Cabo Verde is a tropical archipelago of breathtaking beauty, accentuated by its rugged landscape, endless beaches, and distinct culture.
Cabo Verde, or Cape Verde, was not on the map for most people in the world until a certain Vozinha displayed extraordinary heroism to deny Spain what was expected to be a certain victory at the FIFA World Cup 2026. The 40-year-old defended the Cabo Verdean goal, just like the archipelago’s high mountains protect the pristine beaches that are kissed by the sun and washed by the waters of the Atlantic. After all, the country’s football team is like a remarkable reflection of the rugged beauty of Cabo Verde — one that surprises you with its breathtaking charm that has remained surprisingly less explored despite the archipelago’s discovery by the Portuguese around 500 years ago.
If it’s your first trip to Cabo Verde, the biggest mistake is treating it as a single destination. Each island offers a completely different experience. Located around 600 km off the coast of Senegal in West Africa, the country’s blend of Portuguese and African cultures, emphasised by the archipelago’s Creole identity, gives it a unique character.
We take a look at its six most popular inhabited islands. Each is like a gem in the series of islands that make up Cabo Verde. Remember, most of the islands are less explored, which means you’d be welcomed by untouched vistas wherever you go.
The easiest way to reach Cabo Verde is by air. The capital, Praia, is connected to several major international cities, including Lisbon, Paris, and Dakar. Travel between the islands can be done either by short flights or ferries. You can easily explore the interiors of most of the islands by road.
Here are the places to visit in Cabo Verde
Sal
Sal means “salt” in Portuguese, a name that reflects the island’s long history of salt production. Cabo Verde’s famous salt evaporation ponds are located on this island, at a village known as Pedra de Lume.
The island has an otherworldly charm due to its desert-like appearance. But it is this distinguishing feature that makes Sal Cabo Verde’s most popular tourist island. Indeed, the island has the country’s busiest airport, Amílcar Cabral International Airport, despite not being the capital city.
White-sand beaches warmed by the sun’s rays all year round form a ribbon along the contours of the island. The water, the wind, and the temperature are almost always uniform, making it the archipelago’s prime destination for watersports, including kiteboarding, any day, any month of the year.
And if you are visiting between July and September, don’t forget to say hello to the adorable baby Caretta turtles when they hatch.
Things to do and explore:
- Santa Maria Beach
- Kitesurfing and windsurfing
- Snorkelling and diving
- Pedra de Lume salt crater
- Beach restaurants and nightlife around Santa Maria
Boa Vista
Boa Vista, whose name translates to “beautiful view” in Portuguese, is blessed with some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Cabo Verde. Located on the eastern part of the archipelago, it has been shaped over centuries by winds from the Sahara across the Atlantic. The result is the 20-km-long Deserto de Viana, a spectacular landscape of white sands, dotted with acacia bushes, palm trees, and coconut trees.
Despite being the third-largest island, Boa Vista is largely untouched because about a third is a protected area. Its large beaches, including Cabral, Chávez, Ervatão, Santa Mónica and Varandinha, are almost trapped in time, waiting for explorers to measure their length and breadth.
The island serves as a nesting ground for loggerhead sea turtles. And if you love a bit of history with a dash of adventure, head to Atalanta beach to see the rusting metal of the Spanish freighter Cabo Santa Maria, which was shipwrecked on the island in 1968.
Things to do and explore:
- Praia de Chávez beach
- Deserto de Viana
- Turtle-watching excursions
- Quad biking and dune adventures
- Shipwreck of Cabo Santa Maria
Santo Antão
While Sal and Boa Vista are to the east of the archipelago, Santo Antão sits just around 200 kms to the west. This distance is long enough for a near-complete change in geographic features. Unlike the more arid islands to the west, Santo Antão offers some of the most dramatic valleys, carved by rivers and flanked by massive volcanic peaks.
It is a paradise for nature lovers, with lush greenery covering much of the landscape. Green terraces on the hillsides highlight the island’s common agricultural practice. The valleys hide quaint villages, where local life preserves the ancient footpaths that connect the people with the mountains.
A hike along these paths will lead you from the verdant valleys to the peaks where you can almost kiss the clouds. Though the temperature on the island remains pleasant year-round, the best time to visit is between November and March, when clear skies and cooler winds make hiking conditions more favourable.
Explore by car if you are not fond of walking. The mountainous roads wind their way through Instagram-perfect vistas. The towering rocks covered in green, with mists forming a shroud over them, will make you feel as if you have been transported to a real-life Jurassic Park.
Things to do and explore:
- Cova volcanic crater
- Paul Valley hiking trails
- Jeep tour
- Ribeira Grande
- Sugarcane plantations
- Traditional mountain villages
- Local grogue distilleries (Cabo Verdean alcoholic beverage)
São Vicente
The island is best known for Mindelo, a vibrant port city celebrated for its music, art, and colourful colonial architecture. It has an active nightlife, brought to a crescendo with rows of pubs, nightclubs and restaurants. The city’s most recent claim to fame is Vozinha, who was born here.
São Vicente is less than 10 kms southeast of Santo Antão, but is not as green as its larger neighbour. Instead, São Vicente offers outstanding windsurfing options, especially from November to April. For those who love leisurely ambling down the sands, the Laginha Beach in Mindelo is perhaps the best.
Things to do and explore:
- Mindelo
- Laginha Beach
- Live music venues
- Carnival celebrations
- Art, festivals and nightlife
Fogo
One of the must-visit islands of Cabo Verde, Fogo is best known for its active volcano, Pico do Fogo. At 2,829 metres, it is the highest point of the archipelago. Records confirm that the volcano was almost continuously active from the time the Portuguese arrived on the island in the 1500s until about 1760. It erupted most recently between November 2014 and February 2015, leaving behind trails of lava flow. Yet you can hike up the volcano, whose roughly 8.5-km trekking route is quite challenging.
The island’s most remarkable feature is the existence of two small villages inside Chã das Caldeiras, the volcano’s nine-kilometre-wide caldera. The communities thrive on agriculture, cultivating the artisanal Chã wine from the fertile soil nourished by volcanic rock. São Filipe, the island’s largest city, whose historic Colonial-era centre is on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites.
Things to do and explore:
- Pico do Fogo hike
- Chã das Caldeiras
- Volcanic landscapes and lava fields
- São Filipe’s colonial architecture
- Local vineyards and wine tasting
- Coffee plantations
Santiago
Located roughly 50 kms east of Fogo, Santiago is the largest island in Cabo Verde and the cultural heart of the archipelago. It was here that the Portuguese established some of their earliest settlements, leaving behind a rich heritage that continues to shape the island today.
Praia, the national capital and the archipelago’s largest city, is on the island. After you are done exploring the capital’s bustling streets and Colonial-era buildings, head for the historic landmarks of Cidade Velha, just about 14 kms away. The UNESCO World Heritage Site was originally known as Ribeira Grande and was the first European colonial outpost in the tropics. Among the site’s chief attractions are the ruins of the Forte Real de São Filipe and a Pillory Square with an ornate 16th-century marble pillar.
Beyond the cities, rugged mountains and fertile valleys reveal a quieter side of the island, making it an excellent destination for travellers seeking both cultural experiences and natural beauty. Much of the island’s centre is mountainous, with the 1,392-metre-tall Pico de Antónia, known for its dramatic vertical drop on the east side, towering over all others. The humid climate of the centre contrasts with the hot, dry climate of the rest of the island. This is why the mountainous terrain is also rich with vegetation.
Things to do and explore:
- Cidade Velha
- Praia’s markets and cultural attractions
- Tarrafal Beach
- Serra Malagueta Natural Park
- Local music and festivals
This article & images was originally published by Travel and Leisure Asia