Boavista

Idyllic beaches, white sand dunes and small oases. That’s Boavista. The island has the ideal conditions for a relaxed beach and water sports holiday. Make great walks on the beaches, through the dunes and desert oases of Boavista. Or go windsurfing or kitesurfing on the azure sea. Dive to view one of the shipwrecks or go watching turtles and whales. Or simply enjoy the glorious sun on the white beach or luxury hotel at the resort.

Boavista is situated approximately 50 kilometers off Sal and is the third largest island of Cape Verde. The almost flat island has a good 55 kilometers of white sandy beaches and is known for its white sands with small oases with palm trees as in the Sahara.

Sights Boavista

Sal Rei
The charming capital of Boavista where locals enjoy life. They have a drink in the shade at the beach, children play the sand, fishermen paint their colorful boat. Sal Rei is not overrun by tourists and retains its authentic atmosphere.

Beaches
Gorgeous sandy beaches can be found on Boavista. For example, at Chaves there is a more than 10 kilometers long sandy beach. The longest beach is at Curralinho with around 18 kilometers of white sand. Other beautiful beaches are among others Varandinha and Curral Velho. These are also good spots for surfing.

Surfing and kite surfing
The conditions are perfect for surfing. There are a number of surf spots that we recommend: Baia Varandinha, Sal Rei, Cabral, Chaves and the east coast of the island (the turtle season). Material is only available at various rental places.

Viana dessert
A place you must see is the only sand desert of Cape Verde. Consisting of hills and fine white sand to form a chain as far as you can see. It gives you a unique experience of Cape Verde.

Ship Wreck
8 kilometers north of Sal Rei is the shipwreck Cabo Santa Maria. Due to the very close location to the beach and at the background the white sand dunes a nice photo opportunity.

Wetlands
With the drought and many sand dunes, it is unique to have one of the largest wetlands of Micronesia (all volcanic islands immediately west of Africa). This unique ecosystem is home to many unusual birds that come from Europe or West Africa.  A beautiful wetland area is located around the ruins of Curral Velho on the southern coast of Boavista.

Whales
The gigantic mammal regularly chooses Bay Sal Rei to give birth to their young. The Humpback Whale comes in the period from December to the sea at Boavista. The best time to see a whale, however, is March to June, when the born humpback whales stay in more shallow water.

Turtles
Boavista is one of the most important places in the world where the Caretta Caretta turtle lays its eggs. Thousands of turtles are nesting on Boavista, primarily at the east coast of the island. In mid-June to late October, the turtles come to the beach to lay eggs. Between late August and December, the young turtles are born and go towards the sea. Seeing a turtle is almost guaranteed with more than 20,000 nests.

Diving and snorkeling
Diving can be done on one of the reefs. It is special that you can watch the peaceful and harmless nurse shark while diving. These may be 2 meters long. Apart from the many fish there also swim turtles. For snorkelers, the coral reef in the Bay of Gates is a great place. In the summer it is even possible that you encounter the nurse shark.

Excursions to other islands
Boavista International Airport makes a (day) excursion to another island of Cape Verde easily possible.

To get an idea of how Boavista looks like, check out the video ‘Boavista at a glance‘. You will definitely come into a holiday mood.

How to get to Boavista?

There are several international flights arriving at Boavista International Airport. Some airlines make a stopover on the island of Sal and Santiago. The airport of Boavista has a bank and an ATM. It is from the airport  only 6 kilometer to the town Sal Rei. A taxi to Sal Rei costs about 7 – 10 euros. From the airport also domestic flights are departing and arriving. For all flight information please check out our page about domestic and international flights to Cape Verde.