What to see in Boa Vista in 7 days

The trade winds, which have been blowing for centuries, have shaped the sand from the Sahara into a unique landscape in the archipelago that looks like something from another planet.

Away from the main tourist routes and in the middle of a semi-desert landscape, this charming village of colourful colonial houses and dirt roads enchants us with its simple and relaxed local life.

The former capital of Boa Vista, once the epicentre of Cape Verde’s pottery industry, still retains a few lovely, traditional ceramics workshops.

The most remote and wildest corner of the island of Boa Vista, known among locals as the “Cape at the End of the World”, is famous for the remains of a Spanish cargo ship that ran aground in 1968 and its kilometre-long beach where turtles lay their eggs.

Over thousands of years, the Atlantic and the trade winds have been moulding these caves in the remote southwest of Boa Vista island into magical formations that can only be visited at low tide.

Explore the archipelago’s wildest island on foot, along trails that cross desert-like expanses of dunes, mountains that were once volcanoes, and coastlines with views of the Atlantic.

The organisations dedicated to the conservation of this species at risk of extinction organise guided excursions by night to observe the loggerhead turtle nesting.

Whether it’s batik fabrics, shell jewellery, handcrafted pottery, or gourmet treats like Cape Verdean goat’s cheese, Santo Antão honey or grogue, you can’t leave without taking a piece of the heart and soul of this Cape Verde island away with you.

In contrast to its desert and volcanic surface, Cape Verde’s third largest island hides a fascinating underwater world of shipwrecks, colourful reefs and wildlife including loggerhead turtles, nurse sharks, bottlenose dolphins and a variety of tropical fish.

This four-star resort offers a holistic wellness experience, with facilities that include a sauna and Turkish bath, five massage cabins, two swimming pools, several restaurants, and direct access to the beach.

This vast, untouched beach, rich in biodiversity, offers the unique experience of being able to swim surrounded by towering sand dunes.

On the island of dunes and constant wind, surfing becomes a dance with the Atlantic from deserted, pristine beaches, offering the boldest surfers a pure experience, with no crowds and with the feeling of being in an undiscovered paradise.