Boa Vista is Cabo Verde’s island of sand: a low, sun-baked landscape of dunes, dry riverbeds, palm oases and some of the longest, emptiest beaches in the Atlantic. The third-largest island in the archipelago but one of the least populated, it’s the easternmost island, the closest to the African mainland, and feels closer to the Sahara than to Europe, with the windswept Viana desert rolling down to the sea. Along its coast, Praia de Chaves and Praia de Santa Mónica stretch for kilometers of pale sand and turquoise water, often with hardly anyone on them, and large all-inclusive resorts now sit at both. The small capital, Sal Rei, has a sleepy square, a fishing harbor and a sheltered bay that’s good for windsurfing and kitesurfing. Boa Vista is one of the world’s most important nesting grounds for loggerhead turtles, which come ashore on summer nights, and from late winter humpback whales gather offshore. Add the rusting Santa Maria shipwreck, the pottery village of Rabil, the abandoned settlement of Curral Velho and 4×4 tracks across the empty interior, and you have an island for travelers who want space, sea and silence.
Right now in Boa Vista (Sal Rei)
- Wed 26–31°C 79–87°F Cloudy
- Thu 26–29°C 79–85°F 7 mm Showers
- Fri 26–29°C 79–84°F 11 mm Light rain
Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · Sea temperature: NOAA CoastWatch
Top tours in Boa Vista
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Boa Vista at a glance
- Best for: long empty beaches, all-inclusive resorts, 4×4 and quad adventures, turtles in summer and whales in spring.
- How long: 5–7 nights for a beach holiday; 3–4 nights as part of an island-hopping trip.
- Best time: November to June for dry, sunny weather; June to October for turtles; February to May for whales.
- Getting there: fly into Aristides Pereira International Airport (BVC), with direct flights from Europe and domestic links.
- Getting around: resort transfers, taxis, aluguer minibuses, and 4×4 or quad tours for the interior and remote beaches.
- Good to know: pre-register on ease.gov.cv and pay the airport security tax before you fly; medical facilities on the island are limited.
- Before you go: visas, money and general safety are in our Cabo Verde travel guide.
Boa Vista’s areas and who each one suits
Most of the island’s people live in Sal Rei on the northwest coast. Resorts are concentrated at Praia de Chaves just south of Sal Rei and on the south coast at Praia de Santa Mónica; the east and interior are almost empty.
Sal Rei
The island’s capital is a small, low-rise town of colorful houses around the Praça Santa Isabel and its church, with cafés, bars, small restaurants, a fish market and simple guesthouses. Its sheltered bay and the town beach of Praia de Estoril are good for swimming and water sports, and there are kitesurf and windsurf centers. Staying here suits independent travelers who want local life, restaurants on foot and lower prices.
Praia de Chaves and Rabil
South of Sal Rei, Praia de Chaves is a long beach backed by dunes, with several large all-inclusive resorts and a few smaller hotels. It’s a short drive from the airport and the old village of Rabil. This area suits families and anyone looking for a resort holiday with easy trips into Sal Rei.
Santa Mónica and the south coast
On the south coast, Praia de Santa Mónica runs for many kilometers of soft sand with wild Atlantic surf, one of the most beautiful beaches in Cabo Verde. A few big resorts stand here, far from any town, and the villages of Povoação Velha and Curral Velho lie nearby. It’s best for travelers who want seclusion and are happy to stay in their resort.
The east and the interior
The eastern coast, around the Morro Negro lighthouse and the village of João Galego, and the dry interior are reachable only by 4×4 tracks, and visited mainly on excursions.
Where to stay on Boa Vista
- Sal Rei: guesthouses, small hotels and apartments, walking distance to restaurants and the bay.
- Praia de Chaves: large all-inclusive resorts near the airport and Sal Rei.
- Praia de Santa Mónica: secluded resorts on the island’s wildest beach.
- Rabil: a few simple rooms near the airport.
Top things to see on Boa Vista
Praia de Santa Mónica
Often called the island’s most beautiful beach, Santa Mónica is a seemingly endless strip of pale sand on the southwest coast, washed by rolling Atlantic waves. It’s superb for long walks and sunsets, but the surf and currents can be strong, so swim only near lifeguards or in calm conditions. See our beaches guide.
Praia de Chaves and the dunes
Praia de Chaves combines a broad beach with big golden dunes behind it, which are fun to climb at sunset. The ruins of an old brickworks chimney stand on the sand near the north end.
The Viana desert
Inland from Sal Rei, the Deserto de Viana is a field of shifting white dunes formed by sand blown, it’s said, all the way from the Sahara. Tours by 4×4, quad or camel stop here, and it’s a lovely place at sunset; take plenty of water and don’t drive onto soft sand without experience.
The Santa Maria shipwreck
On the north coast at Cabo Santa Maria, the rusting hull of the cargo ship Santa Maria, which ran aground in 1968, lies just offshore, slowly being broken up by the waves. It’s one of the island’s most photographed sights; view it from the beach and don’t try to climb on it.
Sal Rei and the islet
Wander around Praça Santa Isabel, watch the boats in the harbor, and look across to the Ilhéu de Sal Rei, the islet in the bay, which has the ruins of the Duque de Bragança fort; boat trips and kayaks can take you there.
Rabil and Curral Velho
The old village of Rabil, near the airport, has the island’s oldest church and a pottery tradition, with workshops making clay pieces by hand. On the south coast, Curral Velho is an abandoned village of stone ruins next to a wild beach, an important turtle nesting site.
Other things to do on Boa Vista
Turtle watching
Boa Vista hosts one of the largest loggerhead turtle nesting populations in the Atlantic. From about June to October, females come ashore at night to dig nests in the sand, especially on the south and east coasts, and hatchlings emerge from about August to November. All turtles are protected: see them only on an authorized guided night walk, organized with local conservation projects, follow the guides’ instructions, and don’t use flashlights, phones or flash. Nesting beaches are monitored at night, and walking on them alone is not allowed.
Whale watching
From about February to May, humpback whales come to the waters around Boa Vista to mate and give birth. Boat trips from Sal Rei go out to look for them, and you may also see dolphins and sea turtles. See our boat trips guide.
Kitesurfing, windsurfing and surfing
The bay of Sal Rei and the beaches around it are great for kitesurfing and windsurfing from about November to May, with schools and rental centers in town. Surfers find waves on the north and west coasts in winter. See our surfing guide.
Diving, snorkeling and fishing
Dive centers explore reefs and wrecks off the north and west coasts, including old shipwrecks, with turtles, rays and nurse sharks. Snorkeling is best on calm days around the Ilhéu de Sal Rei. Sportfishing boats leave from Sal Rei. See our diving and snorkeling guides.
Island tours by 4×4 and quad
Full-day 4×4 tours of the island visit the Viana desert, the Santa Maria shipwreck, Rabil, Povoação Velha, Santa Mónica, Curral Velho and the east coast, often with a beach lunch. Quad and buggy tours are popular but riskier; wear a helmet and choose an established operator.
Food and drink
Sal Rei has the best choice of restaurants, from simple places serving the catch of the day and cachupa to Italian and Portuguese restaurants. Try grilled tuna, wahoo and lobster, local goat’s cheese with papaya jam, and the sugarcane spirit grogue. Evenings are quiet, with live music in a few bars, especially at weekends. Resort guests usually eat in their hotels, but a dinner in Sal Rei is worth the taxi ride.
Day trips and onward travel from Boa Vista
Sal
Boa Vista’s busier neighbor, about 50 km (30 miles) north, has the lively town of Santa Maria, the Pedra de Lume salt crater and Shark Bay. Domestic flights take about 20 minutes; boat excursions run when the sea allows. See our Sal guide.
Santiago and Fogo
Fly via Praia to see Cidade Velha, the first colonial town in the tropics and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and continue to Fogo for the volcano and its crater vineyards.
Maio
The quiet island of Maio, south of Boa Vista, has long empty beaches and very few visitors; it’s reached by domestic flights and occasional ferries.
Nearby destinations
- Sal72 km
Getting there and getting around
By air
Aristides Pereira International Airport (BVC), near Rabil, about 6 km (4 miles) from Sal Rei, receives direct charter and scheduled flights from the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy and other European countries, mostly in winter, plus domestic flights. Lisbon has scheduled flights; see our Lisbon travel guide. Before you fly, complete the EASE pre-registration on ease.gov.cv and pay the airport security tax (TSA) of CVE 3,400 (about €30.83). Between December and February, Saharan dust haze can disrupt flights to Boa Vista, so build some flexibility into connections.
From the airport
Transfers to Sal Rei take about 10 minutes and to the Chaves resorts about 10–15 minutes; the south-coast resorts are around 30–45 minutes away. Package travelers are usually met by a transfer; otherwise use an authorized blue-and-yellow taxi and agree the fare first.
Getting around Boa Vista
- Taxis: available at the airport and in Sal Rei; agree prices before you set off, and book return trips from remote resorts.
- Aluguers: shared minibuses link Sal Rei with Rabil and some villages, mostly in the morning.
- 4×4 tours: the easiest way to see the interior and the remote beaches, as many roads are sandy tracks.
- Car and quad rental: available in Sal Rei, but a 4×4 is needed away from the paved roads, and help is far away if you get stuck. Cabo Verde drives on the right.
When to go and how long to stay
Boa Vista has the same warm, dry climate as Sal. From November to June, it’s sunny and breezy, with highs of 25–27 °C (77–81 °F); this is the main holiday season, and the windiest months suit kitesurfers. From July to October, winds drop and the air becomes hotter and more humid, with highs around 30 °C (86 °F) and a few heavy showers, mostly in September. Dust haze can dim the sky between December and February. Boa Vista has no climate station in the World Meteorological Organization’s 1991–2020 normals, so the table uses those for the Sal airport station of Cabo Verde’s National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (INMG), about 70 km (45 miles) north, which has a very similar climate: average daily highs and lows, total precipitation, and days with at least 1 mm of rain.
| Month | Average high / low | Rain (days with 1 mm or more) | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25 °C (77 °F) / 19 °C (67 °F) | 3 mm (0.1 in), 0 days | Sunny and windy; dust haze possible |
| February | 25 °C (77 °F) / 19 °C (66 °F) | under 1 mm, 0 days | Coolest sea; whale season begins |
| March | 25 °C (77 °F) / 19 °C (66 °F) | under 1 mm, 0 days | Dry and breezy; whales |
| April | 26 °C (78 °F) / 20 °C (67 °F) | 1 mm (under 0.1 in), 0 days | Pleasant; whales; Easter |
| May | 26 °C (79 °F) / 21 °C (69 °F) | under 1 mm, 0 days | Calmer winds; last whales |
| June | 27 °C (81 °F) / 22 °C (71 °F) | under 1 mm, 0 days | Warm; turtle nesting begins |
| July | 28 °C (83 °F) / 23 °C (73 °F) | 2 mm (0.1 in), 0 days | Hotter; peak turtle nesting |
| August | 30 °C (85 °F) / 24 °C (76 °F) | 13 mm (0.5 in), 1 day | Hot and humid; nesting and first hatchlings |
| September | 30 °C (86 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F) | 34 mm (1.4 in), 3 days | Hottest and wettest; hatchlings |
| October | 30 °C (85 °F) / 24 °C (75 °F) | 16 mm (0.6 in), 1 day | Hot; warm sea; hatchlings |
| November | 28 °C (83 °F) / 22 °C (72 °F) | 1 mm (0.1 in), 0 days | Winds return; high season starts |
| December | 26 °C (79 °F) / 20 °C (69 °F) | 3 mm (0.1 in), 0 days | Warm and dry; festive season |
Events worth planning around
- Carnival (February or March): parades in Sal Rei.
- Santa Isabel festival (early July): the patron saint of Sal Rei, with music and celebrations.
- Turtle season (June to October): book guided walks in advance.
- Whale season (February to May): boat trips from Sal Rei.
How long to stay: 3, 5 and 7 nights
- 3 nights: Sal Rei and Praia de Chaves, a 4×4 island tour with the Viana desert and the Santa Maria wreck.
- 5 nights: add Santa Mónica beach, a whale or turtle trip in season, and a day of kitesurfing or diving.
- 7 nights: slow down with beach days, a trip to the islet, and a hop to Sal or Maio.
What a trip to Boa Vista costs
Prices are approximate, for October 2026, converted at about CVE 98 to the US dollar. Many tourist businesses quote in euros.
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Airport security tax (TSA), paid online | CVE 3,400 (about US$35) |
| Taxi from the airport to Sal Rei | about CVE 1,000–1,500 (about US$10–15) |
| Full-day 4×4 island tour with lunch | about CVE 6,000–9,000 (about US$61–91) |
| Guided turtle walk (in season) | about CVE 3,000–5,000 (about US$30–51) |
| Whale-watching boat trip (in season) | about CVE 5,000–8,000 (about US$51–81) |
| Fish dinner in Sal Rei | about CVE 1,500–3,000 (about US$15–30) |
| Mid-range hotel double in Sal Rei, per night | about CVE 6,000–12,000 (about US$61–122) |
Safety on Boa Vista
Boa Vista is quiet and generally safe, but petty crime and muggings do occur, as on Sal, so use the hotel safe, don’t carry valuables or large amounts of cash, and avoid isolated beaches and unlit areas after dark. On remote beaches, go in a group or with a guide. The Atlantic here has strong currents and undertows, especially along Santa Mónica and the north coast: swim only where lifeguards are on duty, follow the flags (red means no swimming, yellow means caution, green means safe), and never swim alone. In the interior, sand tracks are easy to get stuck on, mobile coverage is patchy, and shade is scarce, so travel with a guide or carry water, a charged phone and sun protection. Wear a helmet on quads and buggies and check your insurance covers them. Medical facilities on Boa Vista are particularly limited, with serious cases sent to Sal, Praia or abroad, so travel insurance with medical evacuation is essential. In an emergency, call 132 for the police and 130 for an ambulance.
Practical tips for Boa Vista
- Pre-register: complete EASE and pay the TSA online before you fly, and keep the confirmation.
- Bring cash: ATMs are in Sal Rei, but few elsewhere; carry escudos or euros for taxis and tours.
- Plan resort transport: south-coast resorts are far from town, so book taxis back in advance.
- Book turtle walks early: places are limited in July and August.
- Respect the dunes and beaches: keep vehicles on existing tracks and lights off on nesting beaches.
What to pack for Boa Vista
Light summer clothes, a windbreaker for breezy evenings and boat trips, swimwear and a rash guard, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen, a buff or scarf against sand on 4×4 tours, water shoes for rocky coves, a refillable water bottle, insect repellent, a small flashlight with a red filter for turtle walks (used only when guides allow), and a European two-pin plug adapter. See our water shoes and travel adapters guides.
Boa Vista travel FAQ
Is Boa Vista or Sal better?
Boa Vista is quieter, with longer and emptier beaches and wilder landscapes; Sal is livelier, with more restaurants, nightlife and activities in Santa Maria. Both are flat, sunny and windy.
What is the best time to visit Boa Vista?
November to June for dry, sunny weather, February to May for whales and June to October for turtles. September is the hottest and wettest month.
When can I see turtles on Boa Vista?
Loggerhead turtles nest from about June to October, and hatchlings emerge from about August to November. Join an authorized guided night walk.
When can I see whales on Boa Vista?
Humpback whales visit from about February to May, and boat trips leave from Sal Rei.
Do I need to pre-register before flying to Boa Vista?
Yes. Most visitors must complete the EASE pre-registration on ease.gov.cv and pay the airport security tax of CVE 3,400 (about €30.83) before arrival.
How far is Sal Rei from Boa Vista airport?
About 6 km (4 miles), roughly a 10-minute drive.
Is the sea safe for swimming on Boa Vista?
Currents and undertows can be strong, especially on Santa Mónica and the north coast. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty and follow the flags.
Can I visit the Santa Maria shipwreck?
Yes, on a 4×4 tour or by car to the north coast. View it from the beach; climbing on the wreck is dangerous.
Do I need a car on Boa Vista?
Not if you stay at a resort or in Sal Rei. To explore the interior and remote beaches, join a 4×4 tour or rent a 4×4.
Can I visit Sal from Boa Vista?
Yes, by a short domestic flight or, when the sea allows, by boat excursion.
Sources and last review
Researched and last reviewed on 5 October 2026. EASE pre-registration and the airport security tax: Cabo Verde’s EASE portal and Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; dust haze and flight disruption, limited medical facilities, beach flags, currents, crime precautions, taxis and emergency numbers: the UK government’s factual entry and safety pages, used for practical facts only; climate normals: Cabo Verde’s National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics via the World Meteorological Organization’s 1991–2020 normals (Sal station, used because Boa Vista has no station in the normals); the euro peg and dollar rate: Portugal’s foreign ministry and the European Central Bank. Distances, attractions, the shipwreck date, wildlife seasons, events, flights and typical prices are general references or estimates, flagged for checking. Prices and rules change, so check locally before you go. For visas, money and general safety, see our Cabo Verde travel guide.
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