Cheap holiday Boa Vista

When is the best time to visit?

Boa Vista sits off the West African coast and has sunshine all year, with temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees. November to June is the most pleasant: plenty of sun, less wind and sea water around 23 degrees. July to October is warmer and windier, the season for kitesurfers. Loggerhead turtles come ashore to nest from late May to October, and humpback whales pass the coast from March to June.

The best areas to stay

• Sal Rei The lively little capital and tourist heart, with the Praca de Santa Isabel square, restaurants and excursion desks within walking distance of the beach.
• Praia de Chaves A long dune beach with a handful of resorts, ten minutes from Sal Rei, lovely for seaside walks.
• Santa Monica The 34 km white-sand beach, often called the finest in Cape Verde, remote and reachable only by 4x4 or excursion.
• Cabo Santa Maria The north coast with its famous shipwreck on the beach, a popular photo stop on quad and buggy tours.
• Rabil An authentic village on the edge of the Viana desert, with an old pottery workshop and quiet local life.

Top 5 things to do in Boa Vista

• Santa Monica beach Miles of empty, powder-white sand for long beach walks without seeing a soul.
• Viana desert A mini-Sahara of wind-blown Saharan sand, explored by quad or buggy from around 85 euros per person.
• Turtle watching A guided night excursion in nesting season (late May to October), arranged responsibly through a local nature organisation.
• Cabo Santa Maria wreck A cargo ship stranded in the middle of the beach, the best-known landmark of the rugged north coast.
• Whales and dolphins A boat trip from Sal Rei, with the best chance of humpbacks between March and June.

Flights + transport from the Netherlands

From Amsterdam you fly direct to Boa Vista (BVC) in about 6 hours with TUI fly, usually twice a week in the winter season. There are no direct flights from Eindhoven, so you connect via another airport. The airport is 5 km from Sal Rei. The island roads are partly unpaved, so a quad, buggy or 4x4 excursion is handiest for the remote beaches, while aqua buses and taxis take you to the beaches near Sal Rei.

What does a trip to Boa Vista cost?

Many hotels work all-inclusive: a room starts around 45 euros, all-in often 70 to 110 euros per person per night. A quad or buggy tour through the Viana desert costs from 85 euros, a turtle excursion 30 to 50 euros and a whale-watching boat trip 40 to 60 euros. For a week, reckon on from about 550 euros per person including a direct flight. Insider tip: only book the turtle excursion through a recognised nature organisation and keep your distance with dimmed light, so you do not disturb the animals and you support the protection of the beaches.