About Cape Verde

Cape Verde is an archipelago in the Atlantic, roughly 570km off the west coast of Africa. Ten islands, of which nine are inhabited, each with a distinct character — from the mountainous, green interiors of Santo Antão and Fogo to the flat, dry, wind-blown islands of Sal and Boa Vista.

We arrived on Sal for the first time in 2003, having barely heard of the place. Sal is the island most visitors see first, since it has the main international airport. Santa Maria, at the southern tip, is where most of the tourism is: beaches, hotels, restaurants and a working fishing pier. The north of the island is quieter — Palmeira is a small working port, and the coast around it is where we chose to build.

This page will grow into a fuller account of the islands, what living here is actually like, and what to know before considering a property or a build. For now, our own story starts with how we ended up building here.