Discovered and colonised by the Portuguese in the 15th century, Cape Verde played an important role in the slave trade in the 16th century and prospered as a result. The archipelago did not achieve its independence from Portugal until as recently as 1975. There are 10 islands in the Cape Verde group (9 of them inhabited) which is located 600 kilometres off the coast of Senegal in West Africa. The islands are volcanic in origin and yet present quite different geographical characteristics. The international airport is on the island of Sal and the onward journey to the other islands is by light aircraft and/or by ferry. With daytime temperatures of around 25ºC during the period from November to April, Cape Verde is an excellent place to find some winter sun. From the viewpoint of the trekker, the island of Santo Antao is the biggest attraction, with its peaks rising to almost 2000 metres above the Atlantic. There are lots of exciting walks on the island and plenty of places to take it easy, admire the views and meet the friendly local people.
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