How to find the perfect African Caribbean island for your holiday - as we reveal the best ones for beautiful beaches, hiking and volcanic adventures

The Republic of Cabo Verde (as it's officially known) comprises 10 islands, of which nine are occupied. But which is right for you?

To a passing spaceship, this engaging country of the west coast of Africa must look like a scattering of crumbs. Each island is golden brown, with jagged volcanic edges rimmed by surf.

Yet zoom in and differences appear.

The eastern islands are biscuit-flat and sifted with sand, while further west they become mountainous and greenery appears. But wherever you go, a friendly welcome awaits.

It seldom rains, and the sun always shines. All you need to do is choose the right island. Here's our lowdown...

To understand the archipelago's story, start in Santiago, the rugged and fertile largest island - the first to be settled (by Portugal) in 1462.

In fact, Cidade Velha lays claim to being the oldest European city in the tropics.

The more recent 18th century capital, Praia, was built on a pedestal of basalt out of reach of pirates.

It's an intriguing, charming place with churches, fortifications, cobbled streets, bandstands and fruit-coloured mansions.

There's even the odd museum. At the Praia Archaeology Museum, objects found in shipwrecks are displayed.

Meanwhile, the House Museum Amilcar Cabral tells the tale of West Africa's Che Guevara, whose umbrella, beanie and Czechoslovakian combat jacket are among the exhibits.

Elsewhere, fruit still goes to market balanced on heads. And you can still buy Praia's traditional cloth, panu di tera - so fine it was once used as a currency.

Pause at the Café Sofia and enjoy a pastel de nata. Santiago, it seems, is not quite Africa and not quite Portugal but somewhere in between.

Head to Sal or Boa Vista for beaches that stretch to the horizon, glowing silver and turquoise.

Although it may appear that you have them almost to yourself, huge hotels lurk up in the dunes, cunningly designed to blend into the landscape, with some looking like Berber forts.

Expect lakesized pools and tropical gardens - they're a fly-and-floppers' heaven.

Two hotels is Sal deserve mention. The Morabeza, which opened in the 1960s, is charmingly retro, and comes with a library and two gargantuan billiard tables.

The Hilton Cabo Verde Sol resort is more contemporary, bringing a little urban chic to the dunes, with grounds so lush and calm they're home to egrets. Sal's seaside town, Santa Maria, is a more acquired taste: great if you seek a surfboard, tattoo or boozy night out.

Santiago and Fogo are both good for hiking, but the best trails are on Santo Antao. It tops out at 6,493ft (1,979m), with sheer slopes rising dramatically.

Yet, somehow, a cobbled road threads upwards through the craters and gorges although you'll need a head for heights; in places the roadside drops terrifyingly away around 3,280ft (1,000m).

Most visitors head for the Vale do Paul, which looks like a huge crack in the planet. But there are farms clinging to the sides of this gigantic ravine, and tiny terraces of sugar cane and maize. The sudden greenness of everything is almost blinding.

A good place to stop is Cabo da Ribeira. Here the road ends and the donkeys take over. It's the sounds you remember most; the trickle of water; voices singing; a blacksmith's hammer.

Life is simple here.

The walking is spectacular. While paths are steep - most of the mountains plunge vertically into the ocean - they're often cobbled. The Aldea Panoramica Hotel makes a good base.

Sao Vicente may seem like an odd spot for a carnival.

Until the Age of Steam, it was largely uninhabited but then the British built a coaling station.

Now, however, all that's left are the mansions, a Victorian fort, a few yachts and the music.

Mindelo, the capital, is often described as 'the prettiest town in West Africa'.

One of the world's greatest singers, Cesaria Evora was born here and there are plenty of bars where they belt out her soulful songs.

Try Jazzy Bird, La Pergola, Casa Café Mindelo or - my favourite - Le Metalo.

The island's annual Carnival begins each Shrove Tuesday; the stunning sound of 100 drums is utterly exhilarating.

Of all the islands, Fogo (or 'Fire') is the wildest, tallest and strangest. It's an active volcano and has erupted 27 times during the past 500 years.

There have been no fatalities since 1847, and the islanders shrug off the danger. Most of them live out on the slopes of old lava flows.

Take a ride up to the volcano's crater. It's five-and-a-half miles across, beautifully black and silent. From here, it's a four-hour trek up the biggest cone, Pico, at 9,281ft (2,829m).

Extraordinarily, there are 600 people living inside the crater. During a 2014 eruption, both their villages were destroyed.

A few buildings have been excavated since, and there's a scorched-looking bar, while the old hotel still lies under 20ft (6m) of lava. Otherwise, it's business as usual.

But Fogo isn't just about lava.

The main town, Sao Filipe, looks colourfully Cuban and is being lavishly restored.

Stay out on the cliffs at the four-star Bamboo Xaguate Hotel and try some volcanic rosé on the town square. Sao Filipe even has its own beach (with sand as black as midnight).