By Romy McIntosh
The Cape Verde Islands, or The Republic of Cabo Verde, is a nation formed of ten volcanic islands situated in the North Atlantic Ocean approximately 400 nautical miles west of Senegal. Though historically they have often been missed by sailors crossing the Atlantic, with many opting to leave directly from the Canary Islands, this trend is steadily changing. With a concerted effort by the Cape Verdean authorities to crack down on crime, especially with the ARC+ now stopping on the island of São Vicente, more and more cruisers are choosing Cape Verde as their launching point for their Atlantic crossing. However, many of these intrepid sailors are choosing to make a singular stop at Mindelo, which hosts the only marina of the tiny nation, and not visit the other islands. By doing so, they are sorely missing out on a chance to explore a gorgeous cruising ground with steady north-easterly trade winds, tropical blue waters teeming with fish, and lush volcanic islands with stunning views and black sand beaches.
When planning our Atlantic crossing for December 2024, we decided that this small cluster of islands was one stop we didn’t want to miss for two reasons:
- It would shorten the amount of time we would be at sea, and with a dog on board, we felt this was important.
2. We reasoned we were unlikely to be sailing in this part of the world again, and to not visit would be a missed opportunity.
Therefore, when we left Gran Canaria, we set our sails for the town of Palmeira on the island of Sal, the most Northeastern island in the Cape Verde archipelago, and an official Port of Entry.
Palmeira is a small town made up of a port that services the local ferries and supply ships, a handful of restaurants and souvenir shops, a couple of small shops for groceries, and the police station where you can check in to the country. This normally quiet town can get quite lively in the afternoons with tour groups that have been bused in from the hotel resorts in the south of the island.
