IF you want winter sun, without the long flight, then you’re in luck as a group of islands are about to be much easier to travel to.
Cape Verde is just five hours from the UK, yet has highs of 27C even in winter.
Not only that, but there is just one hour time different so you won’t be getting any jet lag when you land.
The African islands were made popular with Brits after TUI launched holidays years ago.
However, easyJet launched their first-ever flights from the UK to Sal back in April, with routes from London Gatwick and Manchester.
And the budget airline has since confirmed that another flight route will be launching to Sal, this time from Bristol Airport.
The new route will start on May 1, 2026, with three flights a week.
Cape Verde is often nicknamed “Africa‘s answer to the Caribbean” because of its beautiful beaches.
While made up of 10 islands, the two that are more popular with Brits and have direct flights from the UK are Sal and Boa Vista.
If you want the hottest month to travel, head to the islands in September when they have highs of 31C, although they rarely drop much below 20C throughout the year.
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When it comes to Sal, it is known for both its sandy beaches and its watersports.
The Sun’s Head of Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire visited the island of Sal with her family.
She said: “For those who like a bit of adrenaline, there’s kite-surfing along the aptly named Kite Beach (you’ll need strong arms), plus quad-biking on the desert landscape that makes up the bulk of the inner island.
“But for us, our break was all about relaxing — and we did just that on a four-hour catamaran cruise along the coast of Sal, where away from the shore the waters were calm enough for a dip.
“These beautiful beaches, as well as adventure activities and watersports, were all within a short drive of our hotel, the Riu Palace Santa Maria, south of the island of Sal and near the idyllic beach town of Santa Maria.”
While Sal’s capital is Espargos, the main tourist centre is the town of Santa Maria, where you will find all of the restaurants and bars.
Expect to hear the famous morna music playing out across the beach as well.
While Sal is the more popular island, there is also the quieter Boa Vista.
Popular activities include sandboarding and stargazing, but you can expect far fewer tourists.
The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey, who earlier this year, said: “While less built up, it also means barely any crowds with laid back bars and restaurants.
“Even some of the beaches felt like the Maldives or Thailand – bright white sands with basically no one else there.”
One of the most famous is Santa Mónica, often being named one of the world’s best beaches.
It could soon be easier to island hope across Cape Verde as well.
Cabo Verde Airlines has revealed plans to add more connections between the islands, after adding two new planes to their fleet.