Time for a winter break, just a 6-hour flight from Amsterdam. Almost all flights were cancelled due to snow and ice, but ours left on time—and I’ve never seen Schiphol Airport so quiet. TUI rocks! 😉 Especially because you can bring 30 kg of surf equipment for a reasonable price.
This trip included some gear testing, and the forecast looked windy. Together with Thomas, the two of us had never been to Boa Vista or Cape Verde before. We had heard about an easy, forgiving wave breaking between the harbor and a small island. Water temperatures in January are around 22°C, with air temperatures between 20 and 25°C. Sounded perfect.
Below are two video’s from our wingfoiling on Boa Vista:
Long story short: it was perfect. We had wind every day for 4–5 m wings. The first few days brought some waves, which unfortunately stopped later on—but it was still fun. The two weeks before our arrival hadn’t seen much wind, so we were lucky. Usually, the windiest period is from December to April, which suits us perfectly.
Wingfoil conditions at Sal Rei, Boa Vista
Walking around Boa Vista sometimes feels like a scene from a western movie—except with large concrete apartment blocks popping up everywhere. Sandy streets in between, empty plots ready for more construction. You can really feel an island that’s being discovered by tourists more and more. For those of us who love wind, that’s not necessarily a good thing.
At the main spot, Praia do Estoril (Sal Rei), the wind is fully offshore. Because of all the new buildings—and more coming—they block the wind, making the spot quite gusty. It’s still doable for wingfoiling, but for windsurfing I’d say it’s a no-go area by now.
The main wave breaks a bit further out, towards the harbor. Here the wind is a bit more consistent. The wave here is very forgiving. Only when it gets big it can become powerfull. For most wingfoilers this is a perfect wave to learn to ride waves. If you not as confident, you can just chicken jibe in the left over swell, and ride this instead of going into breaking wave. When the wind is powered up, it can be a challenge to keep up with the wave. The wave is fast, but there is also quite some headwind riding.
Learning to wingfoil and safety
Even though the wind is offshore, it feels pretty safe. As long as you stay out of the wave area, the water is usually completely flat and without current. That makes it great for learning wingfoiling. If something goes wrong, the guys from the surf rentals or storage places are happy to help you by boat—at least if you store or rent your gear there. During lessons, they constantly follow you by boat as well.
The water isn’t very deep, which is great if you need to walk or swim back, but less ideal if you’re riding a sinker board. At low tide, it can be quite a walk to reach deeper water to get going. Good thing we brought 80 cm masts instead of 90 cm. The bottom is a mix of sand and rocks.
If there are no waves, I’d recommend heading to the kite beaches to the left of Praia do Estoril. The wind there isn’t blocked by buildings and is much more stable.
Water, food and restaurants on Boa Vista
We were warned many times not to drink tap water, so we didn’t. We bought bottled water from Chinese-owned supermarkets. Most food is imported, which makes groceries relatively expensive. Restaurants, however, were very affordable and generally really good.
If you’re a big meat lover, this might not be your place. Most local dishes are based on fish and goat cheese—which are both excellent and local.
Is Boa Vista busy? And what else can you do besides watersport?
We found Boa Vista very relaxed. It was peak season, but it never felt busy—not on the water, not on the beach, and not in town. Most tourists from our flight probably stayed in the all-inclusive resorts.
Besides watersports, there’s not much to do other than lie in the sun, relax, and eat. Of course, you can do some day tours, but if there’s no wind or waves for a while, you’d better learn how to chill.
Renting a car isn’t necessary if you mainly surf around town. Renting a 4×4 for a day can be a challenge on short notice—they were all booked out. Luckily, we managed to join a 4×4 with a driver who kites. Sharing the ride with two other wingfoilers, we visited a spot on the other side of Boa Vista, which made for a great day trip.
Boa Vista with small children or a baby
I also thought about what it would be like to travel here with my family, a young child, and a baby. Honestly, I don’t think I would—at least not yet. Young kids will definitely enjoy the beach, but with a baby you really want very comfortable, family-friendly accommodation. Ideally, the baby sleeps, the kid can play, everyone’s happy—and dad can sneak off to surf.
Most places I found were apartments, with not much for kids to do. Maybe we’re spoiled, or maybe I didn’t look well enough—so feel free to reach out if you know a good family-friendly spot.
Final thoughts
I would definitely go back to Boa Vista for wingfoiling—either with a surf buddy or when the kids are a bit older. It’s a fantastic European winter wind escape, with a relatively short flight and very consistent conditions.
