Three hours from the UK and you're somewhere that feels completely different. Warm water, white sand, and a local beer for less than £1.50. Cape Verde is closer than most people think, and significantly cheaper once you land.
✈️ The deal
- From: London, Manchester or Bristol
- To: Sal, Cape Verde
- Airline: EasyJet
- Stops: Non-stop
- Price: £147–£199 return
- When: June – November 2026
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💰 How far does your money go?
A cold Strela (Cape Verde's local beer) costs about £1.50 at a beach bar. A plate of freshly grilled tuna at a local restaurant runs to around £5. You can eat and drink for an entire evening for what a round in a London pub costs before 9pm. Budget travellers get by comfortably on £25 a day for food, drinks, and local transport.
☀️ The weather
Sal sits just below the Tropic of Cancer. June through November brings consistent sun and temperatures between 25 and 30°C. The northeast trade winds keep things comfortable even at the peak of summer. Cape Verde gets almost no rain, even in the so-called wet season. You're not gambling on the weather here.
🏨 Where to stay
Most accommodation is concentrated in Santa Maria, steps from the beach.
Ah Xamedu Sal Hostel — 8.6/10 · From £21/night Rooftop terrace, shared kitchen, right in the heart of Santa Maria. Short walk to the beach and everything else on the island.
Hotel Odjo d'água — 8.5/10 · From £76/night Four-star beachfront hotel with pool, garden, and a 9.6/10 location score. The sea is 30 seconds from your room.
Hotel Morabeza — 8.7/10 · From £87/night The original and most beloved hotel on the island. Three pools, tennis courts, and a beachfront setting. Old-school Cape Verde charm that newer resorts can't replicate.
🎯 What to do
Sal is small, unhurried, and surprisingly varied once you get off the main beach.
Pedra de Lume salt crater — A volcanic crater filled with hypersaline water where you float effortlessly. The salt pans turn pink at sunset. One of those genuinely unusual experiences you'll struggle to explain to people back home.
Sea turtle watching — Sal is one of the most important loggerhead turtle nesting sites in the Atlantic. Night tours run from June to October. Watching a turtle come ashore to lay eggs is something most people never forget.
Praia de Santa Maria — Two kilometres of white sand and flat turquoise water. The beach bars get going in the late afternoon. Stay for the sunset.
Off-road buggy tour — The island has no green interior, but it does have volcanic craters, salt flats, and a desert landscape that looks like another planet. A buggy tour covers ground no taxi or hire car will reach.
🗺️ Where to go from here
Sal is Cape Verde's main entry point and a natural base for island hopping.
Boa Vista — 40-minute flight or a 4-hour ferry. The Saharan dunes here meet the Atlantic directly. Near-empty beaches, nesting turtles, and very few other tourists.
Santiago — 45-minute flight. Cape Verde's main island and home to Cidade Velha, the first European colonial city in the tropics and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
São Vicente — 1-hour flight. Mindelo is the cultural capital: live music every night, Art Deco harbour, and a creative scene that punches well above the island's size.
Santo Antão — Ferry from São Vicente (1 hour, no direct flights). Dramatic mountain valleys, lush gorges, and the best hiking in Cape Verde.
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