Beginning November 2019, award-winning boutique cruise line, Variety Cruises, will begin sailing a spectacular itinerary along the Cape Verde archipelago aboard its mega-yacht, the Harmony V.
Situated in the Atlantic off the coast of West Africa, the Cape Verde Islands offer an intoxicating blend of African and Portuguese cultural heritage, food, architecture, customs and traditions.
Guests' journeys will take them island-hopping to discover a rich diversity of landscapes, from verdant hills and mountains to lush jungles, wide-open beaches and stark volcanic ranges. With year-round temperatures of around 70 degrees, these equatorial islands provide endless opportunities for relaxation and outdoor play in expansive, clear Atlantic waters.
The eight-day voyage sets out from Palmeira on Sal Island, complete with an onboard naturalist, who will help provide passengers with exceptional insight and promote a truly immersive guest experience.
The Harmony V will take guests to visit the islands of Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago, Fogo, Sao Vicente and Santo Antao, with optional excursions offered at each port-of-call. Guests are also welcome to explore the destinations on their own.
Variety Cruises super-yacht vessels boast the small-ship advantage of accessing intimate ports that larger cruise ships can't visit. So, guests can look forward to a highly authentic, privileged look at local life on the islands.
Boa Vista Island boasts some of the archipelago's most spectacular beaches and enticing interior landscapes. Take a tour to discover its most authentic aspects, including villages full of colorful facades, ceramics crafted by local artisans and a wealth of local commerce and agriculture.
On Santiago, the largest of the islands, join an excursion to Cidade Velha, the first European colonial city built in the tropics and now a UNESCO site. On Sao Felipe, take an awe-inspiring, full-day trip to see the Fogo Volcano, rising nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, and have lunch in the village of Cha das Caldeiras that's nestled in its crater.
On Sao Vincente Island, experience Mindelo, one of the most well-preserved colonial cities in the archipelago, with quaint cobblestone streets and candy-colored structural facades. An optional walking excursion will introduce guests to galleries, museums, musical events and popular restaurants that contribute towards the city's reputation as the Culture Center of Cape Verde.
Santo Antao, the greenest of all the islands, abounds with verdant landscapes where sugar plantations once presided. Take an excursion to see the luxuriant Valley Paul, where sugarcane is still produced and sample Cape Verde's national drink, "grogue"-an artisanal white rum, made from sugarcane. The Valley of Ribeira das Patas delivers astounding sights of lava-rock formations.
Guests can also opt for an ecological tourism safari of Santo Antao, touring the volcanic craters amid its terrain, pozzolans field and isolated villages that rely on drop-wise agriculture and various types of plantation farming.
After circumnavigating the archipelago, Variety Cruises' Cape Verde voyages wrap up back in Palmeira port on Sal Island. While onboard the Harmony V, guests enjoy highly personalized service, thanks to an almost two-to-one passenger/crew ratio.
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