Where to stay in Cape Verde
Mamiwata Eco Village, Santo Antao
If the wind is right, you’ll feel Atlantic spray from the terrace of this upscale eco-lodge, which balances on a knife-edge on the west coast of the mountainous island of Santo Antao. Independently owned, it is one of the most ambitious in the country when it comes to sustainable luxury. Just 14 sleek geometric cabins and three villas are perched on a site that includes a solar farm, organic kitchen garden irrigated with recycled water and the first vineyard on the island since Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal in 1975. Plant-forward plates such as fried spinach topped with edible flowers in an excellent restaurant may be accompanied by views of migrating whales, with the most frequent sightings in February and March.
Address: Mamiwata Eco Village, Chã de Igreja, Santo Antão Cabo Verde
Price: £83
Website: mamiwata-ecovillage.com
Barefoot Luxury, São Vicente
Located on a terracotta hillside overlooking São Vicente’s magnificent Baía de João d’Évora’s virgin sands, this collection of 36 low-slung serviced villas combines ambitious contemporary design with traditional building techniques, including local basalt rocks. Spearheaded by Belgian architects, the development nevertheless speaks to Cape Verde’s epic landscape and Creole culture: interiors may nod to Scandinavia in their minimalism, but furniture hand-made by local artisans, Awale game boards and wicket baskets ground this property firmly in Africa. A sense of the inner and outer merging is created by floor-to-ceiling windows, an outdoor kitchen and heated pools sheltered by pivoting panels made from kotibe wood. Later this year, a 20-room hotel will open within the development.
Address: Baía de João d’Évora, São Vicente
Price: £350 (per villa per night)
Website: barefootluxury.be
Spinguera Ecolodge, Boa Vista
Located on the edge of the lunar landscapes of the Parque Natural do Norte, this peaceful sanctuary is only reachable by a rocky drive along a desertified river bed. Abandoned by goat herders in the 80s, it maintains a village-like feel with a scattering of stone cottages, each sophisticated in its simplicity with snowy linen, seashell decorations and desert views that roll down to the ocean beyond. A new yoga shala and pool offer gentle stimulation, while the restaurant serves either local fish or Italian recipes from the owners’ family cookbook.
Address: Spinguera Ecolodge, Espingueira, Ilha da Boavista
Price: £148
Website: www.spinguera.com
What to do in Cape Verde
Discover morna music in Mindelo, São Vicente
Given that it’s known as the country’s cultural capital, it should come as no surprise that Mindelo’s 19th-century squares reverberate with mournful morna music at golden hour. Unique to Cape Verde and made famous by doyenne Cesaria Evora (who started her career singing in exchange for grog in Café Royal on the city’s main street), this poignant genre is endemic to the islands, arising from the longing enslaved Africans felt for their homelands and shattered families. Hear it at small steamy bars such as Nho Djunga and Jazzy Bird, courtyard cafes like Colombinho or at Mansa, a pyramid-shaped floating music hub from Nigerian architect Kunlé Adeyemi.
