Africa

Cabo Verde: 10 Islands the World Just Discovered

Cabo Verde, West AfricaTravel Story4 min read
A blue wall in Palmeira, Sal painted with a yellow hand-drawn map of all the Cabo Verde islands

The islands the world kept to itself — until now.

Until recently, Cabo Verde was one of those places travelers kept to themselves. This tiny nation of 10 volcanic islands off the coast of West Africa, with a population of just 525,000, often drew blank looks when mentioned.

Sal is the island most visitors see first. In Palmeira, a small fishing village, entire streets are painted — one wall carries a hand-painted map of all ten islands, another shows fishermen hauling in the day's catch, and the harbor fills with small wooden boats. Down the coast in Santa Maria, murals celebrate the island's world-champion surfers, and the wind here is legendary.

Praia, the capital on Santiago island, has a different energy: colonial-era buildings in faded pinks and blues, Portuguese on every sign, and a slower, big-city-meets-island rhythm.

A blue wall in Palmeira painted with a yellow hand-drawn map of all the Cabo Verde islands
A long street mural in Palmeira, Sal showing fishermen hauling in the day's catch beside a wooden boat
An orange bar in Santa Maria with a mural of Cabo Verde's world-champion surfers holding the national flag
Santa Maria beach on Sal at golden hour with people wading in the shallow water
The Cabo Verde flag flying from a tall flagpole above the capital city of Praia
The large PRAIA hillside sign above a stone wall in the capital
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Swati

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Swati

Hi, my name is Swati — a Bollywood dancer based on the East Coast, US exploring the world's cultures through movement. 40+ countries, countless hidden corners, one endless journey.