Boa Vista South Adventure: Private tour with sandboarding

Four hours across Boa Vista's oldest village, longest beach, and sand dunes that drop to the ocean

A private half-day tour of southern Boa Vista Island with a live guide, air-conditioned vehicle and sandboard included. You visit Povoação Velha, the island's first inhabited settlement with its 1800 Chapel of Santo António; Santa Monica Beach, more than 11 km long; Varandinha's protected turtle nesting beach and sea caves; and Morro de Areia Nature Reserve, where you sandboard down 167-meter dunes. Pickup is included. The tour suits travelers with moderate fitness who want history, beaches and adventure in one outing.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore south Boa Vista Island highlights

• Visit Povoação Velha village
• Relax at Santa Monica Beach
• Explore Varandinha caves and beach
• Sandboard at Morro de Areia dunes

The experience

Four hours takes you through four distinct stops, each built around a different landscape. Povoação Velha sits at the foot of Rocha Estância mountain and was the island's capital until 1810. The Chapel of Santo António and the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição anchor the town's history, and a working art workshop sells straw hats, weaving, jewelry and ceramics made from local and recycled materials. From there the route moves to Santa Monica Beach, which stretches more than 11 km along the southwest coast and is large enough that crowds thin out fast. The beach sits adjacent to Morro de Areia Nature Reserve, so birdwatching is built in, and during whale season (spring) humpback whales sometimes appear in the distance.

Varandinha comes next, a beach divided by rocks and caves that outline its shape. The dunes of Praia de Chaves drop straight into the ocean, and turtles nest here at certain times of year. The final stop is Morro de Areia itself, the 167-meter hill that gives the nature reserve its name. The reserve covers 21.31 km² and protects endemic species including red-billed tropicbirds, ospreys, nurse sharks and turtles. This is where you sandboard: the dunes plunge to the sea, and the operator provides the board.

An air-conditioned vehicle collects you from your hotel and carries the group through the day. The guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and two additional languages, so communication is straightforward. Sandboarding requires moderate fitness and balance on a slope, but no prior experience is needed.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle throughout the four hours.
• sandboard for use at Morro de Areia dunes.
• live guide in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and two additional languages.
• hotel pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00, 13:00 and 14:00

Book up to2h before

GroupUp to 40

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 16 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Spot Travel Tours

Is this one for you?The tour moves at a moderate pace with walking at each stop and sandboarding on dunes at Morro de Areia, so it suits travelers with moderate fitness who want to move between sites rather than linger at one. Private travel means the group controls the rhythm and can spend extra time at any beach or village without waiting for others.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Povoação Velha and why does it matter on this tour?

Povoação Velha is Boa Vista's oldest village and the birthplace of the island's history, situated at the foot of Rocha Estância mountain. It was the island's capital until 1810 and now holds the Chapel of Santo António (built in 1800) and the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, plus a working art workshop where local artisans make straw hats, weaving, jewelry and ceramics from local and recycled materials.

How long is Santa Monica Beach and what can you see there?

Santa Monica Beach stretches more than 11 km along the southwest coast of Boa Vista and is considered one of Cape Verde's wonders. The beach's vast size means you can feel surrounded by unspoiled nature even when other visitors are present. At certain times of year, crabs or turtles appear on the sand, and during whale season (spring) humpback whales sometimes surface in the distance. Many bird species hunt where the water is shallow.

What happens at Morro de Areia and what is sandboarding like there?

Morro de Areia is a 167-meter hill at the center of a nature reserve that protects endemic birds, turtles and nurse sharks across 21.31 km² of land. The sand dunes plunge directly into the ocean, creating one of Africa's most distinctive landscapes. You sandboard down these dunes. The operator provides the board, and no prior experience is required, though moderate fitness and balance help.

Is Varandinha beach different from Santa Monica, and why visit both?

Varandinha is smaller and more intimate than Santa Monica, divided by rocks and caves that shape its contour. The dunes of Praia de Chaves drop into the ocean, and turtles nest on the beach at certain times of year. It's a destination for kitesurfing and birdwatching, and sits adjacent to the same Morro de Areia Nature Reserve, so the two beaches show different sides of the same protected landscape.

What does the tour include and how does pickup work?

The tour includes an air-conditioned vehicle for the full four hours, a sandboard for use at Morro de Areia, and a live guide fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and two additional languages. Pickup from your hotel is included in the booking.