became an overseas province and in 1961 its inhabitants became full Portuguese citizens. After 1974, Portugal began abandoning its colonial empire and the islands became independent in 1975.

Little rainfall and few natural resources means that Cape Verde is largely reliant on the service industry for survival but recent plans for regeneration and improvement by the Cape Verdean government aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy have met with widespread international approval. The country is now the recipient of international funds to assist it in safely exploiting its natural resources, in particular fishing. Cape Verde has been exploring European Union membership in recent years. The population is largely descended from its slave past and is predominantly Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs) and Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene) and the official language is Portuguese, although several Creole dialects are also spoken. As you can imagine of a land with such a unique history, music and storytelling form a huge part of daily life in Cape Verde, the scintillating hip-swinging fusion of samba and salsa sprinkled with tribal African beats makes for a heady mix indeed.

Portuguese foods (such as fish- and seafood-based dishes, olive oil, garlic, lemon and sausage) and African foods (stews, beans, maize and tropical crops) are comfortably combined on most menus and Cape Verde’s geography naturally means that fish is generally the dish of the day. However, in keeping with its African and European mixed roots, this isn’t any old fish that’s served up. A whole, fresh grilled lobster and fries will set you back a tiny £5. Restaurants tend to be modest and service ‘relaxed’ but all serve fresh food which you can often see being prepared. Lobster in particular is very cheap and a main tourist staple. Tuna carpaccio and tuna steak are popular choices, too. Local dishes to try include cachupa, a stew made with meats, vegetables, beans and corn; bife de atum, tuna, marinated in vinegar and cooked in spices; bacalhau, dried cod. Red beans cooked in wine or Cape Verdean signature dishes of hominy (a type of corn) and beans or caldo de peixe (fish soup). If fish is not your thing, don’t despair! Meat is served as well and vegetarians are generally well catered for.

Cape Verde has good sanitary standards, with no contagious or endemic diseases, and with good healthcare coverage on all the islands, with hospitals, health centers and pharmacies to be found on all the islands, and are available in case of necessity.

It ranks highly on the scale of African countries and as such, no vaccination is required before arrival in the country. Purified drinking water is scarce and so all drinking water, water for brushing teeth or making ice should be bottled, boiled or carbonated. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Avoid buying food from street vendors and try to only eat well-cooked, hot meat and fish. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Although Hepatitis A and E are highly prevalent in sub-saharan Africa, Cape Verde sees few cases, but precautions are still advisable. Vaccination against tetanus is advised. Giardia occurs and there have been some concerns over outbreaks of yellow fever.

Health insurance, including emergency repatriation cover, is advised, although in-patient treatment is free in general wards on presentation of a passport. Treatment is private and expensive on the smaller islands.

Normal Duty Free allowances apply to entry to Cape Verde. The following goods may be imported into Cape Verde without incurring customs duty: 200 cigarettes; one litre of liquor; a reasonable amount of perfume, lotion and eau de cologne in opened bottles. Currency must be declared on arrival.

With the right people assisting you, purchasing an overseas property can be an enjoyable and rewarding affair ... one, we at Property Club International are familiar with. If you still have questions having read this section, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Some of the information in the information sections has been supplied by third parties, and Property Club International and its associated companies cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Professional advice should always be sought at the time of purchase.