Country Guides Country Guide: Cape Verde

Date Published:

29/05/2008

Following the opening up of the Islands to international investment, the introduction of direct flights from Britain has arguably been the greatest market driver for new visitors to Cape Verde.

Direct flights from the UK are scheduled from Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham and take just over five hours. Lillywhite notes that when compared to the Caribbean, flight times are much shorter and Cape Verde has the added benefit that there is no jetlag and the islands are not, as are the West Indies, located on a hurricane belt.

If easy access is important, well-priced property makes the islands vital. Prices start at approximately £35,000 for a studio flat, rising to around £90,000 for an apartment, and £175,000 buys a villa. Lillywhite said: 'On the popular island of Sal, where the main international airport is for regular direct flights from Manchester and London, there are some excellent 5-star gated communities on the market, such as the Dunas Beach and Tortuga Beach Resorts which have proved to be very popular. Also the island’s infrastructure, even though still quite basic, is improving and the next three years will see Sal make massive improvements.'

Dunas Beach is situated in a beachfront location on the white sands of Ponta Preta beach, and close to the little town of Santa Maria. Set within beautiful landscaped gardens and less than 20 minutes from the international airport, Dunas Beach has a five star hotel offering excellent facilities for use by all residents. The development includes 13 luxury beachfront single-storey, five-bedroom detached villas (each with their own private swimming pool), 54 luxury two-storey, three-bedroom detached villas and 628 deluxe apartments with a choice of one, two and three bedrooms. Prices start at €89,950 (£83,000) with Cape Verde Property Ltd.