Boa Vista: The Island's Regions at a Glance

Boa Vista is the island of dunes. It is also the island closest to the African mainland, and you feel it. Sand drifts across the roads, white beaches run for kilometres, and the interior looks more like the Sahara than the Atlantic. Yet the island is far from uniform. Each region tells its own story, from the colonial streets of the capital to wild beaches where turtles lay their eggs.

Here is how Boa Vista breaks down for visitors, region by region.

The Northwest: town life and history

This is where the island lives. Most visitors start their stay here, and most locals call it home.

Sal Rei is the capital and the island's only real town. Life moves at an easy pace. Colonial houses line the streets, and in the evening the Praça de Santa Isabel fills with families, music and conversation. You'll find restaurants, shops, banks and the island's harbour, the Porto de Sal Rei.

Two beaches sit right on the town's doorstep. Praia de Estoril, just south of the centre, has calm, sheltered water. It suits families and is a base for water sports. Praia de Cabral lies to the north.

Across the bay rises the Ilhéu de Sal Rei. On this small islet stand the ruins of the Forte Duque de Bragança, built to defend the island against pirates. The islet also shields the bay from the swell, which makes the water in front of Sal Rei ideal for swimming and snorkelling.

See also: Sal Rei, the capital · Praia de Estoril in Sal Rei

The West and Southwest: dunes, resorts and the old capital

Head south along the coast from Sal Rei, and Boa Vista shows its most famous face.

Rabil lies close to Aristides Pereira International Airport. The old village is known for its pottery workshop, where the craft of working clay is kept alive. Nearby, the Ribeira do Rabil and its lagoon form an important wetland. It is a protected Ramsar site and a stopover for migratory birds.

Praia de Chaves is the image many people have of Boa Vista. Huge dunes roll straight down to the ocean. The beach is long, wide and bright. Several of the island's large all-inclusive resorts stand here, drawn by the sheer scale of the sand.

Further inland lies Povoação Velha, the oldest settlement on the island and its former capital. The village sits at the foot of the Rocha Estância, with its small chapel of Santo António. It is a natural stop on the way to the southern beaches.

On the coast nearby, Praia de Varandinha breaks the pattern of long, flat beaches. Here the sea has carved the rocks into arches and caves. It is one of the most photogenic corners of the island.

Then comes the great one. Praia de Santa Mónica is often called the most beautiful beach in all of Cabo Verde. It stretches for some 18 to 22 kilometres of untouched white sand and turquoise water. Access is difficult, which is exactly why it still feels empty and wild.

Between the dunes and the coast, the Reserva Natural do Morro de Areia protects coastal dunes and an important habitat for birds and turtles.

See also: Chaminé de Chaves · Povoação Velha · Praia de Chaves · Praia de Santa Mónica · Reserva Morro de Areia

The North and Northeast: desert and traditional villages

The north is rural, quiet and full of surprises.

The Deserto de Viana lies in the northern interior. Visitors often describe it as a piece of the Sahara in the middle of the Atlantic. White sand dunes, said to have been blown across from Africa, mix with dark volcanic rock and sparse vegetation. The result is an almost lunar landscape.

Further east runs the route of the northern villages. João Galego, Fundo das Figueiras and Cabeça dos Tarafes are the island's greenest and most agricultural places. Here you see traditional rural life up close. And you feel the famous morabeza, the warm hospitality Cabo Verde is known for.

On the north coast lies Praia de Atalanta, also known as the Costa da Boa Esperança. It is home to the island's most famous wreck. The Spanish cargo ship Cabo Santa Maria ran aground here in 1968. Its rusting hull has since become a symbol of Boa Vista.

The South: endless beaches and wild nature

The south belongs to nature. The landscape is raw, the beaches seem endless, and the ecological value is high.

The southwestern end of the coast is dominated by Santa Mónica, also called Curralinho. Beyond its beauty, it plays a vital role for wildlife: it is a key nesting area for the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta.

At the island's southern tip lies Praia de Lacacão. The sand is vast, and the sea here is often rough and restless. The area belongs to an Integrated Tourism Development Zone, and large hotels have been built along the coast, among them the Hotel RIU Touareg.

East of these beaches stand the ruins of Curral Velho, once a fishing village and a centre of salt production. The old salt lagoon and the Ilhéu de Curral Velho give the site great heritage and ecological value. The islet is a strict nature reserve and a vital sanctuary for seabirds, including the brown booby and the red-billed tropicbird, known locally as alcatraz and rabil.

The Southeast: salt pans and turtles

The eastern and southeastern side of Boa Vista is the most remote. It is also the most important for conservation.

Around Curral Velho, the abandoned village and the old salt pans lie close to the islet of the same name, a key refuge for seabirds.

The beaches of Ervatão and João Barrosa are the heart of the island's turtle story. Boa Vista is the third-largest nesting site in the world for the loggerhead turtle. Between June and October, these beaches are where most of the nesting happens. For visitors, it's a reason to explore responsibly, ideally with a licensed guide.