Cape Verde the new Caribbean?
The Atlantic Ocean islands of Cape Verde are to be linked with the first direct flights from the UK this winter.
Independent carrier Astraeus is working with tour operators including Holiday Options to offer holidays to the islands, roughly the same latitude as northern Caribbean destinations.
Flights to Sal, the main international airport on the group of 10 islands which gained independence from Portugal in 1975, start in November.
The airline will run a weekly Boeing 757 service from Gatwick and a 148-seat 737 from Manchester, both starting on November 2. Prices are likely to start at £329 return.
The flights will take about six hours to reach Cape Verde, 400 miles off the west coast of Africa.
The airline said that there is a probability that return flights from Sal to Manchester will need to make a short stop at Banjul in The Gambia for “operational reasons”.
Astraeus commercial director Jonathan Hinkles said: “These islands are rapidly establishing themselves as a new and different destination, with a number of environment-sensitive property and hotel developments taking place throughout the main islands in the group.
“It is, however, a relatively new holiday destination for discerning travellers – but has only previously been accessible by air via southern European or African airports, or by sea.”
The climate as a whole on the islands is classed as dry tropical with an average temperature ranging between 21C to 31C with water temperatures between 22C and 27C. There are two seasons, a dry season between November and July and a comparatively moderate humid season between August and October. Daily sunshine averages six to seven hours between August and October and 10 to
12 hours for the rest of the year.
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt