Cape Verde 3rd in Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Countries for 2011

11 November 2010

Lonely Planet’s latest book “Best in Travel 2011” gives the top 10 countries for next year based on topicality, excitement, value for money and that special x-factor. Cape Verde is in 3rd place. Here’s what they have to say about the country:

“Cape Verdeans might have known about the wider world forever, but it seems that the wider world is only just opening its eyes to Cape Verde. On the surface this is hardly a surprise; the country appears to be nothing but a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it dot of dust floating off the coast of Africa, but the islands have recently started catching sideways glances from European winter-sun tourists. This growing international interest is bringing enormous changes to an archipelago that looks and feels as if it were born from a Caribbean mother and an African father. But what is it that these tourists come for? When someone first mentioned trying to attract foreign visitors to their ‘dot of dust’ most Cape Verdeans must have laughingly thought ‘What can we offer a tourist here?’. The answer turned out to be quite a lot. Soaring mountains terraced in greens, a volcano with its head in the clouds, world-class watersports and sizzling, saucy festivals – but it was the sun that clinched the deal. With almost more days of sunshine than there are days in the year and with soft sandy beaches to boot, someone only had to say the words ‘winter sun’ and the islands were being marketed as the ‘New Canary Islands’.”

Lonely Planet’s Top Ten for 2011 is:
1. Albania
2. Brazil
3. Cape Verde
4. Panama
5. Bulgaria
6. Vanuata
7. Italy
8. Tanzania
9. Syria
10. Japan

To find out more visit http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/travel-tips-and-articles/76164