They are snapping-up property in the little-known Cape Verde islands off the west coast of Africa.

The attraction of the ten islands some 800 miles south of the Canaries is the virtual eternal sunshine.

They were once the haunts of pirates and slave traders like Blackbeard and Sir Francis Drake, who attacked one island, Santiago in search of Spanish Gold.

And as tourism increases the islands are becoming more accessible — there are direct services from Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester.

And the tourists like what they see so much that many want to stay and the tropical delight is tipped to become a favourite destination for wannabe expats.

Lorry driver Dave Hunter, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, decided to sell up and move to Cape Verde island Sal.

Dave, 58, and wife, Trisha, 50, first visited the islands two years ago on holiday and decided they wanted to make their home there.

They were living in a one-bedroom flat, paying £500 a week rent and were becoming disillusioned with the UK for a variety of reasons — including the weather.

Dave said: “We decided to return to Sal in June last year and had set a target of August this year for a move.

“However, after the holiday we knew we did not want to spend another winter in the UK.”

But their circumstances changed when Dave’s dad died. He left a house in London which was sold and the proceeds split between Dave and his brother.

“Up until then we were thinking of buying a place in Cape Verde with a mortgage to fulfil our dream,” said Dave. “Now, however, we had the cash.”

The couple moved out of Bognor, with most of their furniture being given to charity shops, and they booked another two weeks in Sal in November last year — but with no return tickets.

They stayed in a hotel and then went to an estate agent in Cape Verde and told them they wanted to buy a place.

Soon Dave and Trisha were buying a two-bedroom flat in a newly completed apartment block just 200ft from the sea in Sal.

They also had an addition to the family — a former stray dog called Pash.

The flat cost the couple £82,000 and they are in the process of buying a £33,000 studio to rent out to give them a small income in addition to what they earn doing odd jobs.

At present they are the only tenants in their apartment complex of 30 flats but all the properties have been sold — mainly to other British and Irish couples looking for a slice of the new investment cake.

Dave and Trisha, however, are determined to go for the quiet life and when the predicted property boom takes off within the next few years they plan to sell their apartment and buy another place on another island, Maio, which has a population of just 6,000.

The couple have already seen the value of their flat increase to £105,000 in the short time they have been in Cape Verde.

Dave said: “In four or five years property prices are going to double or even treble and if you want it as an investment then this is the place to be.

“We know it’s going to get very busy with tourists and people wanting to buy places and when that happens we have a quieter spot worked out.”

With ten small islands — only seven inhabited — there is plenty to chose from.

“England for me was becoming total stress,” said Dave.

“But in the short time we have been here it has not taken us long to become more relaxed.

“Apart from my four grown-up sons and six grandchildren, there is nothing left for us in the UK.

"We may not have a Tesco or a Sainsbury’s here but there are plenty of small shops around.

"It’s like stepping back in time and there is no rushing about.

“And if you want something done, then you have to realise everything happens at its own pace out here.”

Foreign tourists visiting Cape Verde numbered approximately 150,000 in 2000, a figure which has increased steadily and the government predicts there will be more than half a million visitors this year.

Property prices rose by around 17 per cent last year, with average homes in the main islands rising from £70,500 on Sao Vicente to £97,000 in Sal.

“Cape Verde represents the best investment opportunity in the overseas market that anyone is likely to find in 2008.

"As the nearest tropical islands to Europe, they offer year-round sunshine and a constant temperature of around 25°C.

“Development in Cape Verde has really taken off over the past two years but prices are still very low compared to other established retirement markets.

“If you’re investing savings or the equity from a UK property sale you need to know you’re not only putting it somewhere safe but that it’s going to be worth more in the future.

“This is what Cape Verde offers. Prices are low, projected returns are excellent, infrastructure is being continually improved and there’s a wealth of enjoyment to be had.

“Spain and France are for the real ‘grey’ generation — Cape Verde is for the forever young.”

Source: The Sun