Travel Advice
The best time to visit Cape Verde
Cape Verde is a year-round destination with warm, dry weather. Here's how the seasons work — when to go for beaches, hiking, turtles, whales and Carnival.
One of Cape Verde’s biggest selling points is its year-round climate: warm, dry and sunny for most of the year, cooled by Atlantic trade winds. There is no bad time to visit — only trade-offs.
The dry season (roughly November–June)
This is the classic window: reliable sunshine, comfortable temperatures and steady breezes. It suits beach holidays on Sal and Boa Vista, and it’s the coolest, clearest time for hiking on Santo Antão. The wind also makes the January–March period prime time for kitesurfing on Sal.
The warmer season (roughly August–October)
Temperatures and humidity rise, and this is the only period with any real chance of rain — usually brief. The upside: it overlaps with loggerhead turtle nesting season on Boa Vista and Sal (see wildlife).
Events worth timing
- Carnival (February) — best experienced in Mindelo, São Vicente
- Turtle season (roughly June–October) — Boa Vista and Sal
- Whale watching (spring) — humpbacks pass the islands
Quick guide
| If you want… | Aim for |
|---|---|
| Reliable beach sun | November–June |
| Kitesurfing | January–March |
| Turtles | June–October |
| Carnival & music | February (Mindelo) |
| Cooler hiking | December–March |
Related pages
Last reviewed: July 2026. Travel rules and football data change — always confirm time-sensitive details before you rely on them.