Air Transport
Cape Verde has 4 international airports on the islands of Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago and São Vicente. And 3 national aerodromes on Islands of Fogo, São Nicolau and Maio.
It is possible to visit 7 islands (Sal, São Vicente, São Nicolau, Boa Vista, Maio, Santiago and Fogo) by plane, 1 of the islands is uninhabited (Santa Luzia) and 2 others have no air connection due to its geographical conditions (mountainous), Island of Santo Antão and Island of Brava, its only possible to visit them by boat. The island of Santo Antão through the island of Sao Vicente and the island of Brava through the island of Fogo.
International Flights
Internationally Cape Verde receives flights from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Poland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Morocco, Angola, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Finland, Brazil, Gambia, Nigeria, Senegal and the United States of America.
Major travel companies: CaboVerde Airlines, TAP, NeOS, TUI, Thomson Airways, Brussels Airlines, Air Morocco, Air Senegal, Transavia, Sata Azores Airline.
The air HUB is located in Sal Island and receives connecting flights from countries in Africa to the United States, from Brazil to Europe and vice versa. Cabo Verde Airlines offers a stopover option on the island of Sal for up to 5 days without paying more on your ticket (inform your agency).
Transport At the airport
Airport Transfers: There is no public transport at the airport. The way to reach the city or your hotel / accommodation is by taxi or transfer. Please contact us for the airport transfer or book directly. Avoid the hassle of waiting in long lines or the expense of a taxi and enjoy a clean, safe and reliable transfer between your hotel in Santa Maria city or espargos city and Amilcar Cabral International Airport.
Domestic flights
The connection between islands is provided by Cabo Verde Airlines. Flying is the easiest, most comfortable, reliable and fastest way to travel between islands. There are several daily flights between the islands. The flight time is between 15 and 50 minutes, depending on the distance. Taking a domestic flight is expensive for local people but it is cheaper than flying between cities in Brazil.
Sea Transport
Cape Verde, given its island-based status, is a country with a strong maritime tradition and very dependent on sea connections to meet its basic needs (travel and goods, fuel, etc.).
Boat or ferry
The transport of goods and foodstuffs between the islands of Cape Verde is something that the local population does regularly. Both companies and local people use this means of transport to send goods between islands economically. Families with less financial means travel between the islands in these boats. The boats take much longer to reach a destination than the plane, and given the islands are in the middle of the ocean there are connections that you will find the sea very rough, so they are a much more cheap way of traveling.
Distances between islands will differ, travel by boat could be overnight or only an hour. You will need to consider timings of travel as adverse weather conditions may mean you cannot travel by boat or plane, which may mean missing other connecting travel arrangements A frequent journey by ferry is the crossing from Sao Vicente to Santo Antao and from Island of Fogo to Island of Brava, both takes a maximum of 1 hour.
Between Sal and Boavista have is a yacht excursion that provides day trips in favourable weather conditions.
The Ports
The archipelago has nine ports. The Ports of Praia, Mindelo (Porto Grande) and Sal (Palmeira) are international.
All ports in the country are managed and operated by Enapor-Empresa Nacional de Administração dos Portos de Cabo Verde.
Above all, it is the international companies, such as Agemar, Beletrans, Atlântic Shipping, Lda, Maersk, Portline and Trasinsular, that guarantee the services of shipping and cargo and container transportation.
National cabotage is reserved for national companies, by CV-Interilhas, Padre Benjamim, Conceição Maria and Ribeira de Paul. CV-Interilhas currently has a fleet of 6 vessels: • Inter-Ilhas, Liberdadi, chiquinho and Kriola are roll on roll off catamarans; • Praia d’Aguada and Sotavento correspond to conventional cargo ships and passengers.
Conceição Maria and Ribeira de Paul are conventional cargo ships and passengers while Father Benjamim is only a cargo ship.
Sea connection Ports:
Porto Novo, Ilha de Santo Antão Porto Grande, Ilha de São Vicente Porto de Tarrafal, Ilha de São Nicolau Porto de Palmeira, Ilha do Sal Porto Sal-Rei, Ilha de Boa Vista Porto Ingles, Ilha do Maio Porto da praia, Ilha de Santiago Porto Vale Cavaleiros, Ilha do Fogo Porto Furna, Ilha da Brava