Carnival in Cabo Verde Cabo Verde, a small island nation off the coast of West Africa, is known for its...
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Cabo Verde
Things to do in Cabo Verde
Water sports are at the top of the list for most tourists, along with enjoying the tropical weather and relaxing on the beach. There are many other things to do in Cabo Verde. You can take part in many activities or you can just relax at the beach.
Kite & windsurfing in Cabo Verde
The best islands in Cabo Verde for kitesurfing and windsurfing are Boa Vista and Sal. São Vicente and São Nicolau also offer a lot of potential, but there are fewer facilities. For beginners who want to avoid strong winds, summer is the best time to get familiar with these sports.
Cabo Verde is also the venue of some important sports events like the “World Wave Circuit 2007” and the “Professional Windsurfers Association World Cup” which were held on Sal.
"The Cabo Verde World Cup is a legendary event. Since its first, explosive arrival on the PWA Tour in 2007, it has been one of the most sought-after destinations for dedicated wave riders. With its unique location to benefit from the full power of the Atlantic swell, Cabo Verde is a dream location for the best of the best."
Diving in Cabo Verde
The underwater world of Cabo Verde is certainly rich and diving around all the islands is reliably good and very little explored.
The novelty of being in the Atlantic is that you will encounter tropical fish such as parrotfish, angelfish, and the occasional whale shark. Remember that there are no classic coral reefs in Cabo Verde, but there are strong winds and occasionally strong currents. Water temperatures range from 21°C to 27°C.
Diving schools can be found in Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago, São Vicente, and Santo Antão where you can rent your diving equipment. Just a fair warning regarding safety! Please note that there is no functioning pressure chamber on any of the islands of Cabo Verde.
In Sal, you have the largest variety of dive sites. A classic is a dive at Buracona, a 40-meter tunnel that ends at the “Blue Eye” where you can surface and wave to the many tourists looking down on you. In the bay of Santa Maria there are five shipwrecks at a depth of between 5 and 30 meters. You also have the opportunity to dive into caves formed by lava in the north of the island.
Marine live in Cabo Verde
Most of the dive sites in Cabo Verde consist of rock ridges, rock pinnacles, and boulders, as well as underwater arches and caves. You will find rocky ridges with large overhangs covered with bright yellow polyps and populated by surgeonfish, groupers, parrotfish, Atlantic bigeye, giant filefish, and meter-long garfish. Macro life is also abundant, with numerous nudibranchs, tiny coral eels, sharp-nosed pufferfish, and frogfish. At certain times, papaguia (Guinea grunts) form huge balls with up to 1,000 fish.
Large marine life includes dolphins and five species of turtles, including loggerhead turtles. There are even endangered species such as tiger sharks and bull sharks. There are also nurse sharks, lemon sharks, reef sharks, and manta rays. Not to forget the seasonal migration of humpback whales.
Fishing In Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde is a good place for catching big-game, both in numbers and size of fish. Fish up to 750 pounds are caught in Cabo Verde.
Some of the largest fish you’ll encounter in Cabo Verde are tiger sharks, sailfish, swordfish, kingfish, striped marlin, and white marlin. Closer to shore there are wahoo, albacore, yellowfin tuna, grouper, and dorado.
You can rent a fishing boat for the day or join the local fishermen on their trips. They often go out a few hundred yards, drop anchor and fish for skipjack, grouper, squirrelfish and many other species. Some also fish at night for moray eels. Locals use harpoons to catch lobsters, squid and parrotfish. Be sure to choose a skipper who respects the ecology and doesn’t target marginal species such as sharks, marlin and other billfish.
If you don’t want to contribute to this indiscriminate practice, look for a skipper who practices “catch and release”.
Sailing In Cabo Verde
Sailing in Cabo Verde is still quite unusual. Facilities are nowhere near as good as in the Azores or Canary Islands. Remember that it can take a long time if you need to get provisions, and even longer if you need spare parts.
At any given time, you’ll find some boats moored in the main port of São Vicente, in the beautiful anchorages in Murdeira Bay on Sal, in Fajã d’Água on Brava, and in Tarrafal in northern Santiago. You can easily make day trips on large sailboats or motorboats and even rent a yacht in São Vicente.
Turtle watching in Cabo Verde
Go turtle watching with a guide!
Between July and October, endangered sea turtles come to the coast to find a nesting site for their eggs. They are always aware of their surroundings, and the slightest change in their environment can cause them to head back to the sea. This is one of the reasons why it is not allowed to go turtle watching on your own.
Whale watching In Cabo Verde
If you want to see humpback whales, the best time to do so is between March and May. The shallow and secluded bays of Boa Vista with their warm waters offer ideal conditions for raising their young. If you want to see these animals up close, you can book a boat trip with a locale guide.
Some research companies also offer whale watching tours. Often there is also a marine biologist on board the ship who explains more about the humpback whales and why they come to Boa Vista.
Hiking in Cabo Verde
The islands of Cabo Verde have many different landscapes, from long stretched beaches to magnificent mountains and towering volcanoes.
If you like hiking, there are many unique hiking opportunities that you should definitely visit on Santo Antão, São Nicolau and Fogo.
These islands will impress you with their green mountains and deep gorges. If you want to visit a volcano that is still active, you should go to Fogo, where you can explore the crater and enjoy the panoramic view from the top.
Take part in the many festivals of Cabo Verde
If you like local culture, parades and music, check out the many festivals in Cabo Verde. Especially during the summer months, many locals travel between the islands to participate in the festivities. These festivals are not to be missed during your stay in Cabo Verde.
Click here to see the full list of festivals in Cabo Verde to see if you can attend as well.
Carnival in São Nicolau The biggest event on this quiet island takes place every year in February: the "Carnival"!Even though...
Santa Maria Music festival in Sal This festival takes place on the beach of Santa Maria, in the month of...
Things to see Cabo Verde
There are many interesting places to visit in Cabo Verde.
Around the water in Boa Vista, many ships met their end on the reefs around the island. These tragedies were...
Around the water in Boa Vista, many ships met their end on the reefs around the island. These tragedies were...