SAga Spirit of adventure
Cruise to Cape Verde
By Mike Pickup, Mike writes about travel for numerous newspapers and magazines, both consumer and trade, and has over a hundred features published each year. He is also the Editor of Holiday Magazine and a professionally trained photographer. For more information click here
As my plane approached Madeira’s Funchal Airport we were flying so low that we could see into people’s homes perched on the nearby hillsides.
The mountainous island, famous for cake and fortified wine as well as its hazardous airport, is full of spectacular landscapes which I admired on my twenty-minute drive to the picturesque port where my ship, Spirit of Adventure, was waiting. The neighbouring marina was full of small boats and surrounded by gorgeous scenery, plus a statue of the island’s famous son, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. There’s even a museum dedicated to him on the dockside.
The mountainous island, famous for cake and fortified wine as well as its hazardous airport, is full of spectacular landscapes which I admired on my twenty-minute drive to the picturesque port where my ship, Spirit of Adventure, was waiting. The neighbouring marina was full of small boats and surrounded by gorgeous scenery, plus a statue of the island’s famous son, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. There’s even a museum dedicated to him on the dockside.
I quickly settled in to my cabin and was pleasantly surprised that I had been upgraded from a standard to a deluxe room. The greater width allowed for a tub in the bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe with more clothes hangers than I have ever seen! There was a tea and coffee making facility with fresh long-life milk in the fridge and bottles of water were topped up daily. A large comfortable bed and plenty of extra storage space made for an easy life and, of course, all cabins have balconies.
After a day enjoying walks and great views in the warm winter weather, Adventure set off overnight for Santa Cruz, La Palma, where we arrived early the next morning. It was Sunday and the town was full of people strolling along the pedestrian main street, sitting outside with drinks, enjoying ice-creams and checking out shops which were full of inexpensive but stylish and unusual items, such a contrast to the ubiquitous high streets in the UK
After a day enjoying walks and great views in the warm winter weather, Adventure set off overnight for Santa Cruz, La Palma, where we arrived early the next morning. It was Sunday and the town was full of people strolling along the pedestrian main street, sitting outside with drinks, enjoying ice-creams and checking out shops which were full of inexpensive but stylish and unusual items, such a contrast to the ubiquitous high streets in the UK
After a relaxing day, a little light shopping and a swim in the ship’s pool, another overnight sail took us to La Gomera, one of the smaller Canary Islands. Its tiny capital, San Sebastian, has a pedestrianised centre next to the marina and is easily explored on foot, gentle exercise in the sunshine.
The Ship
Then it was back on board to sail south to Cape Verde, a group of ten islands four hundred miles off the coast of Senegal and the Gambia. A couple of sea days gave me a chance to explore the ship.
Adventure accommodates 999 passengers in 554 balcony cabins and over 100 of these are designed for single passengers. The standard facilities include a gym, fitness centre, theatre, main dining room and buffet which, on some evenings, transformed into a peaceful table-service restaurant.
There were also three speciality restaurants offering top-class cuisine. Amalfi, as its name implies, is an Italian restaurant serving both traditional favourites and more unusual dishes. The Supper Club is an intimate location with musical entertainment offering some of the best steaks I have ever tasted. However, my favourite was Khukuri House, a Nepalese restaurant with a great ambience and an enticing range of food. All three speciality restaurants are included in the fare.
There was a library, craft room and card room providing onboard activities, and numerous bars to enjoy relaxing drinks which are also included in the price, as are insurance, door-to-door transport, wi-fi, gratuities and some shore excursions.
Then it was back on board to sail south to Cape Verde, a group of ten islands four hundred miles off the coast of Senegal and the Gambia. A couple of sea days gave me a chance to explore the ship.
Adventure accommodates 999 passengers in 554 balcony cabins and over 100 of these are designed for single passengers. The standard facilities include a gym, fitness centre, theatre, main dining room and buffet which, on some evenings, transformed into a peaceful table-service restaurant.
There were also three speciality restaurants offering top-class cuisine. Amalfi, as its name implies, is an Italian restaurant serving both traditional favourites and more unusual dishes. The Supper Club is an intimate location with musical entertainment offering some of the best steaks I have ever tasted. However, my favourite was Khukuri House, a Nepalese restaurant with a great ambience and an enticing range of food. All three speciality restaurants are included in the fare.
There was a library, craft room and card room providing onboard activities, and numerous bars to enjoy relaxing drinks which are also included in the price, as are insurance, door-to-door transport, wi-fi, gratuities and some shore excursions.
Cape Verde
When the Portuguese first came to Cape Verde in the fifteenth century the islands were uninhabited. Shortage of water and barren landscapes made for a difficult way of life, but things have progressed since then.
Our first port of call was the island of Santiago, home to Praia, the country’s capital. It boasts three universities and the national library. It features a number of colonial buildings and is very much the country’s commercial and cultural hub. With more rainfall than the other islands, the interior gives it a much greater diversity of flora and fauna and there are plenty of trees, unlike the holiday island of Sal where the ‘trees’ are mainly mobile phone masts in disguise. Santiago also has an airport, although it is not as busy as the one on Sal which handles international holiday flights from the UK and Portugal.
Another overnight sailing found us in busy Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente. Heavy traffic, crowded streets, fishermen selling their wares and multiple shops and bars give it a metropolitan feel with a strong African vibe, its focus being on island rather than tourist trade. The town beach proved popular with locals and just a few visitors.
When the Portuguese first came to Cape Verde in the fifteenth century the islands were uninhabited. Shortage of water and barren landscapes made for a difficult way of life, but things have progressed since then.
Our first port of call was the island of Santiago, home to Praia, the country’s capital. It boasts three universities and the national library. It features a number of colonial buildings and is very much the country’s commercial and cultural hub. With more rainfall than the other islands, the interior gives it a much greater diversity of flora and fauna and there are plenty of trees, unlike the holiday island of Sal where the ‘trees’ are mainly mobile phone masts in disguise. Santiago also has an airport, although it is not as busy as the one on Sal which handles international holiday flights from the UK and Portugal.
Another overnight sailing found us in busy Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente. Heavy traffic, crowded streets, fishermen selling their wares and multiple shops and bars give it a metropolitan feel with a strong African vibe, its focus being on island rather than tourist trade. The town beach proved popular with locals and just a few visitors.
Then it was a two day sail back to the Canaries. I popped up to the top deck to chat to one of the four people on board from ORCA, the charity that carries out whale and dolphin sightings. The three decades of data they have gathered has led to better protection for whales and dolphins and Saga supports this activity by offering places to members on certain cruises. I also witnessed one of best sunsets at sea that I had ever seen.
Our next port of call was Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island’s capital and originally capital of all the Canary Islands. Since 1927 it has shared this honour with Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. Although a major business hub, Santa Cruz is an elegant and relaxed city with a large marina crammed with yachts. Again the shops were filled with stylish and attractive items we don’t see at home.
Returning to the ship and my final night on board sailing to Lanzarote, next morning I enjoyed my final buffet breakfast before heading off to the airport and my flight home.
Fact Box
For more information on this and all other Saga cruises call 0800 096 0079 or visit https://travel.saga.co.uk/cruises
Fact Box
For more information on this and all other Saga cruises call 0800 096 0079 or visit https://travel.saga.co.uk/cruises
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All images (c) Mike Pickup
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