Uncover the treasures of the Cape Verde Islands, from Creole culture to jaw-dropping canyons and coast.
Neither Senegal nor Portugal, the Cape Verde Islands march to the beat of their own drum. This incredible archipelago might just be the ultimate adventure cruise destination, a land whose particular brand of exotic defies classification. Set off from Praia to San Tiago and discover the history of the old Portugese capital of Cidade Velha, from the slave trade to the shipwrecks. Head north to Fogo to walk through lava landscapes and scale its volcanic peak. Move on the rich green of San Antao’s valleys and peaks, a land of sugarcane and heady ‘grogue’, before a rendezvous in the cultural capital of Mindelo. With all shore activities optional, you have the flexibility and freedom of making this Cape Verde getaway as leisurely or as active as you please.
Gaze in awe at landscapes like that of Fogo, aka the ‘Island of Fire’, and Santo Antao, the cape’s crown jewel of lush valleys, gorges and craters
Be charmed by the well preserved colonial towns of Cidade Velha and, San Felipe
There’s no place quite like Mindelo. As well as galleries and restaurants, this cobblestoned heartthrob of a town is abuzz with music, especially ‘morna’, the style unique to the cape
Sample the aptly named ‘grogue’, the potent national drink of Cape Verde
This trip is operated by our partners at Variety Cruises and is best suited to independent travellers who want flexibility from their itinerary. On Variety Cruises, all shore excursions are optional, so you don’t have to pay for an activity you’re not interested in. Trips operated by Variety begin at port, do not include tips and require solo travellers to pay a mandatory single supplement.
This is a small ship adventure cruise, which means you’ll be sailing on a yacht with 30–50 other people. The boat is spacious and comfortable, but it focuses more on the destination than on-board activities. Instead of a pool, we have the sea itself. Instead of a casino, we’ve got board games and a good book. There’s also no formal dress code to worry about. Wi-Fi is available for a small charge.
Our ship moves under engine power, rather than sailing, so all cabins will experience light engine noise when the ship is moving (and occasionally when we drop anchor). It’s probably worth packing earplugs if you’re a light sleeper.
Onshore activities and excursions will involve a bit of walking. You may be visiting ancient sites and historical places, and at times you may have to cross cobbled streets and uneven ground, sometimes in hot conditions. If you have any concerns, please speak to your group leader before taking part.
If you’re concerned about seasickness, there are seasickness tablets on-board. The ship will experience some roll and pitch in choppy conditions, however all of our ships come equipped with stabilisers to minimise movement. Most of our departures run in peak season, when the seas are calmer. Your crew will do all they can to minimise any discomfort.
There are no lifts (elevators) on-board our ships, so you’ll have to navigate a few steep flights of stairs. Handrails are always available.
Trip departures are unavailable.
There are currently no scheduled departures on our Cruising the Cape Verde Islands trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.
Your voyage is operated by our partner company, Variety Cruises.
SPECIAL BOOKING CONDITIONS
You are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of AUD600, USD600, EUR400, NZD600, GBP300, CAD600, CHF450 or ZAR6,000 per person per trip for your booking to be confirmed.
SHORE EXCURSIONS
On this itinerary, shore excursions are optional and are paid on board the ship in Euro’s. The approximate price and a description of these excursions are listed in the day to day itinerary. Please note all activities are subject to availability and may require minimum numbers to operate.
DAY TWO OPTIONAL EXCURSION
Boa Vista, The Dry North day tour - this optional excursion needs to be prebooked at least 15 days prior to embarkation, please let your sales consultant know if you would like to prebook this service. This excursion requires a minimum participation of 10 customers, for it to operate.
SINGLE TRAVELLERS
It is not possible to share with a stranger on a Variety Cruises voyage and single travellers must pay the Single Occupancy rate.
MINIMUM AGE
Children from the age of 7 can be accommodated on these voyages. Each boat has one cabin category that will accommodate a 3rd person allowing for triple sharing. Any child under the age of 18 must share with an adult.
FELLOW TRAVELLERS
Your group will be a mixture of Intrepid booked passengers and other international like-minded travellers from Peregrine and Variety Cruises.
HEALTH SCREENING
Variety Cruises have implemented Health screening measures prior to embarkation and during the cruise for all guests and crew. This includes:
All guests and crew will be screened prior to embarkation and twice per day during the cruise (every morning and afternoon) for:
a) Body temperature
b) Blood oxygen content
All guests must also be fully vaccinated against covid19 and a vaccination certificate must be sighted prior to boarding.
All guests must show a negative PCR test taken within 72hours from embarkation. The 72-hour PCR test validity period starts from the moment the test is taken and not from the result notification.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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