Cape Verde: The Islands the World Cup Put on the Map, but Which Still Smell of Fish, Not Tourists

The World Cup has a strange power - within a few weeks it turns countries no one has heard of into names everyone is saying. This summer that happened to Cape Verde, an archipelago of ten islands lost in the Atlantic off the coast of Senegal. And behind the football story hides one of Africa's best-kept secrets.

It is described as „a delicious mix of Caribbean beaches, African rhythm and Portuguese soul“ - and it's hard to find a better description. The islands are volcanic, like the Canaries or the Azores, with landscapes ranging from endless sandy beaches to tropical valleys. Sal has an international airport and the best beaches, a paradise for kitesurfers. Santo Antão is the greenest, with the legendary Corda trail winding above the clouds.

But the soul of Cape Verde is not in its beaches, but in its music. São Vicente is the home island of the legendary singer Cesária Évora, the „barefoot diva“ whose morna carried the melancholy of these islands to the whole world. Here culture means literature, theatre and carnivals with a Brazilian glow - a mix of African roots and Portuguese heritage that sounds like nowhere else.

The island of Fogo has an active volcano, and coffee and wine grow on its volcanic soil. There are salt lakes where you float as in the Dead Sea, sea caves with neon blue, sharks visible from the shallows. The national dish is called cachupa, and the climate is mild all year round, between 23 and 30 degrees.

One warning for those already packing a suitcase: there are no direct flights, you'll need a connection and good planning, and travelling between the islands is best done by plane since the boat links are unreliable. But that's exactly it - the fact that Cape Verde isn't easy to reach is the reason it still smells of fish, not of tourists. Football put it on the map; now we just have to not ruin it with too much love.