Boa Vista, Cape Verde Island

Address: Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde (municipality of Boa Vista)

Boa Vista is an island and municipality in the Cape Verde archipelago in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, known for its extensive sand beaches and arid, dune-dominated interior. The island is one of Cape Verde’s main tourism destinations and has a single municipal administration centered on the main town.

Visitors come for long sandy beaches such as those on the western and southern coasts, dune landscapes and year-round wind conditions that make the island popular for wind- and kite-sports. The main settlement, Sal Rei, provides accommodation, restaurants and access to boat trips and diving excursions.

The island also supports seasonal nesting by sea turtles and has protected coastal stretches and marine areas where conservation and regulated tourism intersect. Local operators run boat-based wildlife tours and beach excursions from the principal towns.

Originally settled by Portuguese colonists in the 16th century, Boa Vista developed as part of the Cape Verde archipelago with an economy historically based on salt, fishing and maritime trade before tourism expanded in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Recent decades have seen investment in resort infrastructure while conservation efforts aim to protect nesting beaches.

Boa Vista lies off the coast of West Africa in the central Atlantic and is administratively part of the Republic of Cape Verde; the island is reachable by regular flights from the national capital and by inter-island ferry services.

• Main town: The main town and administrative center is Sal Rei, which is the island’s hub for tourism, ferry connections and services.
• Wildlife and beaches: Boa Vista is an important nesting ground for loggerhead sea turtles and has long sandy beaches used for sunbathing, wind and kite sports.

Fly into Aristides Pereira International Airport (Rabil, IATA: BVC). The airport is about 6-7 km southeast of Sal Rei; taxis or rental cars take roughly 10-15 minutes to reach the town and main beaches. From Sal Rei local paved roads connect the island’s resorts and dunes; most visitors use taxis, rental cars or organised tours to move around the island.

• Fly into Aristides Pereira International Airport (near Rabil) and base yourself in Sal Rei for the widest range of accommodations, restaurants, and island tours.
• Rent a 4x4 or join guided excursions to reach the island's remote beaches and dunes-many highlights (Santa Monica beach, Viana dunes) are on rough tracks not suitable for standard cars.
• Visit early morning or late afternoon for calmer winds and the best light on the sand dunes; mid-day is both hottest and typically busiest at the main beaches.