What it is
The northwestern island, mountainous and split in two by climate. The northeast is green and terraced with sugarcane and coffee; the southwest is arid. There is no airport; access is the hour-long ferry from Mindelo to Porto Novo.
Why go
The best walking in the country by a distance. Trails run down the Paul and Ribeira da Torre valleys from the Cova crater rim to the sea, on old paved paths between smallholdings, losing 1,000 metres or more in a day. Fontainhas is a village built on a spur above the ocean and is the photograph everyone takes. Ponta do Sol is the northern end of the road. Grogue, the cane spirit, is distilled in the valleys and the small distilleries take visitors.
When to go
October to June. The August and September rains make the steep paths slick and can trigger rockfall. Most walks are point-to-point and need a driver to meet you at the far end; arrange that rather than planning to loop back. The old cobbled mountain road between Porto Novo and Ribeira Grande is the scenic route and the coast road is the fast one.
Most people stay 3-4 nights.