Adventure Camps

Cape Verde - a camp on Sal for teenagers, built around the ocean

Santa Maria, Cabo VerdeZigotours4.8(30)

Dates: Feb 6 – 27, 2027
Duration: 8 days
Ages: 14–17

Price from

$2,072

Course price for 1 week

No immediate payment requiredFree consultationResponse within 24 hours

An eight-day camp on Sal, in the Cape Verde archipelago off the West African coast, run in French by Zigotours for teenagers. The group is based in Santa Maria and travels out from there across an island shaped by wind and ocean: the fishing harbour and its maritime life, the volcanic landscapes of the Pedra de Lume salt pans, the port of Palmeira and the Buracona site, a zip line over the volcanic cliffs at Serra Negra, and sandboarding on the Atlantic dunes. Running through the whole stay is a collective project called Ocean Guardians, built around beach and ocean protection and a meeting with a sea-turtle conservation association. The group also spends time with young Cape Verdeans through sport and music.

Age

14–17 yrs

Language

French

Program type

Adventure Camps

Accommodation

Apartment

About

About the Course

One fixed programme for a single group, based in Santa Maria on the island of Sal and led in French by a qualified director and camp leaders. There are no optional modules and no lessons. Maximum sixteen participants, with one adult for every eight. Alongside the island programme, the whole stay carries a collective marine-protection mission called Ocean Guardians.

What’s Included

The price covers return travel from Paris, full board, the full supervision team, repatriation and personal accident insurance, accommodation, local transport, the activities, and the educational and administrative follow-up before and after the stay. Personal spending is not included. Departures from French cities other than Paris are offered as paid options.

Accommodation

Apartments in Santa Maria, close to the beaches and the village. Rooms sleep four to six and are single-sex; bathrooms and showers are inside the apartments. Each apartment has a shared kitchen, and the group has a common room used for activities.

Meal Plan

Full board, with breakfasts and dinners prepared by the group itself. The stay in its co-managed style, so meals are part of the programme rather than a service delivered to the participants.

Activities & Excursions

A treasure-hunt walk through Santa Maria and its fishing harbour, where the maritime life of the village is the point. An excursion across the volcanic landscapes of Sal, taking in the Pedra de Lume salt pans, the port of Palmeira and the Buracona site. A zip line at Serra Negra, strung over volcanic cliffs facing the Atlantic. An introduction to water sports, and sandboarding on the Atlantic dunes. A coastal mission on beach and ocean protection, including a meeting with a sea-turtle conservation association, plus sport and music with young Cape Verdeans.

Facilities

Apartments with bathrooms and showers inside, a shared kitchen in each, and a common room used for activities. The base is within reach of the beaches and the village of Santa Maria, so the seafront and the harbour are part of the everyday setting rather than an excursion.

Camp Experience

Sal is a small island where wind and ocean set the daily rhythm, and the camp is built to make that legible rather than to sit on a beach. The Ocean Guardians thread gives the week a purpose: participants meet people working on marine conservation and take part in the work, then spend the rest of the time on volcanic landscapes, a zip line, dunes and the local music and sport scene.

Language Camp prices

Sal Island Programme - Ocean Guardians

14–17 yrs

Dates

Price from

A single fixed programme run for one group, based in Santa Maria on the island of Sal. Days are split between exploring the island — the fishing harbour, the Pedra de Lume salt pans, the port of Palmeira, the Buracona site, a zip line over the volcanic cliffs at Serra Negra and sandboarding on the Atlantic dunes — and a collective mission on marine protection that runs through the whole stay, including a meeting with a sea-turtle conservation association. There are no optional modules and no lessons; the group is led in French by a qualified director and camp leaders.

There are no lessons. This French-led programme on Sal follows one fixed itinerary for up to sixteen participants, with learning through activities, excursions, and an Ocean Guardians marine-protection mission.

An activity-based exploration of Sal’s volcanic landscapes and coastal life, with no formal lessons, where a small group co-manages daily life and takes part in a collective marine-protection mission called Ocean Guardians.

Daily Schedule

Breakfast
07:00–08:00
Classes
08:30–12:30
Lunch
12:30–13:30
Dinner
18:30–19:30
Evening activities
20:00–22:00
Lights out
22:30

Included items

Small groups

Excursions
Hiking
Outdoor Sports Games
Ropes / Zip Line / Climbing

Cafeteria
Outdoor fields
Residence accommodation
Student lounge

Optional Extras

Top recommendation

Recommended for most families

Smooth arrival and fewer surprises.

Departure from Lille

Supplement published by the operator for a pre-travel connection from Lille to the Paris departure point and back. Booked with the operator before departure.

Departure from Ajaccio

Supplement published by the operator for a pre-travel connection from Ajaccio to the Paris departure point and back. Booked with the operator before departure.

Transfer25

Reviews

4.8out of 5

Reviews

Based on 30 Google reviews

Photos

School

Zigotours

Zigotours is a French youth travel operator based in Grenoble that runs residential holiday camps and young-adult trips in France and abroad for participants aged 6 to 25. Founded in 1989, it organises multi-activity, mountain, ski, seaside and touring programmes led by qualified directors and activity leaders. Its package rates are all-inclusive: travel from Paris, full board, accommodation, supervision, local transport, repatriation and accident insurance, and the activities listed for each programme.

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Location

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Frequently Asked Questions

For young people aged 14 to 17. Everyone follows the same programme; there is no separate younger or older track.

Maximum sixteen participants, supervised by a qualified director and camp leaders at one adult for every eight. The camp is run in French.

In apartments in Santa Maria, close to the beaches and the village. Rooms sleep four to six and are single-sex, with bathrooms and showers inside the apartments. Each apartment has a shared kitchen, and the group has a common room for activities.

A scheduled return flight from Paris to Sal, with a stopover. Movement around the island is arranged by the camp team.

A collective project that runs through the whole stay, aimed at understanding how the Cape Verdean marine ecosystem works and where it is fragile. It includes a coastal mission on beach and ocean protection and a meeting with an association working on sea-turtle conservation.

Yes. Connections from a list of French cities are available, each priced separately. The departure from Paris itself carries no supplement.

More about this camp

The group is based in Santa Maria, at the southern end of Sal, and travels out from there rather than staying put. The village itself is the first stop: a treasure-hunt route through its streets, then the fishing harbour, where the daily maritime life of the island is on open display. The island excursion covers the volcanic side of Sal — the salt pans of Pedra de Lume, set in an old crater, the port of Palmeira and the natural site at Buracona. At Serra Negra a zip line runs over the volcanic cliffs facing the Atlantic, and on the dunes the group is introduced to sandboarding. Water sports are part of the programme as well. What separates this camp from a straightforward island tour is the thread the operator calls Ocean Guardians. It runs through the entire stay and is meant to give participants a working understanding of how fragile the Cape Verdean marine ecosystem is. It includes a coastal mission on beach and ocean protection and a meeting with an association working on sea-turtle conservation. The group also spends time with young Cape Verdeans through sport and music. The camp is for ages 14 to 17 and is run in French. The operator announces a maximum of sixteen participants, supervised by a qualified director and camp leaders at a ratio of one adult to eight. Accommodation is in apartments near the beaches and the village: single-sex rooms sleeping four to six, bathrooms and showers inside, and a shared kitchen in each apartment. Breakfasts and dinners are prepared by the group, which the operator treats as part of its educational approach. Travel is by scheduled flight from Paris to Sal with a stopover. The published price covers that travel, full board, the supervision team, repatriation and personal accident insurance, accommodation, local transport, the listed activities and the educational follow-up before and after the stay. Connections from other French cities are available as separately priced options. Availability, dates and prices may change quickly. Please always confirm details directly with the camp provider before making travel arrangements.

Price from $2,072