🇨🇻 Cape Verde: quick facts
| 📍 Location | Atlantic Ocean, about 570 km off Senegal |
| 💱 Currency | Cape Verdean escudo (CVE), pegged at 1 EUR = 110.265 CVE |
| 🗣 Languages | Portuguese (official), Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu) |
| 🌡 Best time to visit | November to June (dry); June to October for calm beach days |
| ✈ Airports | Sal (SID), Boa Vista (BVC), Praia (RAI), São Vicente (VXE) |
| 🚗 Getting around | Domestic flights, ferries, shared aluguer minibuses |
| 💰 Daily budget | Budget: €55 · Mid-range: €150 · Luxury: €350+ |
I booked the Cape Verde Islands almost by accident, on a cheap February flight, expecting a week of beach and not much else. I stayed three weeks and left with sand in every bag and a running argument in my head about which island I liked best. Cabo Verde is not one place. It is ten volcanic islands scattered across the Atlantic about 570 km off Senegal, and they barely agree on anything, from weather to landscape to what dinner should be.
The tourism brochures sell Sal and Boa Vista: flat, sandy, wall-to-wall resorts. Fine. But the country I remember is the one behind that. Pico do Fogo, an active volcano you can actually climb. Santo Antão, where the trails hang off cliffs above the sea. Mindelo, where a band starts up in a bar and the whole room sings words I did not understand. Over a million visitors came here in 2024, according to Cape Verde’s National Institute of Statistics, and most of them saw one island. That is the mistake I want to help you avoid.
This guide is what I wish someone had handed me at the airport: real prices in euros, the entry paperwork that changed in January 2026, a week-long route that actually works, and the honest catch nobody mentions about inter-island travel.
Top things to do across the Cape Verde Islands
Pick islands by mood, not by name. Want beaches and easy resorts, go west to Sal or Boa Vista. Want mountains and quiet, go to Santo Antão or Fogo. Want music and old streets, go to São Vicente or Santiago. Here are the six things I would not skip, each with the detail that made me want to go.
Climb Pico do Fogo
The highest point in the country at 2,829 m and its only active volcano, which last erupted in 2014. You hike up through black lava fields and stay overnight in the crater village of Chã das Caldeiras.
6–8 hrs · Fit hikers
Float at Pedra de Lume
Salt pans sit inside an extinct volcanic crater on Sal, worked since the 19th century. The water is so dense you cannot sink, the same trick as the Dead Sea. Fifteen minutes and you are done.
1 hr · Everyone
Santa Maria beach, Sal
An 8 km run of white sand and turquoise water, the busiest and easiest beach in the country. Walk to the pier in the morning to watch fishermen unload the catch straight onto the sand.
Half day · Families
Hike Paul Valley, Santo Antão
Santo Antão covers 779 km² and is the hiking heart of the archipelago. The Paul Valley trail drops through sugarcane terraces and banana farms, ending near distilleries that still make grogue by hand.
3–5 hrs · Walkers
A night out in Mindelo
The cultural capital on São Vicente and the home town of singer Cesária Évora. Live morna and coladeira spill out of bars most nights. February brings the country’s biggest Carnival.
Evening · Music fans
Cidade Velha, Santiago
A UNESCO World Heritage site and the first European colonial town built in the tropics, inscribed in 2009. You can still walk its old street plan, a royal fortress, and Pillory Square with its 16th-century marble column.
Half day · History
Related guide
→ Which Cape Verde island should you pick?
Beaches, hiking or music: a plain-language breakdown of what each island does best.
When is the best time to visit?
There is no bad month here, only trade-offs, and the deciding factor is wind. The islands sit in the path of the Atlantic trade winds, which blow hardest from December to March. That is heaven if you kitesurf and mildly annoying if you just want to lie on a sunbed without sand in your teeth. Temperatures stay between about 22 and 30 degrees all year, so it is never cold.
If you only care about calm, warm beach days, aim for June to October. The catch is that these are the humid, occasionally rainy months, when short heavy showers turn the mountainous islands green. I went in February and loved the Carnival energy in Mindelo, but I also wore a light jacket most evenings and gave up on one windy beach day entirely. Whale watching peaks around March and April off Boa Vista; loggerhead turtles nest on Sal and Boa Vista from July into November.
Getting there and getting around
Most visitors fly into Sal (SID) or Boa Vista (BVC) on charter flights, or route through Lisbon to Praia (RAI) on Santiago or São Vicente (VXE). Four international airports sounds generous until you try to move between islands, which is the part nobody warns you about.
Here is the honest version. Inter-island connections are the weak link. Domestic flights exist but get cancelled or shuffled; ferries run but can be delayed by a day. A local will wince at a two-week, six-island plan built on tight ferry connections. Give yourself slack. Within an island, shared minibuses called aluguer are cheap and easy: a two-hour ride from Praia to Tarrafal on Santiago runs about 600 CVE, roughly 5 euros.
Domestic flights
The fastest island hop, often 30–50 minutes. Book early, and never plan a same-day international connection off a domestic flight.
Ferries
The São Vicente to Santo Antão crossing is short and reliable. Longer routes are cheaper than flying but move on island time.
Aluguer minibuses
Shared vans that leave when full. A few euros between towns, and the best way to travel like a local. Carry small notes.
Taxis and car hire
Handy on Sal and Boa Vista. Agree the fare before you get in. A 4WD makes sense for Santo Antão’s mountain roads.
Video: a visual tour of the main islands, from Sal’s beaches to Fogo’s volcano.
What does a trip cost per day?
Cabo Verde is not a bargain and it is not Europe-expensive either. I would call it medium budget. Local transport is cheap, but anything aimed at tourists sits closer to Portugal or eastern Europe. The currency is the escudo, pegged to the euro at 1 EUR = 110.265 CVE, so euros are widely accepted, though shops often round to 1 EUR = 100 CVE, a quiet 10 percent markup. Pay in escudos when you can.
The figures below are per person, per day, and reflect what I actually paid on a mix of budget and mid-range days. Cash is king outside resorts; Visa is the most accepted card, and Vinti4 ATMs cap withdrawals around 20,000 CVE with a fee of 200 to 500 CVE.
💰 Daily budget breakdown, Cape Verde 2026
| Category | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏨 Accommodation | €25–35 | €80–110 | €200+ |
| 🍽️ Food & drink | €12–18 | €25–35 | €55+ |
| 🚗 Transport | €5–8 | €15–25 | €40+ |
| 🏟️ Activities | €8–12 | €25–40 | €60+ |
| 🛍️ Extras | €5 | €10–15 | €25+ |
| 📊 Daily total | ~€55 | ~€150 | €350+ |
Eat where locals eat
A full meal in a local restaurant runs 8 to 15 euros. Bakeries and simple cafes at lunch cut that in half.
Pay in escudos
Paying in euros at the 1:100 tourist rate quietly adds about 10 percent. Withdraw escudos and keep small notes.
Ride the aluguer
Shared minibuses cost a fraction of a taxi. The Praia to Tarrafal run is about 5 euros versus far more by cab.
You may also like
→ A first-timer’s guide to Sal and Boa Vista
The two resort islands, decoded: beaches, day trips and what is worth booking ahead.
What to eat: a Cabo Verde food guide
The food here started as poor food and never lost the plot. It is corn, beans, fish, and whatever the day gave you, cooked slow. Cachupa is the thing to try first, and then keep trying, because every island cooks it differently. Wash it down with grogue, the local sugarcane rum, if you dare; it is strong enough that Cape Verdean musicians blame it for their best songs.
A 7-day island-hopping itinerary
This route balances beach, mountains and music without over-reaching on ferries. It pairs São Vicente and Santo Antão, which sit a short, reliable crossing apart, then finishes on Sal for the flight home. Build in a spare morning for delays.
Day 1: land in São Vicente, settle into Mindelo
Morning: Arrive at São Vicente (VXE) and drop bags in central Mindelo.
Afternoon: Walk Rua de Lisboa and the harbour, then Laginha beach for a swim.
Evening: Dinner and live morna at a bar near Praca Nova, grilled tuna and a Strela beer for around 12 euros.
Day 2: ferry to Santo Antão
Morning: Take the ferry from Mindelo to Porto Novo, about an hour.
Afternoon: Drive the old mountain road over the Cova crater to Ribeira Grande.
Evening: Base in Ponta do Sol and eat fresh fish by the harbour wall.
Day 3: hike the Paul Valley
Morning: Start the Paul Valley trail high and walk down through terraces.
Afternoon: Stop at a grogue distillery to see the trapiche press in action.
Evening: Back to Ponta do Sol, tired legs, early night.
Day 4: coast walk, then back to Mindelo
Morning: The cliffside path from Ponta do Sol to Fontainhas, a village stitched into the rock.
Afternoon: Ferry back to São Vicente.
Evening: Last Mindelo dinner, and a final round of live music.
Day 5: fly to Sal
Morning: Short domestic flight to Sal (SID), then to Santa Maria.
Afternoon: Do nothing on the 8 km beach. You earned it.
Evening: Seafood on the strip, lobster if you are treating yourself, 20 to 30 euros.
Day 6: Sal’s odd corners
Morning: Float in the Pedra de Lume salt crater, entry about 5 euros.
Afternoon: The Buracona “Blue Eye” lava pool, best when the midday sun hits it.
Evening: Sunset at the Santa Maria pier as the boats come in.
Day 7: slow morning, fly home
Morning: One more swim, then last-minute grogue and coffee to pack.
Afternoon: Transfer to Sal airport for the flight out.
Evening: Already planning which island you skipped.
➕ How to extend your trip
Have ten days? Add Fogo for the volcano climb and a night in Chã das Caldeiras, or Santiago for Cidade Velha and Tarrafal beach. Both need a domestic flight, so leave a buffer day for cancellations.
Popular post
→ Hiking Santo Antão: the best trails, mapped
Paul Valley, Cova crater and the Fontainhas coast walk, with difficulty and timings.
Is the Cape Verde Islands safe, and what to know before you go
Cabo Verde is one of the easier introductions to West Africa. Safety levels are fairly high, and outside a few spots in Praia and Mindelo the vibe is calm. The biggest change for 2026 is paperwork: since January, everyone flying in must complete the online EASE pre-registration and pay the airport security tax before departure. Do it early. The cards below cover what caught me out.
Safety level
Low violent crime; watch for petty theft in Praia and Mindelo after dark. Take a taxi late at night rather than walking unfamiliar streets.
Health
No vaccines are usually required, but drink bottled water. Medical facilities are limited, so travel insurance that covers evacuation is worth it.
Entry: EASE + TSA
EU, UK, US and several others skip a visa for stays up to 30 days, but everyone must register on EASE and pay the tax, about 31 euros online. Passport valid 6 months.
Money & ATMs
The escudo is closed, so you cannot take it home. Vinti4 ATMs exist on all inhabited islands; smaller islands like Brava or Maio can run dry. Carry cash.
Emergency numbers
Police 132, ambulance 130, fire 131. Save your accommodation’s number too; addresses can be vague on smaller islands.
Signal & internet
Coverage is decent in towns, patchy in the mountains. A local CVMovel or Unitel SIM beats slow hotel Wi-Fi. Download offline maps before hiking.
Two official sources are worth a look before you fly: the EASE pre-registration portal for the entry rules and tax, and the UK government travel advice for current safety and health notes. If Cidade Velha is on your list, the UNESCO listing is a good primer on why it matters.
Your questions, answered
Been to the Cape Verde Islands?
Which island won you over, and did I get the ferry warnings right? Drop your tips in the comments and help the next traveller plan their route.
About this guide
I spent three weeks across four of the islands, hiking Santo Antão, floating in the Pedra de Lume salt pans, and losing an evening to live music in Mindelo. Prices here are what I paid in early 2026, in euros and escudos, and reflect a mix of budget and mid-range travel rather than resort packages.