Cabo Verde travel guide

Getting there

International flights arrive mainly at Sal, Boa Vista, Praia (Santiago) and São Vicente; there are no land borders, and inter-island travel is by domestic flights and ferries.

Best time to visit: Nov–Jun – dry, sunny and breezy.

Flights: see the cheapest month to fly to Praia, with live one-way and return fares from your nearest airport.

Tougher months: No bad time – but August to October brings occasional heavy showers, humidity and rough seas between islands.

Weather by month in Praia

• 25°J
• 25°F
• 26°M
• 26°A
• 27°M
• 28°J
• 28°J●
• 29°A●●
• 30°S●●
• 29°O●
• 28°N
• 26°D

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Atlantic/Cape_Verde. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 198 of 198 other passports can enter Cabo Verde without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 0 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Cape Verde (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (U.S. Department of State, updated 2025-12-18). Read the advisory.

Stay

Most trips to Cabo Verde are based around Sal, Boa Vista or Santo Antão. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$40–60 for a backpacker and US$90–160 mid-range, per person.

Connect

Plug types: C, F. Voltage: 220 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +238.

Mobile data: set up a travel eSIM or check your roaming plan before you fly, so data works as soon as you land.

Do

• Sal (Eastern islands · beaches & wind): Home to the main international airport, Santa Maria's resort beaches and world-class kitesurfing.
• Boa Vista (Eastern islands · dunes): Vast white beaches, desert landscapes and an important turtle nesting site.
• Santo Antão (Northern islands · hiking): Towering peaks, terraced valleys and some of the best trekking in the Atlantic.
• Mindelo (São Vicente) (Northern islands · culture): The cultural capital with colonial buildings, live music and a famous carnival.
• Fogo (Southern islands · volcano): A single towering volcano with a lived-in crater and black-sand beaches.
• Praia and Cidade Velha (Santiago) (Southern islands · capital & heritage): The bustling capital plus the nearby UNESCO-listed first colonial town.
• Tarrafal (Santiago · beach town): A relaxed fishing town with one of the island's prettiest sandy bays.
• Brava (Southern islands · flowers & quiet): The smallest inhabited island, green, misty and reached by boat from Fogo.

Things to do

• Hike Santo Antão. Walk cobbled mule trails down green ravines and along cliff-edge paths on Cabo Verde's most dramatic island.
• Climb Pico do Fogo. Scramble up the country's highest peak from the crater village of Chã das Caldeiras and taste wine grown in volcanic soil.
• Kitesurf in Sal. Ride the steady trade winds at Kite Beach and Ponta Preta, among the best wind spots in the Atlantic.
• Float in Pedra de Lume. Bob effortlessly in the salt pans inside an extinct crater on Sal.
• Hear live morna. Spend an evening in Mindelo listening to the melancholy songs that made Cesária Évora famous.
• Explore Cidade Velha. Walk among the ruins and fort of the first colonial town in the tropics.
• Watch nesting turtles. Join a guided night walk on Boa Vista to see loggerhead turtles laying eggs in summer.
• Roam Boa Vista's dunes. Wander the Saharan-style Viana Desert and long, empty beaches like Santa Mónica.

Eat and drink

• Cachupa – slow-cooked stew of corn, beans and meat or fish
• Pastel – fried pastry often filled with tuna
• Grilled fresh fish – caught daily around the islands
• Queijo de cabra – local goat's cheese

Money and safety

Currency: Cape Verdean escudo (CVE). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: About 10% in restaurants is common.

Emergency numbers: 132 police · 131 fire · 130 ambulance.

• The Cape Verdean escudo is pegged to the euro; euros are accepted in tourist areas, but change is given in escudos.
• ATMs are common in main towns; carry cash for smaller islands and villages.
• Cabo Verde is generally safe, but petty theft occurs in Praia and Mindelo – avoid walking alone at night in quiet areas.
• Strong currents affect many beaches; swim only where locals do or where there are lifeguards.