How to Get Around Cape Verde

TRAVELLING BY AIR

TACV

TACV has flights to all islands except Santo Antao, Brava and Santa Luzia. Flights frequency depends on which island you decide to fly to. Early booking is advisable, as flights can fill up quickly, especially through the summer.

However TACV internal flights have gathered reputation for being unreliable: their scheduling can be prone to last minute changes, it is not unusual that trips have been delayed or cancelled due to strong winds and resultant dust storms; so to avoid disappointment, it is worth informing the TACV office in Sal airport of your accommodation and contact details, and they will be able to inform you of any changes. Remember: Always reconfirm your flight 72 hours before departure.

Baggage allowance for internal flights is 20kg. You can also transport a surfboard or a bicycle on TACV's 46-seater ATRs.

Flights cost about 85 Euros (£60) per single journey and take between twenty and fifty minutes. Internal flights at considerably reduced price can be obtainable with an airpass. (see TACV airpass below).

                                        TACV DOMESTIC ROUTE

TACV Airpass

If you book your flight to Cape Verde with TACV (or portuguese airline TAP) you are eligible to book internal flights at reduced prices. These, so called 'airpasses' have to be booked when you buy your international ticket and are valid for 21 days, but you have to specify dates and itinerary in advance. Destinations include: Sal, Sao Vicente, Santiago, Boa Vista, Maio, Fogo, Sao Nicolau.

Minimum number of coupons to be bought per person: 2 coupons. There is no maximum. Prices start from around 100 Euros per return flight (2 coupons will be used) for the shorter routes. 1 coupon is good for one way flight. Flight duration varies between 20 and 50 minutes depending on which leg you choose.

For more information on how to obtain TACV airpasses or make a booking with TACV airline please visit Cape Verde Travel, TACV 's UK ticketing agent.

Alternatively you can contact directly TACV offices in:

- Sal: Tel. +238 241 1305/10 (airport) - Fax. +238 241 2320.
- Boavista: Tel. +238 251 1186 - Fax. +238 251 1137.
- Praia: Tel. +238 260 8260 (bookings), +238 260 8200, +238 263 3150, +238 260 8888 (airport) - Fax. +238 261 7275 - +238 261 5905, - E-mail : ccbarros@tacv.aero - reservas@tacv.aero  - llsantos@tacv.aero.
- Sao Vicente: Tel. +238 232 1524 - Fax. 2323719.
- Fogo: Tel. +238 281 1701 - Fax. +238 281 1340.
- Maio: Tel. +238 255 1256 - Fax. +238 255 1256.
- Sao Nicolau: Tel. +238 235 1161 - Fax. +238 235 1162.

CABO VERDE EXPRESS

Cabo Verde Express is a charter aviation company that operates between the different islands of Cape Verde and between the Cape Verde islands and the African continent, it is a bit more expensive but convenient for groups for getting around. Their airplanes can welcome 19 passengers and two pilots.

For more information on their domestic routes visit their website.        

TRAVELLING BY HYDROFOIL

From 1 July 2007, domestic travelers in Cape Verde, have been able to take advantage of high speed marine transportation on two hydrofoils owned by Moura Company.

Two routes will be available:

• between Sao Vicente and the islands of Santo Antao and Sao Nicolau.
• between Praia and the islands of Fogo, Brava, Maio, Sal and Boa Vista.

The first hydrofoil, The Auto Jet, has a 222-passenger capacity and will connect Sao Vicente to Santo Antao two or three times per day. The same vessel will also ferry passengers between Sao Vicente and Sao Nicolau twice a week.

The other hydrofoil, The Jet Caribe, with a 313-passenger capacity, will ply the Praia-Maio-Boa Vista-Sal route on Sundays and connect Praia to Fogo and Brava on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Passenger ticket prices vary between 1,300 Cape Verdean escudos (£9 approx. for the trip between Sao Vicente and Sao Nicolau) and 4,890 Cape Verdean escudos (£35 approx. for the trip between Praia and Sao Vicente).

The high-speed vessels have reduced travel time and provided greater comfort to passengers (including air conditioning and televisions) who choose to travel by sea.

For information contact: SOLATLANTICO, Praça Albuquerque, Plateau, Praia - Santiago - tel. 261 6692; fax 261 7491;   email:agencia_solatlantico@hotmail.com
                                                                                                                     sourced from caboverde24.com
                              

TRAVELLING BY FERRY

In general travelling by ferry is for the travellers with a lot of time in their hands! And anyone with only two weeks should not consider taking any long ferries.

Timetables and frequency of journeys are also not strictly followed. Nevertheless there is a regular and efficient daily ferry service between Mindelo on Sao Vicente island and Porto Novo on Santo Antao and the journey takes approximaly one hour.

Travelling by ferry is considerably cheaper than by air, the longest leg should not cost more than 30 Euros (a little bit more if you want to travel in a cabin). Tickets have to be booked in advance at the ferry tickets office, often founds in the docks.

Other routes include:

BARLAVENTO Ferry: Santiago (Praia) - Brava - Fogo - Maio

For information contact: POLAR, rua Serpa Pinto 141, Plateau, Praia - Santiago -tel. 261 5223 - 261 7224; fax 261 4132; e-mail:polarp@cvtelecom.cv

TARRAFAL Ferry: Santiago (Praia) - Sao Vicente - Sao Nicolau