Cabo Verde ✓ VISITEDCabo VerdeROAMSUN

Cabo Verde✨ 10 best things to do in Cabo Verde

Things to do in Cabo Verde

1. Hike Santo AntãoWalk cobbled mule trails down green ravines and along cliff-edge paths on Cabo Verde's most dramatic island.
2. Climb Pico do FogoScramble up the country's highest peak from the crater village of Chã das Caldeiras and taste wine grown in volcanic soil.
3. Kitesurf in SalRide the steady trade winds at Kite Beach and Ponta Preta, among the best wind spots in the Atlantic.
4. Float in Pedra de LumeBob effortlessly in the salt pans inside an extinct crater on Sal.
5. Hear live mornaSpend an evening in Mindelo listening to the melancholy songs that made Cesária Évora famous.
6. Explore Cidade VelhaWalk among the ruins and fort of the first colonial town in the tropics.
7. Watch nesting turtlesJoin a guided night walk on Boa Vista to see loggerhead turtles laying eggs in summer.
8. Roam Boa Vista's dunesWander the Saharan-style Viana Desert and long, empty beaches like Santa Mónica.
9. Taste cachupaTry the national stew of corn, beans and fish or meat, often fried up for breakfast the next morning.
10. Dance at Mindelo CarnivalJoin the colourful parades that turn São Vicente into a party island before Lent.

Cabo Verde🗺️ Where to visit in Cabo Verde

Where to go in Cabo Verde

• 
  SalEastern islands · beaches & windHome to the main international airport, Santa Maria's resort beaches and world-class kitesurfing.
• 📍
  Boa VistaEastern islands · dunesVast white beaches, desert landscapes and an important turtle nesting site.
• 
  Santo AntãoNorthern islands · hikingTowering peaks, terraced valleys and some of the best trekking in the Atlantic.
• 📍
  Mindelo (São Vicente)Northern islands · cultureThe cultural capital with colonial buildings, live music and a famous carnival.
• 
  FogoSouthern islands · volcanoA single towering volcano with a lived-in crater and black-sand beaches.
• 📍
  Praia and Cidade Velha (Santiago)Southern islands · capital & heritageThe bustling capital plus the nearby UNESCO-listed first colonial town.
• 📍
  TarrafalSantiago · beach townA relaxed fishing town with one of the island's prettiest sandy bays.
• 📍
  BravaSouthern islands · flowers & quietThe smallest inhabited island, green, misty and reached by boat from Fogo.

Cabo Verde🌦️ Weather & best time to visit Cabo Verde

Best time to visit Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde has a warm, dry tropical climate cooled by trade winds, with little temperature change through the year. The flat eastern islands are arid and sunny, while mountainous Santo Antão, Santiago and Fogo catch more rain and cloud.

Typical daytime highs and rain in Praia (approximate averages).

Cabo Verde🎉 Festivals & events in Cabo Verde

• February or March
  Mindelo CarnivalElaborate costumes and floats fill São Vicente's streets in the islands' biggest party.
• August
  Baía das Gatas FestivalA free music festival on a beach near Mindelo held around the full moon.
• April
  Kriol Jazz FestivalPraia hosts musicians from Africa, the Atlantic islands and the diaspora.
• Late April to early May
  Festa de São Filipe (Bandeiras)Fogo's main festival brings horse races, drumming and flag ceremonies.
• July
  Independence DayCelebrations on 5 July mark independence from Portugal.

Cabo Verde🧭 Cabo Verde itinerary ideas

How many days in Cabo Verde?

Cabo Verde🎒 Backpacking Cabo Verde – tips & hacks

Backpacker budget: about $40–60 a day

• Shared minibuses called aluguers run between towns on every island and are far cheaper than taxis.
• Ferries link some islands cheaply but schedules change and seas can be rough; domestic flights are faster but book early.
• Mindelo and Ponta do Sol on Santo Antão have the best guesthouses for budget travellers.
• Eat the daily prato do dia at local cafés for a filling, cheap lunch.
• Allow buffer days for ferry cancellations before your international flight.

Cabo Verde🛡️ Safety & money in Cabo Verde

Emergency: 132 police · 131 fire · 130 ambulance

Cabo Verde🛬 Getting to Cabo Verde

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.

✈️ Cheap flights to Cabo Verde: airports, flight times & best time to fly →

Cabo Verde💡 Did you know? 5 facts about Cabo Verde

• Cabo Verde was uninhabited until the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century.
• More Cape Verdeans live abroad than in the islands themselves.
• Fogo's volcano last erupted in 2014, engulfing parts of the crater villages.
• Cesária Évora was nicknamed 'the barefoot diva' because she performed without shoes.
• Dust blown from the Sahara creates a seasonal haze called bruma seca.

Cabo Verde❓ Cabo Verde travel FAQ

Cabo Verde travel questions