Best airport for first-time visitors
Sal is often the easiest airport for a first Cape Verde beach vacation because Santa Maria is close and the resort infrastructure is strong.
Boa Vista works well for quieter resort stays with short transfers and wide beaches.
Best airport for culture and hiking
São Vicente is the key gateway for Mindelo and the ferry to Santo Antão. It is ideal if your trip includes music, culture and mountain scenery.
Praia on Santiago is useful for history, local life, Cidade Velha and connections to other islands.
Island-hopping flight tips
Do not overpack the itinerary with tight transfers. Cape Verde is better when you leave buffer time between islands and avoid depending on same-day connections for major plans.
For a seven-day trip, two or three islands is usually enough.
