EASYJET’S longest flight is launching this month to a destination dubbed a more affordable Caribbean.
The new Cape Verde flight will be a first for the budget airline when it launches from London Gatwick.
EasyJet’s new flights to Cape Verde launch this month[/caption]
The island of Sal is around six hours from the UK[/caption]
Currently, Brits can only fly to the islands with TUI , who have routes from London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Newcastle.
But the additional route with easyJet means holidaymakers will have more options when flying from the London airport.
The new route starts on March 31, operating three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Passengers will take off at 10am from the UK, with the six-hour hour flight landing in Sal at 2:10pm.
Return flights leave later from Sal, taking off at 3:05pm and landing in the UK at 10:55pm.
This rivals easyJet‘s other longest flight, which operates from Belfast to Hurghada in Egypt and takes around six hours as well.
Cape Verde is an affordable mid-haul destination, being off the coast of Africa.
The African island is warm nearly all year round, with 24C temperatures even in winter.
Visit in summer and highs hit 30C, although the rainy season funs from August to October so expect showers.
Most tourists visit either the island of Sal or Bol, which are where the main holiday resorts are.
Kite-surfing and scuba diving are popular activities on the island[/caption]
It is often dubbed “Africa’s answer to the Caribbean” for its beautiful weather and white sandy beaches.
It’s also more affordable – the new easyJet flights start from £66.
When visiting Sal, expect a mix of both African and Portuguese culture, only becoming independent from the European country in the 1970s.
And popular activities include kite-surfing – thanks to the windy climate – and scuba diving.
There are even turtle conservation areas where you can spot them on the beach although tourists are advised not to disturb them.
EasyJet’s Cape Verde holidays start from £470 each for a seven night break, including return flights.
Another island getting new flights from the UK is Lanzarote, with new easyJet flights from Birmingham.
What is a Cape Verde holiday like?
The Sun’s Head of Travel Caroline McGuire visited Cape Verde with her family.
CAPE Verde is certainly the place for those seeking winter sun, with the average highs reaching 24C in December.
And the best part is, unlike the far-flung sunny favourites, like Florida, this collection of ten islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean can be reached in less than six hours from the UK.
Skin-scorching sun isn’t the only reason to pay a visit to the Portuguese-speaking country, though.
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.
Starting from October, flights start from £23.99.
And TUI is launching new flights from Belfast to Punta in the Dominican Republic next year, with holidays from £878pp.
EasyJet’s Cape Verde holidays are as little as £470pp for a week[/caption]
