This three week itinerary has been especially designed for the adventurous, independent traveller and allows you to visit eight islands.The other island hopping itineraries contain a lot of information about things to see and do and places to visit on the more popular islands. São Nicolau and Maio are sometimes regarded as the forgotten islands for tourists but this is generally due to the fact that they are more difficult to get to, but a couple of days on each provide a great insight into local life. São Nicolau - One of the main attractions of this island is that it is virtually untouched by tourism. The capital Ribeira Brava is a quiet, pretty town in the centre of the island in a lush, fertile valley and the few tourists that venture here come to hike in the beautiful but wild mountainous interior. While walking you are likely to see the endangered fairytale dragon tree which grows naturally here. The black sands on the coast near Tarrafal are said to have healing powers and arthritis sufferers come here to bury themselves in the sand to relieve their aches. Maio - is Santiago's closest neighbour but is flat and more like Sal and Boa Vista in its landscape although it is more fertile due to the reforestation efforts. It is a very small island with a population of around 4,000 and is a great place for taking a couple of days out from busy exploration of the other islands. If you visit in the summer you may be lucky to see turtles on the beach at Morro. The salt pans just north of the capital Vilo do Maio stretch for a magnificent 5km. Flexibility is required, as the availability of an itinerary of this complexity has to be subject to flight operational days, availability and weather. |
