9 hours ago
This giant all-inclusive in Cape Verde provides first-class entertainment
Sahelian-style low-rise architecture and a setting on a stretch of pristine, soft sand give this hotel a desert island vibe. Adding to the relaxation is an easy-breezy beach bar, fully stocked complimentary minibars and staff who go above and beyond to ensure you have all you need — and that your glass is always topped up. It's a sister hotel to Riu Funana next door, which has a brilliant music scene, and guests are welcome to join for the daily entertainment that shows off the type of dancing Cape Verde is known for: bakuta and funana.
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Score 6/10Rooms have either a shady terrace or balcony and all categories are spacious, with king-size beds, twin vanities and generous wardrobes. Comfortable, yes, but almost a decade after its rebranding and multi-million pound renovation, the bright decor is starting to get tatty around the edges. Some upper rooms have views of the sea, and while at a little distance, are sufficiently close to hear the crash of the waves and catch the sea breeze. Ask for one facing west and you can also watch the sun dip into the Atlantic before heading off to dinner.
Minibars are refilled every two days with fresh supplies of Sagres beer, soft drinks and both sparkling and still water. Each room also comes with four complimentary full-size bottles of (Riu generic) spirits. Bathrooms are light and spacious with their translucent screens in lieu of walls. Their Spanish bath products, in sustainably minded large fixed bottles, are organic, gently scented and a delight to use.
Score 7/10Food is plentiful and varied, though the spread in Promenade, the main restaurant, can feel overwhelming with everything from a sushi bar to stations carving Sunday roasts. Three à la carte restaurants — gourmet Kulinarium, Italian Sofia and a steak house — are booked via the Riu app and all serve notably generous portions. During the day, you can opt for poolside Santa Maria, which serves a mix of pizza, pasta, grills, salads and sandwiches.
The breakfast buffet, also served in Promenade, caters for all tastes, running from crêpes, french toast and a groaning fruit station to the full English. Coffee and tea are served in bottomless pots; if you're after an espresso or a meia-de-leite (latte), you'll have to wait until 10.30am, when the lobby's cute Capuchino café opens.
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Score 7/10The hotel has basic beach club facilities — with plenty of loungers and a hut doling out beer and soft drinks in plastic cups — set across a shady palm grove and on the sand, all only a few steps beyond the hotel's gates. There's a netted section of sea if you're leery of the Atlantic's sharks, and while the waves can be rough, experienced bodysurfers will be in their element. Others favour the hotel pool and its swim-up bar, or the well-equipped gym and spa with a large outdoor whirlpool (the latter shared with Riu Funana).
Far from an afterthought, evening entertainment is top-notch, with acoustic solo performers early on then live bands, dancers and DJs after dinner; Pacha disco opens at 11pm. Gearing up for the themed Friday night parties starts early in the day, with staff stringing lights and draping the palms in the theme's colours. These are open to Riu guests from three neighbouring properties, so can be huge.
Score 8/10Sitting at the very end of Santa Maria's all-inclusive strip that stretches east of the 'capital', the beautiful white sand beach here appears endless and, given the sheer amount of space, often feels quiet and uncrowded. A 15-minute walk down the dunes brings you to Ponta Preta and its convivial wind surfers' bars, along with places to hire boards or kites. A taxi to the pretty, and often very lively, Santa Maria town costs under £5 (paid either in euros or the local escudo) — during the day it's also an easy walk by the beach-hugging pedestrian path: access is via the nearby Hilton Hotel. Santa Maria town's beach is usually gentler for swimming too. The airport is a 20-minute drive away.
Price all-inclusive doubles from £212Restaurant n/aFamily-friendly NAccessible N
Donna Wheeler was a guest of Hotel Riu Cabo Verde (
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