What can travelers expect in Cabo Verde?
Cabo Verde consists of ten volcanic islands around 600 km off the West African coast, split into the windier Barlavento group in the north and the Sotavento group in the south. Sal and Boa Vista are flat, sandy islands for beach holidays, Santo Antão is a rugged hiking destination, São Vicente with Mindelo is the cultural center, and Fogo is home to a still-active volcano.
Unlike its neighboring countries on the West African coast, Cabo Verde was never part of the mainland; it was an uninhabited island group until it was colonized by Portugal and gained independence in 1975. Distances between the islands are covered by flight or ferry, not by road.
This page summarizes the islands, the best time to visit, entry requirements (as of September 2026), health matters, and the travel advisories of the EDA, Auswärtiges Amt and BMEIA. Cabo Verde is reached by air from Europe or via Casablanca and Dakar, not via southern or eastern hubs on the African mainland.
Sources: Wikipedia
What is Cabo Verde like as a travel destination?
Cabo Verde is a country of two tourism styles: Sal and Boa Vista are geared toward package and watersports tourism, while the greener, more mountainous islands such as Santo Antão or Fogo attract independent travelers and hikers instead. With around 530,000 residents, the island nation is one of the least populous countries in Africa, shaped by Portuguese rather than French or British colonial history, unlike its coastal neighbors.
The islands differ markedly: Sal, Boa Vista and Maio are flat, sandy and dry, while the remaining islands are more mountainous and green. Santiago, home to the capital Praia, is the largest and most populous island and also the political center.
The islands are often separated by more than 100 km of open sea; anyone wanting to combine several islands needs domestic flights or ferries and correspondingly some buffer time, since wind and swell occasionally delay connections.
Culturally, morna, a musical style recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2019, shapes the country much as fado shapes Portugal; singer Cesária Évora from Mindelo made the melancholic vocal style internationally famous.
Which islands of Cabo Verde are worth visiting?
Sal and Boa Vista offer miles of sandy beaches and specialize in windsurfing and kitesurfing, Santiago with Praia and historic Cidade Velha is the political and oldest colonial center, São Vicente with the port city of Mindelo is the cultural heart, and Santo Antão with its terraced valleys is the country's best hiking destination. The still-active Pico do Fogo volcano on Fogo is the country's highest point.
Sal
Sal is the most touristically developed island, home to the main airport, Amílcar Cabral, and around 350 days of sunshine a year; in 2017, nearly half of all hotel beds in Cabo Verde were on Sal. The resort town of Santa Maria in the south concentrates beach hotels, and the island has become the country's national center for windsurfing and kitesurfing over the past roughly 25 years; the Ponta Preta spot ranks among the well-known surf breaks worldwide.
Boa Vista
Boa Vista, known as the "island of dunes," offers the country's most extensive dune area with beaches such as Santa Mónica and Chaves and the Deserto de Viana desert. Several of its beaches are among the most important nesting sites for loggerhead sea turtles in the Atlantic.
Santiago and Cidade Velha
Santiago, home to the capital Praia, is the largest and most populous island. About 10 km west of Praia lies Cidade Velha, founded by Portuguese traders in 1462 and the oldest European colonial settlement in the tropics; the site was a hub of transatlantic trade for centuries, including the slave trade, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009.
São Vicente and Mindelo
Mindelo on São Vicente, with around 70,000 residents, is regarded as Cabo Verde's cultural capital, known for its carnival influenced by Portugal and Brazil and as the birthplace of singer Cesária Évora. The natural harbor of Porto Grande once made the city an important coaling and mail-ship stop.
Santo Antão
Santo Antão is the most mountainous island, with peaks up to 1,979 m at Tope de Coroa and deeply cut, terraced river valleys; hiking, trekking and cultural tourism define what it has to offer. The island is reached by ferry across the sea channel from São Vicente, mainly via the port town of Porto Novo.
Fogo
On Fogo rises the still-active volcano of the same name, Pico do Fogo, at 2,829 m, with a caldera roughly 8 km across; its last eruption lasted from November 2014 to February 2015 and destroyed around three-quarters of the buildings in the village of Chã das Caldeiras, which has since welcomed hikers again with rebuilt accommodation.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia
When is the best time to visit Cabo Verde?
Cabo Verde is a year-round destination with moderate, only slightly varying temperatures of around 25 to 31°C; the short rainy season from August to October brings more rainfall especially on the greener islands, while Sal and Boa Vista stay dry all year. For windsurfing and kitesurfing, the windier months from November to June are ideal.
Climate in Sal (Espargos) and Praia: highs and lows, rainfall
| Sal (Espargos) | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 27 |
| Low °C | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 20 |
| Rainfall mm | 23 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 34 | 50 | 26 | 27 | 33 |
| Praia | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 27 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 28 |
| Low °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 21 |
| Rainfall mm | 22 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 56 | 82 | 45 | 37 | 30 |
Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station AMILCAR CABRAL INTL (0 km, 54 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station PRAIA (3 km, 95 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.
On Sal, daytime highs rise from around 26°C in winter to around 31°C in autumn, with very little rainfall apart from a brief increase in September; Praia on Santiago is somewhat rainier due to its greener, more mountainous landscape, especially between August and October.
Anyone wanting to hike is best off planning for the drier months of November to June on Santo Antão and Fogo, since river valleys can become briefly impassable after heavy rain; windsurfers and kitesurfers use the same months, when the northeast trade wind blows most reliably on Sal and Boa Vista.
Sea temperatures stay mild year-round, between around 23 and 26°C, so swimming is possible all year; there are no pronounced seasonal swings like those in Mediterranean Europe, which means the best time to travel depends more on the desired wind than on temperature.
Sources: Wikipedia
What do you need to enter Cabo Verde?
Swiss, German and Austrian nationals can enter for tourist stays of up to 30 days without a visa, but must register online in advance with the Polícia Nacional, at the latest five days before departure and for a fee payable by credit card. For stays of 31 to 90 days, a regular visa from a Cape Verdean representation is required.
- Switzerland, Germany, Austria: visa-free for up to 30 days; online registration with the Polícia Nacional with passport details, travel dates, flight number and accommodation, up to 5 days before departure.
- Travel document: a passport is required, valid for at least 3 to 6 months at entry depending on the source; an ID card is not accepted.
- Longer stays: for 31 to 90 days, a visa must be applied for at the Cape Verdean embassy in the country of residence.
- Other nationalities: different rules apply to them; the Cape Verdean embassy or immigration authority of the country of residence is authoritative.
The current information from the EDA, Auswärtiges Amt and BMEIA at the time of travel is authoritative.
Sources: Auswärtiges Amt · Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (BMEIA) · Eidgenössisches Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten EDA
What vaccinations and health precautions does Cabo Verde require?
The WHO officially declared Cabo Verde malaria-free in 2023; isolated locally transmitted cases are possible on the island of Santiago, so mosquito protection there remains advisable. healthytravel.ch recommends hepatitis A for all travelers; yellow fever is only an administrative requirement when entering from a yellow fever country.
healthytravel.ch recommends hepatitis B and typhoid depending on travel style and hygiene conditions; routine immunizations such as diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis and a polio booster should be up to date according to the Swiss vaccination schedule.
Dengue occurs on the islands and can lead to larger outbreaks in some years; consistent round-the-clock mosquito protection therefore remains important. Shigella infections among travelers also show how important food and drinking-water hygiene is.
Medical care is best in Praia and Mindelo and more limited on the smaller islands; travel and repatriation insurance is advisable.
Sources: healthytravel.ch, Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
How safe is Cabo Verde for travelers?
Cabo Verde is described by the BMEIA as a country with a good safety standard and a calm domestic political situation. According to the Auswärtiges Amt, petty crime such as pickpocketing and bag-snatching occurs mainly in Praia, Mindelo, Sal and Boa Vista, and occasionally armed robbery.
The usual precautions for travel abroad are sufficient; travelers should also avoid remote areas after dark and steer clear of political demonstrations. The national emergency number 112 works nationwide.
Sources: Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (BMEIA) · Auswärtiges Amt
How do you get to Cabo Verde and travel between the islands?
International flights usually land on Sal (Amílcar Cabral, SID) or in Praia (Nelson Mandela, RAI); nonstop connections exist from several European hubs such as Lisbon, Paris and Amsterdam, as well as via Casablanca and Dakar. Between the islands, Cabo Verde Airlines and several ferry lines connect the larger ports, though ferry schedules can be weather-dependent and irregular.
| Route | Mode of transport | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sal – Praia | Flight (Cabo Verde Airlines) | several times a week |
| Sal – Boa Vista | Flight | short flight time |
| Praia – São Vicente (Mindelo) | Flight or overnight ferry | ferry from Praia mostly at night |
| São Vicente – Santo Antão | Ferry Mindelo–Porto Novo | several times a day |
| Praia – Fogo (São Filipe) | Flight or ferry | ferry mainly for the Sotavento islands |
Sal has seasonal and year-round nonstop connections with, among others, easyJet, TUI Airways, TAP Air Portugal and Transavia from cities such as London, Manchester, Lisbon, Paris and Amsterdam. Praia is served by TAP Air Portugal and Cabo Verde Airlines from Lisbon and Paris, plus Air Senegal, Royal Air Maroc and ASKY Airlines from Dakar, Casablanca and other West African cities.
Within the archipelago, Cabo Verde Airlines connects Sal, Praia, Boa Vista, Maio, São Vicente and São Nicolau; Santo Antão, Fogo and Brava are mainly reached by ferry. Weather-related delays to flights and ferries should be factored in, especially between the Sotavento islands.
What money do you need in Cabo Verde and how do you pay?
The national currency is the escudo (CVE), pegged to the euro (1 EUR = 110.265 CVE) and backed by a credit line from Portugal. ATMs and card payment are widespread on Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago and São Vicente; on the smaller islands, more cash is needed.
Banknotes circulate in denominations of 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000 escudos, and coins in 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 escudos; one escudo is divided into 100 centavos, which have practically disappeared from everyday use. In hotels and larger restaurants, the euro is often accepted directly as well.
On remote islands such as Santo Antão or Brava, it is worth bringing enough cash, since ATMs are rarer there and card payment is not possible everywhere. Because the peg to the euro has been stable for decades, there is no exchange-rate risk of the kind familiar from freely traded currencies such as the Gambian dalasi.
Sources: Wikipedia
Where is best to stay in Cabo Verde?
On Sal, accommodation is concentrated in Santa Maria with its large beach resorts; on Boa Vista, in Sal Rei and the beaches in the south. In Mindelo and Praia, smaller city hotels dominate, and on Santo Antão, simple guesthouses line the hiking routes.
Santa Maria on Sal offers the widest range, from budget hotels to large all-inclusive resorts right on the beach; Boa Vista is similarly oriented but overall smaller-scale and quieter.
In Mindelo and Praia, most travelers stay in smaller city hotels near the harbor or center, while Santo Antão mainly offers simple, often family-run guesthouses along the hiking valleys, and Chã das Caldeiras on Fogo offers rooms right inside the volcanic caldera.
What do people eat in Cabo Verde?
The national dish is cachupa, a slow-cooked stew of corn, beans, cassava and meat or fish, which is often served again the next day fried as "cachupa refogada." Fresh fish and seafood define the cuisine of coastal towns, alongside the sugarcane spirit grogue, mainly on Santo Antão and Santiago.
Cachupa blends Portuguese and West African influences and is regarded as a symbol of national identity; it varies from island to island depending on the ingredients available. In coastal towns, grilled tuna, moray eel and spiny lobster round out the menu.
Grogue, a spirit distilled from sugarcane, is traditionally produced at small distilleries in the greener mountain regions and is often mixed with honey to make ponche. Tap water should be avoided.
What culture and festivals shape Cabo Verde?
The musical style morna, a UNESCO cultural heritage since 2019, shapes Cabo Verde's cultural identity much as fado shapes Portugal; its best-known singer, Cesária Évora from Mindelo, made it internationally famous. Mindelo's carnival in February or March, influenced by Portugal and Brazil, is regarded as the country's biggest festival.
Morna is usually played in a slow 2/4 or 4/4 time, accompanied by cavaquinho, clarinet, accordion, violin and guitar, and sung in Cape Verdean Creole; the poet Eugénio Tavares significantly shaped the lyrical style in the early 20th century.
Cape Verdean emigrant communities in Portugal, the Netherlands, France, West Africa and New England (USA) keep the music and culture of the islands alive outside the archipelago as well; many families have relatives in several of these countries.
Sources: Wikipedia
What experiences are worth having in Cabo Verde?
Highlights include windsurfing and kitesurfing at the spots of Sal and Boa Vista, hikes through the terraced valleys of Santo Antão, and the climb to the still-active Pico do Fogo volcano. Culturally, the colonial ruined town of Cidade Velha on Santiago and live music in the bars of Mindelo are worthwhile.
Wind and water sports
Sal has been the country's national center for windsurfing and kitesurfing for around 25 years, with the internationally known surf spot Ponta Preta; Boa Vista additionally offers calmer beaches for swimming and for watching nesting loggerhead sea turtles.
Hiking
Santo Antão, with its terraced river valleys and peaks up to 1,979 m, offers the country's densest network of hiking trails; on Fogo, a trail leads through the caldera to the 2,829 m Pico do Fogo, with views of the settlement of Chã das Caldeiras, rebuilt after the 2014/2015 eruption.
Culture and music
Cidade Velha on Santiago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009, showcases the oldest European colonial architecture in the tropics; in Mindelo on São Vicente, live-music bars and the February carnival pack cultural density into a small area.
How can you travel responsibly in Cabo Verde?
Boa Vista and Sal protect nesting sites of the loggerhead sea turtle; night visits to the beaches should only take place with licensed guides and without artificial light. On Santo Antão and Fogo, small, family-run guesthouses benefit more directly from hiking tourism than large chains.
- Visit turtle nesting sites at night only with licensed guides, without flash or artificial light.
- Prefer small, family-run accommodation on Santo Antão and Fogo.
- Avoid single-use plastic; the smaller islands often lack organized waste disposal.
- Use water consciously on the dry islands of Sal and Boa Vista, since local resources are limited.
Sources: Wikipedia
Which countries pair well with Cabo Verde?
The most natural pairing is Senegal, with flight connections between Praia or Sal and Dakar of around two to three hours. Due to its island location, Cabo Verde also works well as a standalone, multi-island destination without combining it with the African mainland.
Between Praia and Dakar, flights operate several times a week with, among others, Air Senegal, TAAG Angola Airlines and Transair; a combination suits travelers wanting to add an island leg to a West Africa trip.
Via Lisbon or Casablanca, Cabo Verde can also be integrated well into a longer route with Portugal or Morocco, since both cities serve as connecting points.
Who is Cabo Verde a good fit for, and who might it suit less?
Cabo Verde suits windsurfers, kitesurfers, hikers, music lovers and anyone wanting to combine several islands with distinct characters. It is less suited to travelers who want to experience everything in one place within a short distance or who expect consistently low prices like those in nearby Senegal.
Anyone looking for wind or water sports is well served on Sal and Boa Vista; hikers and culture enthusiasts get more out of Santo Antão, Fogo and São Vicente than out of the two main tourist islands.
Because of the large distances between the islands and weather-dependent ferries, Cabo Verde is less suited to very short trips covering several islands; travelers with only a week should focus on one or two islands instead.