In fact, the only glimmer of recognition came from football fans and music buffs (the islands are the homeland of Manchester United winger Nani and the late world-music star Cesaria Evora, the "Barefoot Diva").
Made up of 10 main islands, scattered 500km of the coast of Senegal, this former Portuguese colony clearly still suffers profile problems.
To those who grace their miles of creamy-white beaches, enjoy a dip in their clear emerald waters and lap up year-round sunshine, they are smugly regarded as a very well-kept secret - the Canary Islands meets the Caribbean.
To those who grace their miles of creamy-white beaches, enjoy a dip in their clear emerald waters and lap up year-round sunshine, they are smugly regarded as a very well-kept secret - the Canary Islands meets the Caribbean.
Attracting the most visitors are the islands of Boa Vista and Sal, which benefit from chic new hotels. The fight duration is just six hours from London and, with a time diference of an hour, jet lag isn't an issue.
We were based on Sal, which, as well as a beach lovers' paradise, is a hot spot for sporty types, being one of the top five wind and kite surfng locations in the world.
Kite Beach, a beautiful wind-swept stretch of coastline, is one of the best spots to enjoy the show, the blue sky dancing with prety coloured kites, their owners leaping high above the waves performing daring stunts.
Our week-long break didn't quite give us enough time to learn the ropes ourselves, but with the water simply too inviting to resist, we decided to try a spot of snorkelling instead.
We signed up for a group excursion and spent an afternoon at Vienna Reef, where we spotted a colourful array of fish and fauna.
At certain times of the year, it is also possible to see dolphins, whales and manta rays. If you want to get close to some of Cape Verde's finest underwater species, pay a visit to the Turtle SOS sanctuary, where you can learn all about the loggerhead species and watch newborns released into the ocean.
The third most important nesting area for loggerheads in the world, the team at Turtle SOS patrol the nesting areas nightly to deter hunters.
Of course, the marine life and watersports are only part of Sal's appeal. A short taxi ride on from Turtle SOS is the pretty south coast town of Santa Maria, the second largest on the island after the capital, Espargos.
