WHAT a treat Cape Verde is. This gorgeous African archipelago sits 1000 miles south of the Canaries, slap bang in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
The islands are really a marine extension of the Sahara Desert with Sal and Boa Vista composed mainly of sand. The others are extinct volcanoes, craggy, lush, and ideal for hiking.
I started my sojourn in the largest island Santiago and made base-camp in the small but vibrant capital of Praia.
Easing gradually into walking, I started with an amble down a valley to the old capital of Cidade Velha.
On the way I passed shacks distilling the local rum Grogue from sugarcane and even got a taste from the top of an old petrol can.
Cidade Velha, founded in 1462, is on the sea and is now a UNESCO heritage site due to its cathedral, churches and fort, commanding the hillside above.
The beach is stony but cooling off in the Atlantic was obligatory after that effort.
The toughest walk on the island is up to the highest point, Pico do Santo Antonio at 1392m.
You can’t really do this without a guide and he advised me that it was going to be hazardous because of recent rains. I thought he was being extra cautious so pressed on regardless.
Visibility was perfect and it was easy to make out the still active volcano on Fogo, the next island.
Unfortunately it was also rather hot and as the climb got steeper I had to admit defeat.
The next day, I was up before dawn for the one-hour flight north to the island of Sao Vicente.
Mindelo, the capital, with its cobbled streets and 19th Century colonial architecture, is an attractive place to wander around.
It has a natural deep water harbour and a new marina stuffed full of boats, while at night the bars and restaurants are buzzing with live music.
The rest of the island though is a barren, volcanic rock, striking in its desolation.
Santo Antao is only an hour on the ferry and this island couldn’t be more different, a fertile, green contrast to Sao Vicente’s black landscape.
It’s a hiker’s paradise with enough trails in the north-east of the island to occupy you for a week or more.
I was dropped at Cova de Paul, an extinct volcano, and walked downhill all the way to the coast.
I crossed the fertile crater though orange trees, sugarcane, tomatoes and a few houses then hit a winding cobbled path, bounded by drystone walls.
Villages cling to every available ledge and the scenery is reminiscent of the foothills of the Himalayas.
The road descends through coffee groves – with growers selling their beans – then guava and mango plantations, before reaching the sea at Cidade das
Pombas.
My base for the next few days is the Hotel Pedracin Village, set in a beautiful location in the countryside.
Next day, my walk skirts the side of the hillside with constant views of the cliffs and churning sea.
At the end it’s a steep descent to the coast at Sinagoga, named because of its now-ruined synagogue and built by Jewish immigrants a few hundred years ago.
The final walk follows the northern coast from Cruzinha da Garca to Ponta do Sol.
It’s up and down, sometimes descending to sea level, then suddenly climbing up the side of steep cliffs, the path hacked out of the bare rock.
The views are stunning, the black rock stark against the white foam of the crashing Atlantic.
Five hours later, I reached Ponta do Sol, one of the oldest settlements in these islands, straddling the flat tip of the peninsula.
Its large main square is home to an imposing town hall and a large church, with an abandoned airport beyond.
Apparently the mountainous terrain made flying dangerous and now it’s only accessible by boat.
After around a week of walking, doing up to 10 miles a day, I felt fairly fit.
Unfortunately, copious Cape Verdean food, not to mention a few glasses of the notorious Grogue, meant my waistline hadn’t receded nearly as much as I’d hoped.
HF Holidays’ 10-night guided walking holiday in Cape Verde starts at £1745 per person including full board accommodation and services of an HF Holidays’ leader and local guides.
Details on 0345 470 8558 or by visiting www.hfholidays.co.uk
By Katie Wood, Sunday Post Travel Editor
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