Cliffs stand against the ocean on the northern coast of the island of Santo Antao, Cape Verde December 27, 2013. Portuguese colonial officers in the 17th and 18th centuries perceived the West African slave-trading hub of Cabo Verde as a dead-end posting - often literally because of its propensity for drought and tropical disease. Today the wind-pummeled, volcanic archipelago 600 km (370 miles) off the coast of Senegal is a growing tourist spot, offering dramatic landscapes for hikers, along with a vibrant music scene and year-round sunshine. In the past three years, the number of tourists going to Cabo Verde - also known as Cape Verde - has beaten the rate for Africa's $34 billion market, growing on average each year by nearly 20 percent, according to a U.N. Report. Picture taken December 27, 2013. REUTERS/Jean-Francois Huertas (CAPE VERDE - Tags: TRAVEL SOCIETY)