Cape Verde Islands

What do you get when you blend Brazilian,

African and Iberian influences in a place already
blessed with incredible weather and scenery?
The Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of
Africa, which are finally coming into their own
as an exotic vacation destination.
The 10-island Atlantic archipelago -- around 570
kilometres (350 miles) west of Dakar -- mixes
pristine beaches and outdoor adventure with a
unique home-grown culture, a melting pot
simmering since the 15th century when
Portuguese navigators came across the
uninhabited islands.
The islands are best known for music, a melodic
heritage that borrows from all three of its
mother cultures and that provided one of the
sparks of the modern World Beat sound.
Despite its small population, Cape Verde has
spawned five distinct musical genres including
morna -- the national music and dance.
Volcanic peaks provide a dramatic backdrop to the archipelago's beaches and bays, waterfront towns spangled with pastel houses and hiking trails that
meander across lava fields, along deep ravines and through the island's bizarre Dragon Trees.
There's history too. Like the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cidade Velha, a 15th-century Portuguese outpost where Christopher Columbus and Vasco de
Gama stopped off on their epic voyages of discovery.