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Logistics · Destination Guide
Wind-shaped dunes, Atlantic reef diving and protected loggerhead nesting beaches
Use this travel brief to set arrival flow, local transit, and gear movement before you lock your itinerary.
Boa Vista is reached through Aristides Pereira Airport (BVC; ICAO GVBA) at Rabil. Confirm a flight itinerary to Boa Vista, not Sal, and check any inter-island connection. Some travelers arrive via another Cabo Verde island by domestic air or ferry, but no current non-stop airline roster or daily flight promise has been verified here. Use the official airport aeronautical listing and contact your airline for schedule changes. Prearrange lodging or operator pickup, especially when staying well outside Sal Rei.
Aristides Pereira International Airport (Rabil)
BVC • GVBA
5 km southeast of Sal Rei (official airport reference) • Depends on hotel base and transport; confirm directly
Boa Vista's international and domestic airport at Rabil, southeast of Sal Rei according to the aeronautical authority. Confirm the actual flight route and hotel pickup.
Transport: Prearranged hotel pickup, Licensed taxi or private transfer, Dive-center pickup where included
Sal Rei and Praia do Estoril are the main town-side visitor base; resort groups extend along Chaves/Karamboa and toward Touareg in the south. Use prearranged hotel or center transfers, licensed taxis, or a locally guided 4x4 for rough tracks. Riamar publishes hotel pickup inclusion, while ScubaCaribe gives conflicting transfer price currencies and base arrangements. Protected nesting beaches and dunes are not open off-road driving corridors. Ask whether hotel access, parking, boat departure and any protected-area passes are covered.
Check visa exemption and allowed length of stay for your own passport through the Cabo Verde government. EASE pre-registration and the relevant Airport Security Fee are generally required for foreign arrivals, with official exemptions. The consular portal advises registering up to five days before arrival. The government says a passport should normally remain valid at least three months beyond the intended stay; nationality and visa type can change specific requirements. Keep proof of EASE and TSA payment. Accommodation tourist tax is separate.
Riamar's PADI listing documents scuba rental, air fills, wetsuits, computers and a dive boat; ScubaCaribe markets equipment rental and separate equipment-inclusive packages. Check sizes, repair capacity, compatible cylinder valves, dive computer availability and course materials before departure. Bring personal fit-critical gear, proof of certification, medical forms and a suitable exposure layer. An official ScubaCaribe map prints ocean temperatures approximately 22°C in late winter/spring and 27°C in September, but this is an operator chart, not a verified real-time measurement. No verified technical gas, CCR, decompression, apnea-buoy or overhead-support service is established.
Cabo Verde Escudo (CVE)
The local currency is the Cabo Verde escudo, tied to the euro at a fixed official reference parity. Many travel services publish EUR quotations, but payment currency, card acceptance, change and any rate used should be confirmed; no exchange conversion is assumed here.
The national tourism portal describes ATM and card payment infrastructure, but this does not ensure every terminal works at small stops or remote beaches. Withdraw or arrange enough small-denomination CVE in Sal Rei for taxis, food and incidental costs.
220V • 50Hz • C, F
Common continental European two-round-pin sockets. Travelers with non-European plugs should bring an adapter and check that chargers accept the local voltage. Power interruptions are possible.
Communications
Mobile reception and hotel Wi-Fi exist in visitor areas, but cannot be assumed on remote desert tracks or offshore boats. Ask your lodging or dive center about a local SIM or eSIM, working offshore contact and backup communications; pre-download maps. Calls and data coverage are operator- and location-dependent.
Language
Portuguese is the official language and Cabo Verdean Creole is widely spoken. Operators catering to international visitors may speak English, French, Italian or German, as shown in PADI listings; request the language used for your safety briefing and course materials.
Insurance
Use travel health insurance that covers medical evacuation and water sports. Scuba travelers need policy terms covering their depth, training, number of dives and any emergency evacuation for decompression illness. Dedicated freediving or breath-hold depth sessions can have distinct exclusions. Because no hyperbaric facilities are listed in the country, check treatment and cross-border transfer terms before leaving home, not after an incident.
Packing list
Bring light sun-protective clothing, wind layer, hydration bottle, footwear for uneven roads and dunes, passport and EASE receipt, travel medical details, and sufficient prescriptions. For dives bring certification, suitable exposure protection, mask, dive computer and any needed prescription lens. For nighttime permitted turtle interpretation wear dark clothing and follow guide lighting rules. Leave drones and bright wildlife lights out of restricted protected areas unless permission is explicit.