Imagine long, practically-deserted, white, sandy beaches; tropical, turquoise sea; amazing sea food and a wonderfully laid-back African/Portuguese culture.... welcome to the Cape Verde Islands!

With direct flights running weekly from Gatwick and Manchester the previously little known islands are ripe for the taking and only six hours away. An archipelago of ten islands, there is so much variety: from the flat sandy island that is Sal, to the mountainous, volcanic scenery that makes up Santo Antao to the Cape Verdean cultural centre that is Sao Vicente.

These islands cater for all from the watersports lover (be it windsurfing, kitesurfing, diving or fishing) to the hiker and music lover and if you just want to relax, there's plenty of space for that too.

Isn't it time you discovered Cape Verde?