Which is the best island in Cape Verde?

Welcome to Cape Verde 101. Get in on the hype and check out this volcanic archipelago’s Instagram-worthy salt lakes, deep-green mountain ranges, and solid windsurfing swell. Pick your fighter – Boa Vista versus Sal. We’ve put these two standouts in a head-to-head to battle it out for your next Cape Verde visit. Who’s it going to be?

Cape Verde in a nutshell

Cape Verde is a catch. This cluster of sure spots used to be known as forgotten-by-time islands, but now, they’re sitting pretty at the top of travellers’ must-visit lists. Why? Because of those coconut-white beaches, craggy peaks, and an unbeatable watersports scene. You’ll find them around 500km off the west coast of Africa, which means that sweet Vitamin D is a given pretty much all year-round.

Beachy Boa Vista

Best for: Escaping the crowds

Don’t miss: Santa Monica Beach

Need a reason to reach for your passport? Boa Vista’s got loads. Just three things worth shouting about include its desert-island feel, rolling sand dunes, and its amazing watersports offering. By the way, did you know Boa Vista is one of the best places in the world for windsurfing? Thanks to its position in the Atlantic Ocean, its lack of strong currents and large swells mean you’ll be able to board to your heart’s content.

And if sunning yourself is more your thing, there are plenty of beaches where you can do exactly that. In fact, this gorgeous island boasts more than 55 kilometres’ worth of honey-coloured sands, where rocky bays and top snorkelling spots aren’t hard to come by. We recommend stretching out on Santa Monica Beach – it’s named after California’s best-looking sands for good reason. Here, the belt of sand stretches out for a whopping 18 kilometres, making it the ideal spot if you want to run by the sea. Plus, because it’s such a huge beach, you’ll likely have it all to yourself. Bliss.

Sun-soaked Sal

A tough competition for the title of beach heaven, the sun-kissed resort of Sal raises you powder-white sands, diamond-blue coloured waters, and plenty of good vibes. The icing on the cake? A wealth of chilled-out beach bars sidling up to the sands, meaning you’ll never be too far away from those mandatory, ice-cold Caipirinha cocktails.

Look away from Sal’s shoreline, though, and you’ll still find plenty of things to do. The star of the show here is the town of Santa Maria, where you can spend the day wandering through colorful cobbled streets that settle in next to surf shacks, traditional Cape Verdean restaurants, and a handful of al fresco cafés. The seafood is something else. And you won’t want to miss out on browsing through the market stalls, either, where you’ll find everything from clay dolls to coconut shell carvings, and traditional African masks it’s perfect for culture vultures.