Getting to Cape Verde Islands: A Practical Guide
Most people book flights to Cape Verde Islands without realizing that airport logistics, visa rules, and transport on the ground operate differently than the guidebooks suggest. I went through this twice—once for work and once on my own—and here is what I learned that is not in the usual travel articles. The main entry point is Amílcar Cabral International Airport on Sal. You fly in from Lisbon, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt. From there you connect to Boa Vista or São Vicente. The domestic legs are operated by Cabo Verde Airlines, and yes, they really do use Dash 8s for everything. Seats are narrow, and checked bags count as 20kg strict. If you pack heavier, you will pay a surprise fee at check-in. The visa situation is not simple. EU citizens get a visa on arrival for up to 30 days, which costs 35 euros in cash or card. It usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes at the desk. Non-EU travelers need to check their nationality against the official list beforehand because some nationalities must apply at a consulate weeks in advance. I have seen people turn around at the airport because they were from a country not eligible for visa-on-arrival. Do not assume you qualify just because you hold a US or Schengen visa.
Getting around between islands
The most common route is Sal to São Miguel. You can take a domestic flight for about 45 minutes or the ferry that takes roughly three hours and runs on a schedule that changes without notice. The ferry is cheaper but the timing is unreliable. If you need to catch a connecting flight on a tight schedule, skip the ferry. Book the flight even if it costs more. I once arrived on a flight from São Miguel only to find the taxi queue outside was 40 people deep. There were no working taxis. I walked about two kilometers to the nearest guesthouse and messaged them—they picked me up in a private van in about twenty minutes. That guesthouse had a WhatsApp number on their booking confirmation. Keep those numbers saved. Taxi availability is poor, especially after 8pm, and the meters are unreliable if they even exist. Agree on a price before getting in.
Practical realities that trip people up
Internet here is slow and expensive. The mobile networks run on 4G in cities but drop to 3G quickly. For remote work, I ended up buying a local SIM from Unitel. It cost about 1,500 CVE for a decent data plan, which is less than ten dollars. The APN settings are tricky. I spent about twenty minutes on the phone with support trying to get it working before I found someone who told me to manually enter the APN instead of accepting the default. The default does not work in most of the interior islands. ATMs are available in major towns but they run out of cash frequently. I found one ATM on Sal that had a sign saying it was out of service for two days. People carry cash. The local currency is the Cape Verdean escudo (CVE), fixed at 110.265 CVE per euro. US dollars are sometimes accepted but you get a bad rate. Bring euros. Change your money at the airport on arrival—there are several bureaus there—or use an ATM. Hotel exchange rates are worse by about 10 to 15 percent.
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When Cape Verde Islands is not the right choice
If you want year-round beach weather, this is fine. The dry season runs from November to June, and July through October is the rainy season with high humidity. If you are traveling for digital nomad purposes, be aware that reliable co-working spaces are limited to three or four in the entire country. Most hotels offer Wi-Fi but it is not built for video calls. I worked remotely for a week and had to drive to a cafe in Praia for stable internet. That is a two-hour bus ride from Sal. If you need luxury resorts with everything included, stick to Sal. The other islands—Santiago, Fogo, Brava—have a completely different character. They are greener, cooler, and quieter. The infrastructure is thinner. Roads are narrow. Buses are the primary transport and they leave when they fill up. This is not a downside for everyone, but it matters if you have mobility issues or need guaranteed transportation.
