Kitesurfing in Cape Verde: every spot, and which ones are working right now

Your level

Cape Verde rewards intermediate, advanced and wave riders most. Beginners have two real refuges: the Kite Beach lagoon on Sal and the sheltered Sal Rei bay on Boa Vista. Experts get Ponta Preta and São Pedro. In between, almost every spot has a calm zone and a committing one a few hundred metres apart.

The water

Flat, shallow lagoon (Kite Beach on Sal, Sal Rei on Boa Vista, Baía das Gatas on São Vicente) = ideal to learn and to freestyle. Bay chop (Santa Maria, Salamansa) = versatile. Reef and ocean waves (Ponta Preta, Ponta do Sino, Praia de Chaves in winter) = for those who handle swell. Thin booties help near the reefs.

Wind direction

The trade wind almost always comes from the North-East, but its angle changes everything from spot to spot. At Kite Beach it's side-onshore and nudges you back to shore — the most reassuring. Elsewhere it tips side-offshore, even offshore: Ponta Preta and Sal's west points, Boa Vista's south lagoon, São Pedro. There it takes you out to sea and a current can set in — never ride those without a school or a rescue boat.

When to go

The main season runs November to May, peaking January to March on Sal. Boa Vista and São Vicente also catch a South-West/North-North-East flow in summer, stretching their season toward June-August. From July to October the wind eases everywhere: it's the low season. Tide matters little (a small Atlantic range), but an offshore current can add to it on the west points.

KiteReady folds wind, its direction and tide into every spot's score, recomputed continuously.

Beginner

Flat, shallow, sheltered lagoons — Kite Beach on Sal (side-onshore, the wind brings you back) and Sal Rei on Boa Vista (sheltered by the islet). Always with a school. Avoid solo: offshore spots like Boa Vista's south lagoon, however easy they look.

Intermediate

Versatile bays and first waves — Santa Maria and Ponta Leme on Sal, Praia de Chaves on Boa Vista, Salamansa and Baía das Gatas on São Vicente. Enough to move from flat to chop, then to the wave, while keeping the wind manageable.

Advanced · expert

Reefs and ocean waves, often cross/side-offshore — Ponta Preta (a World Cup venue, the benchmark), Ponta do Sino on Sal, and São Pedro on São Vicente (coaching and boat mandatory). Self-reliance, self-rescue and waves on the menu.

Sal

The safe bet. Direct flight (~6 h 50), the highest density of schools, the Kite Beach learning lagoon and the world-class Ponta Preta wave in one place. Wind peaks January to March. If you only pick one island, it's this one.

Boa Vista

The same direct access (~7 h) but wilder and emptier, with a longer season thanks to the summer South-West flow. Ideal if you want space, deserted beaches and to ride in summer too. A touch fewer schools than Sal.

São Vicente

The adventure-and-culture pick. No direct flight (via Lisbon, or Sal + an inter-island hop), a small single-operator kite scene, but Mindelo, the music and the only permanent flat-water lagoon in the archipelago (Baía das Gatas). Not a “package” destination: for those who want more than the beach.

In short: a first time, guaranteed wind and schools → Sal. Space and a season that spills into summer → Boa Vista. Culture, Mindelo and the Baía das Gatas flat water → São Vicente.

Peak season (January–March)

The peak, especially on Sal: the North-East trade wind is at its steadiest, 15-25 knots (gusts to 30), bright sun and water around 24 °C. This is THE window for a first trip — reliable wind, schools in full swing, lively spots.

Shoulder season (Nov–Dec & April–May)

Still fine conditions and fewer people: the trade wind holds from November to May. Spring (April-May) is often the best compromise — wind, the mildest water and quieter spots than at the peak.

Summer (June–August) — the Boa Vista & São Vicente bonus

On Sal the trade wind eases and summer is quieter. But Boa Vista and São Vicente catch a South-West and North-North-East flow that extends their season: this is the time to aim for those two islands rather than Sal, with a more irregular wind but real sessions all the same.

Low season (September–October)

The lightest months: wind grows scarce across the whole archipelago. It's the low season — perfect for seeing Cape Verde differently (hiking, diving, music in Mindelo), less so for stacking sessions. The water, though, stays warm all year.

The simplest is Sal (SID) or Boa Vista (BVC): both islands are linked to Europe by direct flights (TUI fly and others), in ~6 h 50 to 7 h, with no inter-island transport to arrange. São Vicente (VXE) has no direct flight: you go via Lisbon (TAP), or via Sal and a domestic hop (TACV/CVSky, ~€90) — there are inter-island ferries (CV Interilhas), but no useful Sal↔São Vicente link. On timing, aim for November to May (peak January-March) for Sal, switching to Boa Vista or São Vicente in summer. On gear: the water sits around 24 °C all year, a shorty or a simple neoprene top is enough, and thin booties protect you from the reefs and sea urchins (Kite Beach, Ponta do Sino). Your kite size depends on wind and your weight — KiteReady suggests it from the conditions. Finally, start with a school: they line Kite Beach on Sal (ION Club, Duotone, KBC) and Sal Rei on Boa Vista (Matchu Lopes' Duotone Pro Center, Kitekriol); on São Vicente the scene is smaller and single-operator. On the offshore spots (Ponta Preta, Boa Vista's south lagoon, São Pedro), never head out without coaching and a rescue boat.