With the worlds travelers looking for more exotic holiday locations, Cape Verde is fast becoming the most ‘en vogue’ place to visit.

These majestic islands offer a unique experience.  The culture of the islands is fascinating, being at the crossroads of the Atlantic shipping lanes for generations.  The heady mix of Africa, South America and Europe have collided to create a melting pot of culture and traditions.

Visitors can expect a world of contrasts, from beautiful deserted white sandy beaches and banana plantations to trekking in mountainous pine forests.  Each island has it's own unique characteristics.

This huge demand to visit the islands has resulted in Thomson Holidays flying direct to the island of Sal twice a week and committing to fill the huge RUI hotel – all 1,000 rooms.

Charter airline Astraeus have also opened up flights to Sal from Gatwick and Manchester twice a week.  But with demand outstripping supply, the Cape Verdean operator TACV has now announced that it too will be flying direct from the UK to Cape Verde from October 2007.

Cape Verde is fast becoming the new property hotspot for investors and holiday home buyers alike.  Being just 5 hours from the UK and with year round sunshine, it is not surprising that people are seeing the potential to find holiday homes in a location on the same latitude as the Caribbean but at much lower prices.

 “This announcement by TACV is a result of the huge demand for people to visit Cape Verde” says Steve Oldfield of CVP Real Estate – a leading property agent in Cape Verde. “What is very interesting about TACV's announcement is that not only will they fly to the island of Sal but also will open routes to Praia on the island of Santiago and Boa Vista”.

“The property market in Cape Verde is very dynamic, with 6 islands currently offering real estate opportunities. In reality, there are really multiple markets operating all at different stages of development” says Steve.   “These new flights will increase demand for holiday lets in Sal, which at present is struggling to accommodate all visitors, but will also increase demand on the islands of Santiago and Boa Vista.” he said.

It seems that the recently 'unknown' Cape Verde archipelago will soon be on everyone’s lips.  With such a paradise awaiting the visitors, it is inevitable that the archipelago's secret will soon be out and the interest will continue to mushroom.

TACV will begin operating from Stansted to Sal in October 2007, Stansted to Praia from November and Stansted to Boa Vista January 2008.

For more information on Cape Verde – visit the website www.capeverdeportal.com

Written by Vacey Depaul ©

_{Thanks to:}

_{Steven Oldfield – Managing Director, CVP Real Estate}

_{Melissa Gianna – AviaReps UK}