Hello everyone!

I’m planning a trip to Cabo Verde in November for my mother 60th birthday.

We’re landing in São Vicente, but we want to go straight to Santo Antão and visit São Vicente after. We’re only staying for a week total. I was thinking 4 nights in Santo Antão and 3 nights in São Vicente.

I have questions regarding where to stay in Santo Antão. Considering our tow potential hike plan I was thinking Ponta Do Sol or Paul.

We have two hikes in mind :

1. Ponta do Sol to Chã de Igreja
2. Cova de Paúl to Cidade das Pombas

We both aren't in the best shape tbh… We can do a moderate hike for 2/3 hours max, but we can’t hike for 8 hours. We’d still like to enjoy nature and see some landscapes.

I was wondering if it's possible to do a bit of both but maybe not all of it? If so, where to start ? From which place? What to keep in mind ? Thank you in advance for your advices!

We are looking at booking this hotel all inclusive for next year for our honeymoon. We've heard great things, but upon researching into it more myself (mostly trip advisor) there were a lot of concerns about cleanliness and hygiene and obviously the shigella outbreak last year. I also have a peanut allergy (I don't need an EpiPen, it's mild) but I worry about the variety of foods id be able to have. Can anyone who's been give your honest opinion on the hotel and if you had any allergies etc too and how you felt.

Thanks!!

Estou a organizar uma viagem a cabo verde para os meus pais com expectativa de 5 dias.

Neste ponto gostaria que me dessem dicas em relação à viagem.

Estou a pensar adquirir uma viagem numa agência com tudo incluído de forma a ser mais seguro e ter um backup. Sendo assim têm alguma específica que recomendem?

Há algo que deva ter em atenção?

Sendo que é a 1 viagem internacional deste casal( ambos portugueses) podem me dar dicas( nomeadamente cuidados) ,se devem ter cartão de crédito, se há possibilidade de ter guia( já contrato antes ou será melhor no momento).

Eles estão a penar aproveitar uma ilha apenas, independentemente qual for. Qual sugeriam? Seria melhor alugar um carro( já contratualizado ou se seria melhor no momento).

Tenho tantas questões e receios 😬

Obrigado

Hi everyone! I’m doing a solo trip to Cape Verde from Sept 12–23 and would love some feedback from locals or people who have travelled these islands.

I’m quite active and mainly interested in hiking, volcanoes, beaches, snorkeling, wildlife and nature rather than resorts. My flights are already booked.

My current itinerary:

• Sept 13 – Sal → Boa Vista: Arrive in Sal at 00:35. Early morning snorkeling in Murdeira, then fly to Boa Vista at 14:05. Afternoon + sunset at Praia de Chaves.
• Sept 14 – Boa Vista: Full-day 4x4 tour: Morro de Areia, Varandinha, Santa Mónica, Deserto de Viana + Cabo Santa Maria if time allows. Turtle nesting tour at night.
• Sept 15 – Boa Vista → Fogo: Morning at Praia do Estoril, then fly to Fogo (arrive 17:05). Stop at Fonte Bila black-sand beach for a short walk/photos/sunset, then transfer to Chã das Caldeiras.
• Sept 16 – Fogo: Guided Pico do Fogo summit hike (2,829 m).
• Sept 17 – Fogo → São Vicente: Arrive at 12:35. São Pedro turtle snorkeling/swimming, then evening in Mindelo.
• Sept 18 – Santo Antão: Early ferry from Mindelo. Do the Ponta do Sol → Fontainhas → Corvo → Formiguinhas → Cruzinha coastal hike independently.
• Sept 19 – Santo Antão: Full day with a local guide/driver, focused on hiking and nature around Xôxô, Ribeira da Torre, Água das Caldeiras, waterfalls/natural pools and other great natural spots.
• Sept 20 – Santo Antão → Sal: 11:00 ferry to Mindelo → 18:45 flight to Sal, arriving 19:35. Check-in in Santa Maria + short evening walk.
• Sept 21 – Sal: Full island tour – Shark Bay/Baby Sharks, Pedra de Lume salt flats, Buracona/Blue Eye, desert landscapes and other main natural spots. Beach + sunset afterwards if there’s time.
• Sept 22 – Santa Maria: Beach day + water activities: hoping to do jet ski, kitesurf and possibly a catamaran trip.
• Sept 23 – Fly home.

I’d especially appreciate recommendations about things I shouldn’t miss, hikes, snorkeling spots, reliable guides/4x4 drivers, taxis/transfers and typical fair prices. Any tips for using aluguers/shared taxis instead of private taxis would be very useful too.

Also, if anyone will be on Fogo, São Vicente or Santo Antão around these dates and wants to join a hike/activity or share a taxi/driver, feel free to message me!

Would you change anything in this itinerary or add something I’m missing?

Salut à tous,

Je voulais partager un projet sur lequel je travaille depuis quelque temps : VisitCapVerde.com, un guide consacré exclusivement au Cap-Vert.

L’idée est de rassembler au même endroit des informations pratiques qui sont parfois assez dispersées : les différentes îles, itinéraires, randonnées, transports, budget, météo, choses à faire, etc.

J’essaie surtout de faire quelque chose d’utile pour les personnes qui préparent leur voyage, avec des informations concrètes plutôt qu’un simple article touristique.

Si certains d’entre vous connaissent bien le Cap-Vert, je serais d’ailleurs très intéressé par vos retours : quelles informations vous auriez aimé trouver avant votre premier voyage ? Et s’il y a des erreurs ou des choses à améliorer, je suis preneur.

Le site est ici : https://visitcapverde.com/

Merci pour vos retours 🇨🇻

I am trying to clarifiy some questions regarding the visa requirements for my wife, who is an Ecuadorian citizen and will be travelling with me and our two children (with danish pasports) to Cabo Verde in November 2026.

My wife has been legally resident in Denmark for more than 20 years and has a permanent residence card issued by the Danish authorities.

Her residence card states:

“Type L – EU family member – Art. 20 Directive 2004/38/EF”

Thanks in advance

Michael

Hi everyone,

I am trying to reconnect with a very dear friend from Cape Verde whom I haven’t been able to find for years. Thanks to recent help from the maritime community, we have narrowed down the specific Rix Shipping vessels he was likely sailing on during that exact timeframe. Here is everything I know: Name: Ben (Benjamin Dominic or Benjamin) Lopes.

Origin: Cape Verde (mulatto).

Occupation: Seafarer working on cargo ships.

Around 2005 and 2006, his ship operated on a regular liner shipping route from the UK (Hull/Ipswich) and docked in the Export Port of Riga, Latvia every 3 weeks.Age: In 2005, he was around 33–35 years old (born around 1971–1973, should be around 53–55 now).

UK Connection: At that time, he used a UK mobile number starting with +44 and spent a lot of time in the UK. Friend/Colleague: He was always accompanied by a close friend and fellow seafarer named Flo (Florian or Floriano), who was roughly the same age.We used to hang out and dance at the legendary "Roxy" (Pepsi Forums) club (near Līvu Square) [1] in Riga. He was a very kind person and even sent me a Christmas greeting SMS in 2006, but unfortunately, I lost his number over the years. Based on verified shipping records from 2005–2006, we are looking for crew members who sailed on these specific Rix Shipping Baltic-feeder vessels: ROBRIX (IMO 9019573) – under Rix management March 2004 – December 2005, regularly sailed Hull to Riga.LERRIX – officially recorded operating on the Hull–Riga service in early 2006. HARRIX (IMO 7530884) – recorded with a port call in Riga in January 2006.Since the Cape Verdean seafarer community and old Rix crews from Hull are tightly knit, I am really hoping someone might remember Ben and Florian who sailed to the Baltics. If you have any leads, or advice on how to track surviving 2005 crew agreements for these ships, it would mean the world to me. Thank you so much!

Hello everyone! I will visit Cape Verde later this month. Unfortunatley i don't have that much expierence with traveling so i'm a little bit nervous. So I have tons of questions, but i would like to ask the most important ones here. I would really appreciate if you guys could help me out :)

- First of all Internet: My smartphone (Samsung Galaxy A51) is apparently too old for E-sim card, so I think to get internet I need some sort of physical Sim card i can put inside my phone. Where can I get this in Cape Verde?

- And what about Money? Can I pay in Euros? I asked at my local banks but they unfortunatly don't have any Escudo. Where could I change Euros to Escudo on Cape Verde?

- How do I get a Taxi on Sao Vicente and Praia/ What Apps or Websites do you use?

- About CVSky: Is there anything special about the Airline I should know? Can I bring as Checked luggage my suitcase with up to 158cm which most Airline consider the maximum. I'm abit concerned I will get in trouble there because I don't have that much expierence with Airlines/ Flights in generell

- Is there anything else I should know or be aware of as european tourist? Any Tourist scams etc? Any advice is appreciated :)

I will arrive at Praia and will visit Sao Vicente and Fogo aswell

Hi! Me and my girlfriend (both 18) are going to Sal at the end of September and staying at the Riu Palace Santa Maria.
We definitely want to head into Santa Maria for a few nights while we’re there and try some of the bars/clubs, but neither of us have been to Cape Verde before so I was hoping for some recommendations from people who have!
What are the best bars/clubs in Santa Maria for a young couple? We’re looking for somewhere with a good atmosphere, music, drinks and a decent crowd rather than somewhere completely dead 😂
Also, what’s the nightlife generally like there? Does it get busy and what sort of time do people normally stay out until?
Safety-wise, would you say Santa Maria is generally fine for an 18-year-old couple at night? Are there any areas/places you’d avoid or any particular dos and don’ts we should know about?
And lastly, taxis — if we stay out until 2–4am, is it normally easy to find a taxi in Santa Maria to get back to the Riu Palace, or would we need to arrange one beforehand? Roughly how much should we expect to pay?
Any recommendations or general nightlife tips would be really appreciated. Thanks! 🇨🇻

Estou a desenvolver um projeto aprofundado de investigação sobre as culturas alimentares da África Ocidental e gostaria de aprender diretamente com pessoas que têm uma ligação cultural, familiar ou pessoal a estas cozinhas, em vez de depender apenas de fontes e meios de comunicação internacionais.
Nesta parte da minha investigação, estou particularmente interessado em:
🇨🇻 Cabo Verde
🇬🇼 Guiné-Bissau
Estou a usar o termo lusófono apenas como uma forma de organizar esta parte da investigação. Não considero, de forma alguma, que Cabo Verde e a Guiné-Bissau tenham uma única cultura culinária. Pelo contrário, quero compreender melhor tanto as ligações históricas entre os dois países como aquilo que torna cada tradição culinária distinta.
Gostaria especialmente de saber:
🍲 Que pratos do vosso país acham que deveriam ser muito mais conhecidos fora da região?
🏠 O que é que as pessoas realmente comem em casa e no dia a dia, mas que raramente aparece nas discussões internacionais sobre a vossa gastronomia?
🌾 Que ingredientes, produtos ou alimentos básicos são particularmente importantes na vossa cultura alimentar?
🗺️ Existem grandes diferenças culinárias entre diferentes ilhas, regiões ou comunidades?
🤔 Há pratos ou tradições culinárias que as pessoas de fora frequentemente compreendem mal, simplificam demasiado ou atribuem incorretamente a outro país?
Estou deliberadamente a tentar evitar reduzir a gastronomia da África Ocidental a apenas alguns pratos internacionalmente famosos.
Quero ir além das listas habituais e descobrir a comida do quotidiano, as especialidades regionais, os ingredientes locais e as tradições culinárias que as pessoas sentem que realmente representam as suas culturas.
Estou aqui para aprender, por isso sintam-se à vontade para corrigir quaisquer ideias erradas que eu possa ter e para me dar todas as pistas culinárias e históricas possíveis! 😄
Muito obrigado a todos. Agradeço sinceramente quaisquer recomendações, histórias, memórias e sugestões que estejam dispostos a partilhar. 🙏🏾🍲🌍

Hello.

We're looking at renting an apartment in Santa Maria for a beach holiday with our young children in early February. I understand the wind can be bad that time of year. Are there any beaches on Sal where the wind isn't as bad? I've read perhaps near the pier and just to the east of it to avoid the N/NE trade winds?

Unfortunately, I don't know if we'll be able to visit other islands. We're looking for a beach holiday where we can also swim and we probably won't do kitesurfing.

Thanks for any advice!

I've read conflicting thoughts about whether groceries (eg at a supermarket in Santa Maria) are expensive. Can anyone let me know how they compare to prices in the UK (eg Tesco or Sainsbury's)? I understand almost everything is imported, and we would be happy doing without certain foods and trying to buy what is cheaper.

Thanks for any advice.

Hi there.

Can anyone give me some accurate example costs of how much a taxi would cost (2 adults, 2 small children) getting to the main tourist places on Sal in February - for example, from the airport to Santa Maria, Santa Maria to the Salinas or Buracona? We'd ideally like to not have to rent a car as it just always seems a lot of hassle (scams, scratches while parked etc).

Thank you!

I’m traveling to Cape Verde (Sal Island) on September 17th for 6 days, and it’s my first time there. I’d love to get some advice from people who live there or have visited recently.

A few questions:
🌤️** Weather: What’s the weather usually like around September 17–23? Is it very hot/humid, windy, or rainy? Anything specific I should pack?
💉 **Vaccines: Are there any vaccines that are recommended or required when traveling to Cape Verde from Morocco?
📱 SIM/eSIM: What’s the best mobile operator for tourists? Is it better to buy a local SIM in Santa Maria or use an eSIM? Which option has the best coverage and prices?
💶 Money: Should I keep my money in euros, or is it better to exchange some money into Cape Verdean escudos (CVE)? Can I easily pay with euros everywhere, or is cash in CVE more convenient? Are cards widely accepted?
🏝️** Activities: I’ll have around 6 days on Sal. What are the must-do activities and places you recommend? I’m interested in beaches, nature, local culture, food and adventure activities.
💰 Any other tips for **saving money, avoiding tourist traps, or things I should know before arriving?

I’ll be staying around Santa Maria.
Thanks a lot for your recommendations!

I’m thinking of doing a honeymoon to Cape Verde.

It looks like an incredible place, really picturesque with great beaches, somewhere I can see myself spending two weeks lazing about getting drunk and eating nice food.

Just wondering if anyone had travel advice?

It’d be mine and my finance’s first trip there and wondering about what time of year to book and good top tier hotels people could recommend and anything else it would be handy to know for a first trip.

Hi, I’m going to Cape Verde at the end of September and staying at Riu Palace Santa Maria in Sal.
I’ve recently seen quite a few reviews/posts from people saying they became ill with diarrhoea, sickness or food poisoning while in Cape Verde, including people who stayed at this hotel. I’ve also read about the gastrointestinal illness outbreaks that have affected tourists in Cape Verde, so it’s made me a bit nervous about going.
For anyone who has been recently, how common is it actually to get ill? Did you or anyone you travelled with get sick?
Also, is there anything you’d recommend doing to reduce the chances of getting ill? I’ve already been told to only drink bottled water and to be careful with buffet food, salads, ice, etc., but I’d really appreciate advice from people who have actually been there.
Especially interested in experiences from anyone who has stayed at Riu Palace Santa Maria recently (2026).
I’m really looking forward to the holiday and don’t want to scare myself out of going 😂 Just want to know how worried I realistically need to be and what precautions are worth taking.
Thanks!

I am trying to find out what happened to a man, he got kicked off a TUI flight on the 21st Dec 2018 at the Amílcar Cabral International Airport in Cape Verde.

He got removed from the flight, leaving behind his wife and children. From what I understand there were no more flights in or out of Cape Verde until after Christmas and I have always been intrested in what happened after we took off!?

Hi, I've been trying to find the recipe for a food my mother used to make for years. I have no family left to ask. Hoping someone in here will recognize it or be able to point me in the right direction.

It was almost like a tamale; it was either steamed or boiled, and would come tied up in corn husk. We'd unwrap the husk and there was savory, salty meat inside and what I believe to be corn meal. Sometimes, we'd cut it up and fry it the next morning to have with eggs.

She would pronounce it something like "Shed-deng-nah-cop".

Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hello! I know this may seem like it doesn’t belong here, but I visited Sal earlier this month and it was honestly very healing in terms of natural hair. It was so beautiful to see people who look like me, with hair like mine living care free and wearing their hair out everywhere and not letting it stop them from doing any activities. It was just normal and that’s what I aspire to. I swam with my hair loose, just like I saw everyone else do and I loved it. However, I did not love the knots, tangles and detangling afterwards!

So my question is how do Cape Verdeans care for their hair whilst swimming? I would love to learn more about your routines so I can hopefully emulate them.

Obrigada! 💙

We are planning to visit Cape Verde at the end of March 2027, but I'm getting a bit worried about whether we will actually be able to book and plan our trip properly.

The new domestic airline, CVSky, has currently published its schedule only until March 27, 2027, while we would like to travel between the islands after March 27.

I read that the previous schedule was only published around 1–2 months before the first flights of the new schedule. That would be quite late for us, as we need to book our international flights and accommodation well in advance.

Does anyone know if CVSky is expected to publish the summer schedule earlier, or will we really have to wait until only 1–2 months before the flights?

It's quite frustrating because at the moment, I can't really plan the trip properly. I don't know on which days domestic flights will operate, so I don't know which islands we can realistically visit.

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks! :)

Hello, I will be visiting Cape Verde next month - and I was wondering how to get data there? Where is the best place to get an eSim? Or is it easier to get a physical sim?

I am finding lyrics for this very good song, if someone can put it here 🙏

Hey! My name is Nathan from Australia and I’m hoping to cook a meal from every country in the world and soon up for me is Cape Verde ☺️ I wanted to ask what are a couple of the most iconic and beloved Cape Verdean meals 🇨🇻

I was also wanting the video to include:

1 - something you love about your country (I'm sure there is more than just your brilliant World Cup performance!!); and then

2 - something you wish other people knew about Cape Verde! :)

Sandrine Billiet - Tokyo 2020