Cape Verde · TURTLE WATCHING
Loggerheads nest on these beaches through the summer and autumn, and the visits are guided, licensed and capped for a reason. The 15 below cover the nesting beaches on Boa Vista, Sal and São Vicente, with prices, start times and how far you walk in the dark.
Watch nesting sea turtles on Sal Island by moonlight, with expert guides, hotel pickup, infrared lights, and careful conservation practices.
“This was a magical experience. The guide was very knowledgeable. Be prepared to have some patience, but as you wait you can enjoy the starry skies.”
Review of Boa Vista’s 4x4 shark, turtle, cave, sandboarding, beach, and grogue tour, with practical tips on value, timing, and wildlife sightings.
“This is one of the best tours you don’t want to miss out on if you’re staying in Boa Vista. Sandboarding is great fun and shouldn’t be missed. Unfortunately we didn’t see any sharks but hey that’s nature for you. Beautiful Santa Monica beach, caves and seeing the turtles in their natural habitat. At the end of the morning a little local tasting went down a great treat. The tour guides and drivers were fantastic hosts. Recommend it 100%”
Watch nesting sea turtles on Sal’s quiet beaches, meet conservation guides, and learn the nesting process on a small-group evening tour.
“This is one of those activities that you need to experience. We were picked up from the hotel on time and taken to a secluded beach. After waiting around for over an hour whilst the guides looked for activity we finally saw some baby turtles emerging from the sand and scurrying towards the sea. This was followed by a turtle emerging from the sea to lay her eggs. We were allowed to get up close and experience this wonderful act of nature. After the turtle had returned to the sea we were lucky enough to experience another hatching. This was a great experience and highly recommended”
Explore Boa Vista’s dunes, turtles, lemon sharks, Santa Monica Beach and local flavors on a lively four-hour 4x4 adventure.
“Really interesting and so fun, one of the best days of our holiday. Such a good variety of activities and didn't feel too rushed - though would have loved a little more time to swim and enjoy Santa Monica beach (only 15 mins - remember to bring swimming stuff!). Freddie was a great guide, very kind, great sense of humour and took time to talk a bit about Cape Verde and the history. Definitely would recommend!”
Swim with sea turtles near São Pedro on a guided 90-minute trip from Mindelo, with transfers, snorkeling gear, and flexible cancellation.
“Our guide, Eddie, was incredibly helpful, kind, and patient. He guided us close to the turtles and stayed with us. It was my first time and I would definitely do it again !”
Swim with sea turtles off São Vicente on a guided São Pedro boat trip with gear, hotel pickup, and beginner-friendly support.
Explore Boa Vista on a 7-hour tour with Djeu Island snorkeling, Santa Monica Beach, sharks, turtles, caves, lunch, and sandboarding.
“If it was possible I would give this excursion at least 10 stars!!! Highly recommended! Josh was so amazing, kind & funny.”
Watch loggerhead turtles lay eggs on Sal Island, with hotel pickup, a glamping tent briefing, snacks, and careful night walks.
“unforgettable evening with the laying of 2 turtles on a beautiful beach with a starry sky. the hatching of small turtles, the release by us of the small ones. magic and so rare. the guide (Marta) is of good advice and makes us live this experience to the fullest. more than affordable price.”
Review of Boa Vista’s guided turtle tour: small groups, hotel pickup, loggerhead nesting, hatchlings, price, timing, and practical tips.
“Fantastic tour! We were picked up at around 8pm from our hotel and taken on a short drive to the beach. Our guide was fantastic and gave us all of the necessary knowledge about the loggerheads turtles before we saw them. We saw well ovRead more”
Snorkel with sea turtles near São Pedro from Mindelo, with hotel pickup, a small group, boat ride, gear, and expert guidance.
“Hat alles super funktioniert und ich hatte riesigen Spaß mit den Schildkröten.”
Swim with sea turtles off São Vicente on a small-group snorkeling tour from Mindelo, with gear, transfers, and a local fishing boat included.
“Het was magisch, en heel respectvol naar de dieren toe! dank jullie wel!”
Review of Boa Vista’s 4x4 tour with sandboarding, turtles, lemon sharks, village tastings, guide tips, price advice, and practical details.
“Fredy was a superb guide, very knowledgable, a good/bad influence ;) and lots of fun was had sandboarding (please note this is sat down only - not stood up sandsurfing like the pics show), off road drifting, seeing the green turtles, lemon sharRead more”
Review of Boa Vista’s 3-hour turtle tour: see Caretta Caretta turtles, learn low-impact viewing rules, and weigh the group-size drawbacks.
“It was unforgettable, the staff was all very friendly, explained everything, and it was the most amazing experience ever ♥️”
Swim beside sea turtles in São Pedro near Mindelo on a small boat tour with pickup, snorkeling gear, guides, and Atlantic views.
“Bellissima esperienza. Nuotare in mezzo a queste creature è stato davvero stupendo. C'erano 6-7 tartarughe che stavano lì girando intorno senza paura, è stato possibile sia fotografarle che fare video. Hernani (driver) e Diego (in barca) sono davvero simpatici e ci hanno fatto sentire a nostro agio. Lo rifarei senza dubbio”
Swim with young sea turtles near São Pedro, Cape Verde, on a small-group boat trip from Mindelo with pickup included.
“It was a great experience. As promised we saw sea Turtles, approximately 4 of them. The guide was able to interact and play with them. It was shorter than the hour promised but the tides were strong that day so very understandable. We alwRead more”
Every kind of day out in the islands, and the best of each.
