Kelly McFarland
Cape Verde is one of the most googled holiday destinations and it’s not hard to see why. With it’s golden sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, and warm weather all year round it’s an ideal holiday destination.
Cape Verde is made up of 10 isles floating in the Atlantic Ocean, 500 kilometres off the coast of Senegal.
The Portuguese originally discovered Cape Verde, so there’s a mixture of African, Brazilian and Portuguese influences. You’ll see it in the island’s music, fashion and – perhaps most clearly – the food.
Cape Verde’s most popular island is Sal, which is known for its striking, moon-like landscape. It’s dotted with colourful, cobbled towns, like Santa Maria on the southern shores, where you’ll find surf shops, traditional restaurants and a pretty square lined with al fresco cafés. The main attraction, though, is the beach, which stretches along the coast for eight kilometres.
One of the best places to stay in Sal we think is the Melia Tortuga Beach and Spa resort .Location-wise, the Melia Tortuga Beach Resort & Spa is hard to beat. It hugs the sands of watersports-friendly Algodoeiro Beach, and is just a short taxi ride from the centre of Santa Maria.
Rooms have a cozy and inviting feel. Suites come with a double bed and a lounge area, a flatscreen satellite TV, air-conditioning and a balcony or terrace. Family rooms sleep up to 2 adults and 2 children and come with a second bedroom, a kitchenette and 2 bathrooms. 2-bedroom suites are also available.
The beach bar-grill plates up meals on its sand-side terrace – locally-caught seafood tops the menu and sunset views are guaranteed. Meanwhile, the gold-hued Late Bar ups the luxury factor.
Late-risers can drop by the waterside themed, buffet restaurant for long, lazy breakfasts. In the evening, it turns into a sea food themed restaurant and reservations are required.
Spices buffet restaurant offers a fantastic variety of dishes to satisfy your hunger. Show cooking is also on offer as well as a themed cuisine day.
The Aqua Mediterranean gourmet restaurant offers another great venue for your evening meal.
At this hotel you’ll find two spacious swimming pools, which are surrounded by sunloungers and parasols – ultimate chill out time.
Each pool has a different character – one has the corner on relaxation, while the other has a busy sports schedule. A couple of separate children’s pools are close by.
The hotel also has a gym and spa centre, YHI, which features a sauna, spa and gym equipment, just so you can relax that little bit more.
The hotel gives back to it’s local community with the help of holiday providers TUI and Resort Grou plc who fund work on the island for various projects from recycling water, youth projects and conservation projects to save the turtles that nest on the island every year. You can find out more info here.
The Cape Verde motto is “no stress and the Melia Tortuga provides just that for anyone visting Cape Verde.
You can book to stay at the Melia Tortuga via TUI or via the Melia website. You can also find out more by following the hotel on Instagram.
Is Cape Verde on your holiday destination wish list? Let us know @Fuzzable!
