Sal Island in Cape Verde is the most developed beach resort destination in the archipelago, a flat, arid island of extraordinary Atlantic beaches including Santa Maria — a wide horseshoe of white sand and turquoise water — and the consistent trade winds that have made Sal world-famous for windsurfing and kitesurfing, hosting international competitions at Kite Beach. Hotels in Santa Maria on Sal offer the full Cape Verdean beach resort experience with watersports, Creole cuisine, and the island's remarkable atmospheric mix of African and Portuguese culture.
The most complete luxury resort in the Cape Verde archipelago, Meliá Tortuga occupies a full kilometer of the extraordinary Tortuga Beach on Sal Island with villas and bungalows in a tropical garden, an adults-only pool, and a spa using local volcanic and marine ingredients. The wind and kitesurfing conditions directly offshore are among the best in the Atlantic.
On the extraordinary Chave Beach of Boa Vista — one of the longest uninterrupted white sand beaches in the Atlantic — Iberostar Club offers a comprehensive all-inclusive in a vast complex with multiple pools, entertainment, and excellent water sports. The island's turtle-nesting season (July–October) adds a remarkable natural dimension.
The best hotel in Cape Verde's capital Praia on Santiago Island, Praiamar has a clifftop position with Atlantic views, a pool terrace, and easy access to the UNESCO Cidade Velha, the country's vibrant African music scene, and the excellent Ribeira Grande valley hiking. An underrated base for exploring Cape Verde's most culturally rich island.
The most extraordinary accommodation in Cape Verde: a small eco-lodge inside the caldera of the active Fogo volcano, with rooms built from volcanic lava stone directly on the slopes of Pico do Fogo. The sunrise views of the shadow of the volcanic cone stretching across the Atlantic are among the most extraordinary on earth.
A collection of stone cottages in the dramatic Paul Valley on Santo Antão — the most spectacularly beautiful island in the archipelago — with a pool, a restaurant using exclusively local produce, and the best hiking access to the valley's extraordinary terraced gorges. The resident naturalist guide is exceptional.
A charming boutique resort in the centre of Santa Maria on Sal, Dunas de Sal has the most Portuguese colonial character of any hotel on the island, with azulejo-tiled corridors, a garden pool, and a terrace restaurant serving excellent grilled fish and caipirinha-inspired cocktails. The beach is a short walk.
