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Weather in Cape Verde
African soul and Atlantic waves off the coast of Senegal
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About Cape Verde
Cape Verde is an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Atlantic that combines African warmth, Portuguese colonial history, and year-round sunshine. Boa Vista and Sal have spectacular sandy beaches. Santo Antao has dramatic hiking through lush valleys. And the music — morna, the Cape Verdean blues — gives the islands a soul you feel immediately.
Best months to visit
January, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Language
Portuguese / Creole
Things to do in Cape Verde
Boa Vista beaches
Windsurf and kitesurf
Santa Maria market
Santo Antao hiking
Morna music evenings
Sea turtle watching
Weather by month
Click any month for detailed weather information and travel tips.
Recommended
January
23C
Mild and comfortable, and mostly sunny skies.
February
22C
Mild and comfortable, and mostly sunny skies.
Recommended
March
22C
Mild and comfortable, and mostly sunny skies.
Recommended
April
22C
Mild and comfortable, and mostly sunny skies.
Recommended
May
23C
Mild and comfortable, and mostly sunny skies.
Recommended
June
24C
Mild and comfortable, and mostly sunny skies.
Recommended
July
25C
Warm and pleasant, and mostly sunny skies.
Recommended
August
26C
Warm and pleasant, and mostly sunny skies.
Recommended
September
27C
Warm and pleasant, with occasional showers.
Recommended
October
27C
Warm and pleasant, and mostly sunny skies.
Recommended
November
26C
Warm and pleasant, and mostly sunny skies.
Recommended
December
24C
Mild and comfortable, and mostly sunny skies.
Cape Verde is the Atlantic's best-kept secret — ten volcanic islands scattered 570km off the West African coast, each with a dramatically different character: the dunes of Boa Vista look borrowed from the Sahara, the mountains of Santo Antão offer some of the finest hiking in the Atlantic islands, and the culture island of São Vicente pulses with the morna music that made Cesária Évora famous worldwide. The water is turquoise, the trade winds are perfect for windsurfing, and the Cape Verdean creole culture is one of the Atlantic's most fascinating and welcoming.
Best areas to stay in Cape Verde
Sal (Santa Maria)
Cape Verde's most visited island — Santa Maria's beach strip, excellent kitesurfing, and the island's flat landscape with extraordinary salt pans from which it takes its name.
Boa Vista
The island of dunes — the Saharan landscape meets the Atlantic with extraordinary 50-metre sand dunes, loggerhead turtle nesting beaches, and a quiet, unspoilt character.
Santo Antão
The most dramatically beautiful island — deep ribeiras (valleys) carved by volcanic eruption, extraordinary hiking trails from coast to cloud-forest peaks, and a traditional Creole agricultural culture.
São Vicente (Mindelo)
Cape Verde's cultural capital — the birthplace of morna music, excellent seafood restaurants along the marina, and the most cosmopolitan character in the archipelago.
Getting to Cape Verde
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Flights
Sal (SID) and Boa Vista (BVC) airports are served by direct charter flights from London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, and other UK airports with Jet2, TUI, and easyJet. A journey of approximately 5.5 hours.
⏱
From London
~5.5 hours direct from London
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Getting around
Within Sal and Boa Vista, taxis and hire cars are the main options; aluguers (shared minibuses) serve local routes cheaply. Inter-island travel is by domestic flight or ferry.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Cape Verde?
November to June offers the most pleasant weather — warm and dry with manageable trade winds. July to September brings stronger winds ideal for windsurfing and kitesurfing, with Sal and Boa Vista the prime locations. October sees the tail end of the brief rainy season.
Which Cape Verde island should I visit?
Sal and Boa Vista are the beach and watersports islands with most direct UK flights; Santo Antão is the hiking island with dramatic mountain scenery; São Vicente (Mindelo) is the cultural capital; Santiago (Praia) is the most historically significant as the capital.
Do UK citizens need a visa for Cape Verde?
Yes — a pre-arrival registration is required at ease.gov.cv (US$50), or a visa on arrival (€25) is available at main airports. Most package tour operators handle this automatically.
Is Cape Verde good for watersports?
Exceptional — the consistent trade winds (averaging force 4–6) make Sal and Boa Vista among the world's best kitesurfing and windsurfing destinations. The warm, clear Atlantic also offers excellent snorkelling, diving, and whale watching.
Can I combine multiple Cape Verde islands?
Yes — TACV Cabo Verde Airlines and Binter operate inter-island flights (30–45 minutes between main islands) and ferries connect the windward islands. A two-island trip combining Sal (beach) with São Vicente (culture) or Santo Antão (hiking) is a popular itinerary.
Traveler reviews
★★★★★
Cape Verde in January was the best winter sun decision we've ever made — warm, blue water, and almost none of the development of Tenerife or the Canaries. The turtle nesting beach at Boa Vista (guided night tour) was an extraordinary and moving experience.
Karen H. · January 2024
★★★★☆
Spent a week on Sal for kitesurfing and the conditions were perfect — force 5 winds and flat water in the lagoon, warm air and warm sea. Santa Maria beach town is charming and the seafood is excellent and affordable compared to similar European beach destinations.
Phil M. · March 2023
★★★★★
Santo Antão was extraordinary — hiking the ribeiras between almond trees and sugarcane with views down to the sea 1,000m below was the most dramatic walking I've done outside the Alps. The Creole grogue rum from the local distillery was the perfect end to each day.
Jane T. · October 2024
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