Travel
Information
Season:
From mid March 2008 then year round.
Climate:
Tropical arid climate:
Cooled by the Alizé winds from October to June.
Hotter and more humid from July to September.
Cape Verde is in a
subtropical zone. Average temperatures range from 24°C in
January and February to 29°C in September. The average
annual rainfall for Cape Verde is 68.4mm, with September
being the wettest month with 33.6mm. Conversely, the
months April to July record less than one millimeter of
rainfall each. The climate is arid, but Cape Verde's
position in the Atlantic contributes to moderating the
climate that otherwise would be as dry as continental
Africa at the same latitudes.
The
first Hotel:
Depending upon flight arrival time: either in Santa
Maria or Espargos.
End
of Tour: The standard tour
ends on the island of Sal on day 12.
Access:
Charter flights daily from London Gatwick or
Manchester to Funchal. The
first hotel is in Machico, about 20 minutes drive from the
airport.
End
of Tour: After breakfast on Day 8. The last hotel is
in Funchal, about 45 minutes drive from the airport.
What's Included
The
price is based on two people sharing a twin or double room
and includes dinner on 6 evenings (main course and
dessert), 11 breakfasts, 7 picnic lunches and 1 restaurant
lunch are also provided.
Private
vehicle transfers.
Internal flights: Sal –Sao
Vincente (return).
Boat tickets days 3 & 10 on the regular ferry line.
Luggage transfers between accommodations, except on
ferries and planes when you are responsible for carrying
your own bags.
Route
Notes with technical description of the itinerary, 1:50000
scale map with itinerary traced and general information.
Not
Included
Visa.
A visa is required by British citizens and most other
nationalities for entry into Cape Verde. This is not
included in the brochure price. Sherpa will arrange for
your visa to be ready for collection on arrival in Cape
Verde for a fee of £30. This fee will be added to your
invoice.
Dinners
on days 1, 3, 4, 10 & 11, lunches on days 1, 10, 11
& 12, drinks, insurance, personal items and any
entrance fees to parks, monuments, etc. are not included.
The
Sherpa land only price does not include international
flights to and from Cape Verde.
Travel
options from the UK
Please
Note: The travel details given in the Sherpa brochure for
a 12-day holiday using charter flights are not possible in
2008. The current travel options are as follows:
Flights
can be booked to Cape Verde on TAP Portugal: www.flytap.com
London
Heathrow to the island of Sal via Lisbon. There are
generally two possible flights each day, e.g:
Depart LHR:
08:15 – Arr. Lisbon 10:55 – Dep. Lisbon12:50 – Arr.
Sal 15:50.
13:35 – Arr. Lisbon 16:15 –
Dep. Lisbon 21:55 – Arr. Sal 01:00
Prices
online vary but are generally from £160 each way. We can
book these flights for you. A booking fee will apply.
This
Sherpa tour is 12 days long but can easily be extended to
15 days so that you can make the most of Thomson or
Astraeus charter flights from London Gatwick to Sal. These
flights are direct and may be cheaper than TAP scheduled
flights but not necessarily so!
In this case you have three
extra nights and you will need to decide at which of the
places you would want to spend these nights at the time of
booking. Depending upon where you stay, the tour price
will of course be revised to reflect the cost of these
extra nights.
www.thomsonfly.com
Flight TOM 2447, Depart
London Gatwick
Mondays: Dep 09:55 – Arr Sal
14.40
Fridays : Dep 11:00 -
Arr 15.45
Also Depart Manchester on
TOM2801
Tuesdays: Dep 09:35 – Arr
14:25
From 06/05/08: TOM3023,
Dep 11;20 – Arr 16:10
From
London Gatwick you can also fly with Astraeus on
Thursdays to Sal: www.flystar.com
Flight 5W263: depart 09:45 –
Arrive 14:50.
Flights start at around £170
each way.
Note
that before we or you book international flights, we need
to check that we can book your internal flights (included)
from Sal to Sao Vincente on Day 2 and Sao Vincente to Sal
on Day 11. Note that we cannot be held responsible for
delayed or cancelled internal flights. We have built the
programme to hopefully give you enough time if there are
delays, for example you fly out of Sal the day after your
internal flight.
Return:
(Note times may vary depending upon the time of year,
but below are typical).
TAP
(daily flights): Currently early Mornings!
Dep Sal: 02:00 – Arr. Lisbon
0:50 – dep.08:40 – Arr London Heathrow 11:20
If on Thomson to London
Gatwick (Mondays & Fridays)
Dep Sal: 16:45 –Arr London
Gatwick 23:25
If on Thomson to Manchester
(Tuesdays)
Dep Sal: 15:25 –Arr Manchester
22:30
If on Astreaus to London
Gatwick (Thursdays)
Dep Sal: 15:50 –Arr London
Gatwick 22:30
Visa
British
(and most other) nationals require a Tourist Visa to enter
Cape Verde. This is not included. At present these are
obtained by Sherpa submitting your details to the various
authorities in Cape Verde before your entry. On arrival
you collect the visa at immigration. The charge is £30
payable with your final balance. Note that Visa
information may be subject to change at short notice!
Level of Difficulty
Fitness:
We grade this tour as moderate; anyone used to hill
walking with a daily height gain/loss of up 1000m should
find the tour easily within their capability. Most days
are a lot easier than this. Walks are often on wide trails
or on cobblestone paths.
Day Stages: The
duration of walking per day varies. Walking day stages
are only between 1.5 and 5 hours, giving you time to
have a look at different things or rest if it is
too hot. Bear in mind that there is also quite a bit of
internal travel included.
Waymarking:
It is necessary to follow the route descriptions
provided, together with the maps.
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Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation
is on a bed and breakfast basis for 11 nights with 6
evening meals ncluded, in local hotels /cottages. These
are of a European standard, but please remember that this
is Africa and there may be problems with power or water
from time to time.
Nights
1 & 11: In Santa Maria or Espargos: Most
will stay in Santa Maria where you stay in a small modern
hotel built in a colonial style. It is 200m from a broad
white sandy beach.
Nights
2 & 10: In Mindelo. Here we use a family run hotel
with a wonderful terrace, bar and restaurant providing a
view over the bay.
Nights
3 & 4: In Porta Nova. A smaller family run hotel
is home for two nights; it is close to the sea.
Nights
5, 6 & 7: In Ponta do Sol. Another
small family run hotel on the sea front.
Nights
8 & 9: In Coculi. Here for a change you are more
inland staying in traditionally built cottages with a pool
and gardens.
Outline
Itinerary
Day
1:
Flight for the island of Sal. Depending upon flight time
either, stay in nearby Espargos (late flights) or in Santa
Maria (20 min transfer). Dinner is not included. Night at
a hotel in Espargos or Santa Maria.
Day 2:
Flight from Sal to Mindelo on the island of São Vicente.
Mindelo is a small Portuguese colonial city with European
architecture in a magnificent bay. Lunch at the hotel in
Mindelo. In the afternoon, cross the island (by vehicle)
via the central oasis then walk in the petrified lava of
the coast of Praia Grande. Dinner and overnight at the
hotel in Mindelo, which has a panoramic terrace.
(1½ hours, +100m / -100m)
(Walk can be done day 10 if domestic flight times
dictate.)
Day 3:
Boat transfer (1 hour) to our hotel in Porto Novo, an
animated coastal town on the southern side of Santo Antão
Island. After check in transfer from Porto Novo to Ribeira
das Patas (30 min) on the desert like South West part of
the island. Walk in canyon landscapes, past volcanic peaks
and through hamlets. Transfer back to Porto Novo (30 min).
Dinner not included, first night in Porto Novo.
(4 hours, +400 m/-400m)
Day 4:
Transfer (1 hour) along a magnificent road that crosses
the mountains to the North West of the island, from Porto
Novo to Alto Mira, the village at the top of the Alto Mira
valley. Walk down the remote Alto Mira valley to the sea
passing isolated hamlets with tropical cultures. Transfer
back from Ribeira da Cruz to Porto Novo (1 hour 30 min)
Dinner not included. Second night in Porto Novo.
(5 hours, +400 m/ -1000m)
Day 5:
Transfer to the hills in the centre of the island. Walk in
the crater of Cova bordered by pines and mimosas with a
spectacular descent into the valleys on its northern side.
Dinner and first night in a hotel in Ponta do Sol by the
ocean.
(3¼ hours, +100 m / - 1250 m)
Day 6:
Transfer to the start of your walk at Pinhao (20 min).
Walk in the small valleys perched above the ocean.
Transfer back from Sinagoga to Ponta do Sol (30 min).
Dinner and second night in Ponta do Sol.
(5 hours, +700 m / -700 m)
Day 7:
Transfer to Villa das Pombas. Climb up to the luxuriant
Ribeira of Paul, hamlets, terraces of banana trees and
sugar canes, "rum distilleries", basaltic
cliffs. Dinner and third night in Ponta do Sol.
(4¼ hours, + 650 m / -400 m)
Day 8:
Balcony trail by the sea along the spectacular coast,
‘perched’ village of Fontainhas and the fishing
village of Cruzhinha. Beautiful transfer from the valley
of Garca via Ribeira Grande (45 min).
Dinner and first night in
charming hotel at Coculi, which has a swimming pool.
(5 hours, + 500m / -500m)
Day 9:
Discovery walk of rich tropical valleys of Ribeira Grande,
villages, agriculture and majestic mountains. Dinner and
second night in Coculi.
(4¼ hours, +500m / -500m)
Day 10:
By vehicle discover the spectacular "road of the
cord" (1h30). Boat back to Mindelo. Free time in
Mindelo. Lunch and dinner not included. Overnight in
Mindelo.
Day 11:
Flight to Sal. Transfer to Santa Maria (20 min). One night
at the hotel in Santa Maria coastal village.
Lunch and dinner not included.
Day 12 : If
flying on TAP Portugal, early morning departure to the
airport, otherwise, morning in Santa Maria then transfer
to Sal Airport. Fly in the afternoon.
Singles
This
self-guided tour is based on two people sharing. It is not
suitable for people traveling alone due to rugged terrain
and remoteness of some of the walks. It is possible to
book single rooms however as long as the booking is for at
least 2 people who are planning to walk together. There is
a supplement for a single room available on request.
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