Things to do in Boa Vista
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Boa Vista
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Wind season: strong north-east trades, kite season at its best, rough seas and red-flag swimming days at exposed beaches.
Humpback whales calve around the island, with boat trips from Sal Rei and peak sightings in March and April.
Loggerhead turtles nest at night on protected beaches, with hatchlings from about August, on guided tours only.
Warmest and calmest months, the sea at its most swimmable, with the year's only real rain risk in August to October.
What's on
- Santa Isabel Day 4 July
Sal Rei festival for its patron saint, building from late June with music, stalls, a bay regatta and the 4 July procession.
- Carnival February or March, varies
A small local carnival in Sal Rei, enjoyable if you coincide, and much smaller than Mindelo carnival on Sao Vicente.
Best things to do in Boa Vista
Santa Monica Beach
Eighteen kilometres of empty white sand on the south coast, the island showpiece beach, with almost nothing built on it.
Praia de Chaves
A long, dune backed west coast beach south of Sal Rei, beautiful and often too rough and windy for swimming.
Forte Duque de Braganca
A small fort on the islet in Sal Rei bay, built against pirates and reached by boat or a swim from town.
Museu dos Naufragos
Sal Rei museum of shipwrecks and island history, the one real cultural stop in town and an easy hour.
Igreja de Santa Isabel
The parish church on Sal Rei main square, the centre of town life and of the Santa Isabel festival in July.
Where to stay in Boa Vista
Praia das Salinas and Praia de Chaves resort coast
all-inclusive resort weeks
The west and south-west beaches hold the big resorts, closest to the airport and to Sal Rei by taxi.
Praia Lacacao, south coast
self-contained family resort stays
One huge resort on a remote beach, with everything on site and nothing within walking distance.
Sal Rei
independent stays, kite trips and local restaurants
The island only town, walkable, with the harbour, the square and the handful of independent places to eat.
Think twice about
- Isolated beaches after dark
Avoid unlit and isolated areas after dark, including beaches, where visibility and security are limited.
- Unlit roads between the resorts and Sal Rei at night
The resort coast is isolated from town, with long unlit stretches and no pavement; use a taxi or hotel shuttle instead of walking.
Best restaurants in Boa Vista
Morabeza Beach Bar & Lounge Restaurant
Sal Rei best known beach bar restaurant, on the sand at Estoril for sunset drinks, grilled fish and lobster.
Porton di nos Ilha
A harbour front seafood restaurant facing Praia de Diante, a local favourite for garlic prawns and grilled fish.
Perola de Chaves
A beach restaurant on Praia de Chaves known for barbecue nights, a rare dinner out for resort guests nearby.
Casa Rosa
A small restaurant and bar in Sal Rei old town mixing Cape Verdean plates with some Asian fusion dishes.
Restaurante Sodade Casa da Cultura
The cultural centre restaurant on Avenida Amilcar Cabral, simple Cape Verdean food at local prices.
Restaurante Te Manche
A cheap, friendly local restaurant near the old port in Sal Rei, good for a cachupa lunch and grilled fish.
Outdoor things to do in Boa Vista
Viana Desert
A small Sahara fed desert of white dunes inland from Rabil, best seen on a quad or 4x4 run.
Cabo Santa Maria Shipwreck
The rusting 1968 wreck of the Cabo Santa Maria on a wild north beach, the island emblem and a photo stop.
No Limits Adventure Boa Vista
The main Sal Rei quad operator, running guided rides to the shipwreck, the Viana Desert and Santa Monica.
Ervatao Beach
The protected east coast beach where loggerhead turtles nest at night from June to October, on guided tours only.
Boa Vista Whale Watching
Half day boats from Sal Rei in March to May, when humpbacks calve in Boa Vista waters, with a biologist on board.
Praia Carlota
The flat water lagoon by Sal Rei islet where the kite schools teach, with reliable trade winds November to June.
Private 4x4 Island Tour
A private full day 4x4 loop taking in Povoacao Velha, Santa Monica and the desert at your own pace.
Best hotels in Boa Vista
Hotel Riu Palace Boavista
The top RIU on Praia das Salinas near Sal Rei, 24 hour all inclusive, swim up rooms, spa and the shortest airport run.
VOI Praia de Chaves Resort
A large Italian run all inclusive on Praia de Chaves, quieter and more spread out than the RIU pair near town.
Hotel Riu Touareg
A huge family all inclusive on remote Praia Lacacao in the south, six pools and nothing else around it for miles.
Ouril Hotel Agueda
A proper mid range hotel in Sal Rei itself, so you sleep in town, eat locally and walk to the harbour.
Guest House Orquidea
A small family guesthouse by Estoril beach in Sal Rei, the honest budget base for an independent stay.
Hotel Estoril
A simple, long running hotel in Sal Rei near the beach, basic rooms at guesthouse plus prices.
Is Boa Vista expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CVE 8,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CVE 17,500 a person |
| Splurge | CVE 35,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- No Limits Adventure Boa Vista: a few days ahead
- Ervatao Beach: a few days ahead
- Boa Vista Whale Watching: a few days ahead
- Private 4x4 Island Tour: a few days ahead
- Hotel Riu Palace Boavista: weeks ahead
- VOI Praia de Chaves Resort: weeks ahead
- Hotel Riu Touareg: weeks ahead
- Guest House Orquidea: a few days ahead
- Book turtle tours in the June to October season and whale trips in March and April ahead, as group sizes are limited.
- Winter season rooms at the main resorts and the few Sal Rei guesthouses book out; reserve early.
- Quad and 4x4 tours can usually be arranged a day or two ahead through hotels or operators in Sal Rei.
Is Boa Vista safe?
- Obey the beach flags: red means do not enter the water, yellow means wading only, green means safe to swim.
- Tides and currents are very strong and many beaches have no lifeguard; do not walk isolated beaches after dark.
- Health care on Boa Vista is particularly limited, so carry insurance that covers medical evacuation and bring all medication you need.
- Wash hands and eat food cooked through and served hot, following UK health advice on shigella and salmonella risk.
Boa Vista travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Paying resort desk prices for excursions without checking Sal Rei operators for the same product.
- Assuming the beach in front of your hotel is swimmable in wind season, when red flags are common.
- Booking a remote southern resort when you wanted town life, or a town guesthouse when you wanted a pool and a buffet.
Getting around Boa Vista: public transport and more
- There is no meaningful public transport for visitors; use taxis with the fare agreed first, hotel shuttles or tour pick-ups.
- Sal Rei to the southern resorts is 30 to 45 minutes by road, and off the main routes roads become sand and stone tracks.
- Sal Rei town itself is compact and walkable in about 15 minutes end to end.
Who Boa Vista suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Boa Vista your trip
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