Listen to live morna music in Mindelo
The birthplace of Cesária Évora and the spiritual home of morna, a melancholic folk genre often compared to Portuguese fado.
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West Africa
Things to do in Cabo Verde
A volcanic archipelago off West Africa's coast blending Portuguese colonial heritage with a genuinely distinct Creole culture, home to the birthplace of morna music and some of the Atlantic's best windsurfing.
Explore Cabo Verde on the map →Budget$$
Best for8-10 days
CapitalPraia
VisaVisa waiver (EASE) available online for most nationalities including US, UK, EU, Canadian, and Australian passport holders, allowing stays up to 30 days.
CurrencyCabo Verdean escudo (CVE), pegged to the euro
LanguagesPortuguese (official); Cabo Verdean Kriolu widely spoken
InternetGood on main islands, more limited on smaller islands
Typical lodging$30–$85/night
Driving sideRight
Power & voltage230V / 50Hz (Type C/F plug)
Time zoneUTC+0 to UTC+1
Emergency numberVaries. Save your hotel or embassy’s number on arrival.
Dialing code+238
★★★★★ Beaches★★★★★ Adventure★★★★★ Culture
Visa rules and emergency numbers can change without notice. Confirm the specifics for your nationality and dates before you travel.
Travel smart
Bottled or purified water only. Not expected; small tips are appreciated.
Cabo Verde's morna music, a melancholic folk genre often compared to Portuguese fado, gave rise to the internationally celebrated singer Cesária Évora, whose global success helped put the small island nation on the cultural map far beyond its size. The archipelago's ten volcanic islands were entirely uninhabited before Portuguese colonization in the 15th century, and the resulting Creole culture and language (Kriolu) that developed afterward is considered one of the oldest and most distinctly evolved Creole societies in the world.
When to go
Dry seasonNovember–June
The most popular and reliable window nationally, with minimal rain and consistent trade winds ideal for the islands' strong windsurfing and kitesurfing conditions.
Wet seasonAugust–October
A short rainy period, particularly on the more mountainous southern islands, though generally lighter than tropical wet seasons elsewhere.
Peak windsurfing seasonMarch–August
The strongest and most consistent trade winds, drawing windsurfers and kitesurfers specifically to Sal and Boa Vista islands.
Transition periodJuly
A shoulder month balancing strong wind conditions with the approach of the short wet season.
20 things to do
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Culture & history
7Explore Praia's Plateau historic district
Cabo Verde's capital on Santiago Island retains Portuguese colonial architecture in its old Plateau quarter, alongside a lively market culture.
Visit Cidade Velha, Cabo Verde's UNESCO-listed first colonial settlement€5–10
The first permanent European colonial settlement in the tropics, founded by the Portuguese in the 15th century, with a preserved fort and historic square.
Explore the fishing villages of São Nicolau Island
A quieter, less-developed island known for dramatic mountain scenery and traditional fishing communities, offering an off-the-beaten-path alternative.
Visit the historic town of Mindelo on São Vicente Island
A colorful colonial-era port city with a strong cultural and musical identity, hosting one of the most celebrated Carnival celebrations in West Africa.
Attend Mindelo's Carnival celebration
Considered one of the most vibrant Carnival celebrations in West Africa, blending Portuguese and Brazilian influences with genuine Cabo Verdean cultural identity.
Explore São Filipe, Fogo Island's colonial-era town
A hillside town with well-preserved Portuguese colonial mansions, overlooking the black volcanic sand beaches below Fogo's active volcano.
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Adventure & outdoors
5Windsurf or kitesurf on Sal Island
Consistent Atlantic trade winds have made Sal one of the premier windsurfing and kitesurfing destinations in the world.
Hike the dramatic volcanic ridges of Santo Antão
Steep, terraced valleys and volcanic peaks make Santo Antão one of the best hiking destinations in the Atlantic, with trails connecting remote mountain villages.
Hike into the volcanic crater of Fogo Island
An active volcano whose crater holds a genuinely inhabited village and working vineyards, offering one of the most dramatic hikes in the archipelago.
Snorkel or dive the reefs around Boa Vista
Clear Atlantic water and shipwrecks around Boa Vista offer accessible snorkeling and diving beyond the island's famous windsurfing reputation.
Hike the Paul Valley's terraced farmland on Santo Antão
Steep agricultural terraces carved into volcanic slopes, still farmed using traditional methods passed down through generations.
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Beaches
2Relax on Boa Vista's Sahara-like desert dunes and beaches
Wind-blown sand dunes meet pristine Atlantic beaches on Boa Vista, giving the island a genuinely striking desert-meets-ocean landscape.
Relax on Santa Maria Beach on Sal Island
A long, popular stretch of white sand and calm water, the main beach hub for Sal's resort and windsurfing tourism.
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Wildlife
1Watch loggerhead turtles nest on Boa Vista's beaches
One of the largest loggerhead turtle nesting sites in the world outside Florida, with regulated night tours during peak season.
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Food & drink
4Eat cachupa, Cabo Verde's national dish€5–10
A slow-cooked corn and bean stew with meat or fish, considered the country's defining national dish and a genuine everyday staple.
Try Fogo's volcanic-soil wine
Vineyards planted directly in the volcanic crater of Fogo Island produce a genuinely distinctive wine grown in mineral-rich volcanic soil.
Try Cabo Verdean grogue, a sugarcane spirit
A traditional distilled sugarcane spirit, often homemade, reflecting the islands' agricultural heritage and offered as a genuine gesture of hospitality.
Try Cabo Verdean pastel com diabo dentro, a spicy fried pastry
A fried pastry filled with spicy tuna or fish, whose name translates to 'pastry with the devil inside,' a genuine local street food specialty.
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Nature & scenery
1Explore the salt pans of Pedra de Lume on Sal Island
A volcanic crater filled with mineral-rich saltwater, historically mined for salt, now open for buoyant, Dead Sea-like floating.
Common questions
▾Do I need a visa for Cabo Verde?
Most nationalities, including US, UK, EU, Canadian, and Australian citizens, can get an online visa waiver (EASE) allowing stays up to 30 days.
▾Which islands should I prioritize?
Sal and Boa Vista offer the strongest beach and windsurfing tourism infrastructure; Santo Antão has the most dramatic hiking scenery; Santiago holds the historic capital, Praia, and the deepest cultural roots.
▾Why is Cabo Verde known for music?
Its morna genre, a melancholic folk style often compared to Portuguese fado, produced the internationally celebrated singer Cesária Évora, whose global success brought significant cultural attention to the small archipelago.
▾How many days does Cabo Verde need?
8-10 days lets you combine beach time on Sal or Boa Vista with hiking on the more dramatic, mountainous island of Santo Antão, given inter-island travel requires short flights or ferries.
▾Is Cabo Verde affordable?
Mid-range for West Africa and the Atlantic islands generally, with beach resort areas on Sal and Boa Vista pricier than the more rustic, less-developed islands.
▾How much does it cost to visit Cabo Verde's national parks?
Fogo Natural Park, home to the active Pico do Fogo volcano, charges foreign visitors a modest fee of around €5-10 plus a mandatory guide fee for the summit hike, typically €25-35 more. Most of the archipelago's beaches remain free and open to the public.