Custom travel agency in Cape Verde

The archipelago can be visited almost year-round thanks to its Sahelian climate tempered by trade winds. The dry season, from November to June, remains the most popular: clear skies, mild temperatures around 24-27°C, calm seas and Santo Antão hiking trails accessible without low clouds. The months of July to October, hotter and more humid, green the valleys of Santiago and Fogo, but may bring brief showers. For surfing and kitesurfing in Sal and Boa Vista, aim for December-March, when winds strengthen. Hiking enthusiasts will prefer February-May, more stable. As for humpback whales, they pass offshore between March and May, and sea turtles nest from August to October.

Cape Verde is not a budget destination, mainly due to the cost of inter-island flights with Bestfly or ferry connections with CV Interilhas, which structure the entire logistics of a circuit. Budget around 1,800 to 2,500 € per person for two well-planned weeks, international flights included, in family-run accommodations or charming hotels. On the ground, a cachupa meal in a tasca costs around 6-8 €, a good restaurant in Mindelo between 20 and 30 €. 4x4 rentals on Santo Antão or Fogo represent a significant expense, as do local guides for hiking. A beach stay in Sal logically costs less than a multi-island combination.

Navigating between ten islands, nine of them inhabited, requires genuine local expertise. Domestic flights change without notice, ferries depend on sea conditions, and certain accommodations on Brava or São Nicolau can only be booked by phone, in Creole. This is precisely what our team based in Cap-Vert handles daily: adjusting an itinerary when a boat is cancelled, booking the right aluguer to cross Santo Antão, or introducing you to Tututa, who sings morna from her home in São Vicente. By working with a local English-speaking agency, you avoid standardized circuits sold from Europe and benefit from a contact on the ground, readily available, capable of responding quickly and proposing addresses that appear in no guidebook.

It all depends on the pace you're looking for. Santo Antão remains the playground for hikers, with the Paul valley, the Cova ridges and paved trails tumbling down to the sea. São Vicente lives to the rhythm of Mindelo, its colonial port, live music bars and the memory of Cesária Évora. Fogo impresses with its still-active volcano and vineyards planted in ash. Santiago, the mother island, preserves in Cidade Velha the traces of Europe's first trading post under the tropics. For beaches, Boa Vista and Sal line up dunes, turquoise lagoons and kitesurfing spots. A good itinerary typically combines three islands, mixing hiking, Creole culture and relaxation, without giving in to the temptation to see everything.