Boa Vista: 4WD Island Tour with Sandboarding & Shipwreck

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

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Duration7h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · DE +3

PickupAt your hotel

Ride open-air 4WDs across Boa Vista’s wild dunes, caves, beaches, and shipwrecks with sandboarding and fresh-caught fish for lunch

You’ll ride open-air 4WDs across Boa Vista’s wild south and north—sandboarding down Morro de Areia’s dunes, watching loggerhead turtles at Turtlebay, wandering through Varandinha’s caves, swimming at Santa Monica Beach, then sharing lunch by the ocean before exploring an old shipwreck. Expect laughter, windblown hair, sandy feet—and moments that stay with you.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore dunes, beaches, and local sights

Ride in Morro de Areia dunes
Try sandboarding or sledding
Visit Turtlebay to see turtles
Discover caves at Varandinha Beach
Drive along Santa Monica Beach
Take a swim in the Atlantic
Explore pottery in Rabil
Enjoy lunch at selected restaurant
Visit shipwreck at Cabo Santa Maria

The Experience

The first thing I noticed was the wind—warm and salty as we climbed into the back of the 4WD in Boa Vista. Our guide, Paulo, grinned when he saw me hesitate before hopping onto the open-air seat. “You’ll get used to it,” he said. He wasn’t wrong. We bounced over sandy tracks toward Morro de Areia’s dunes, and suddenly it felt like we were surfing land instead of water. The sandboarding part? Let’s just say I’m not a natural—I wiped out twice and got sand everywhere (Paulo laughed but handed me a bottle of water). Still, I’d do it again just for that rush sliding down under the sun.

We stopped at Turtlebay next. From above, you can actually spot loggerhead turtles gliding through clear blue water—so slow and peaceful you almost forget how noisy humans are. Paulo told us about their nesting season and pointed out little trails in the sand where they’d been. There was this moment where everyone just went quiet listening to him; even the breeze seemed softer for a minute.

After that came Varandinha Beach—caves carved into rock by years of wind and sea. The air smelled faintly of salt and something earthy inside those caves. There were birds nesting up high (red-billed tropical birds, apparently), darting in and out while we tried not to trip over our own feet exploring the shadows. Santa Monica Beach was so long it looked endless; some folks ran straight for the Atlantic waves while I just stood there watching light flicker on the water. I still think about that view sometimes.

Lunch at Bahia Beach Club was simple but real—fresh tuna grilled with lemon, cold water, everyone eating with sandy hands. No one rushed us; even Paulo seemed happy to sit back for a bit. We finished off at Cabo Santa Maria’s shipwreck—a rusted skeleton half-buried in sand since ’68. It felt strange standing there thinking about all those years passing by while waves kept coming in.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup from your hotel in Boa Vista, travel by air-conditioned vehicle with a certified local guide who shares stories along each stop—from sandboarding gear at Morro de Areia to cave walks at Varandinha Beach—and a relaxed lunch with fresh local dishes before heading back in the late afternoon.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Cabokaitours