Maio Island Full-Day Tour: Salt, Cheese & Beach

Salt marshes, a family breakfast, cheese-making and white sand dunes in one day

A full-day guided tour of Maio Island with private transportation, starting with the Eco-Museum and salt production at Porto Inglês, moving through village breakfasts and handcraft centers, and ending at Bitchirotcha Beach. The tour includes pickup from your accommodation and visits to five distinct stops across the island's agricultural, fishing and historical sites. Lunch is at your own expense at a local restaurant in Pedro Vaz village.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Maio Island's culture and nature

• Pick up and visit Eco-Museum
• See Salinas wetland and salt production
• Drive to Morro village for local breakfast
• Visit Calheta handcraft center
• Walk through Morrinho dunes
• Lunch break in Pedro Vaz village
• Experience goat cheese production
• Visit São José Fortress and church
• Swim at Bitchirotcha Beach
• Return to accommodation

The experience

The day starts at the Eco-Museum, where the guide walks through the island's colonial history rooted in salt export to Brazil and beyond. From there you drive to the Salinas wetland at Porto Inglês to watch locals produce salt by hand: the work that shaped Maio for centuries. Then comes breakfast with a local family in Morro village, a meal built around Cape Verdean Cuscuz, eaten in someone's home rather than a tourist restaurant.

The route then moves inland to Calheta's handcraft center, where you can buy from artisans working there, and continues toward the Morrinho dunes. An easy walk across white sand brought by wind from the Sahara sits between the agricultural and fishing areas: no climbing required, just the dunes themselves. After lunch at a typical local spot in Pedro Vaz (paid separately), the tour reaches Ribeira João for a hands-on look at how goat cheese is made, working alongside the people who do it daily.

The final stretch takes you back to the capital to see São José Fortress, built in the 18th century against pirate raids, and Our Lady of Grace Church. The day ends with a swim at Bitchirotcha Beach, the island's most visited stretch of sand, before the driver returns you to your accommodation. Total time on the road and at stops is around six hours.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your accommodation.
• pickup and drop-off.
• guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
• entry to the Eco-Museum and Porto Inglês salt production site.
• breakfast with a local family in Morro village.
• visit to Calheta handcraft center.
• walk across the Morrinho dunes.
• goat cheese production experience in Ribeira João.
• entry to São José Fortress and Our Lady of Grace Church.
• time to swim at Bitchirotcha Beach.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Bu Country Tours

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want to visit five working villages in one morning with a private driver, rather than join a group tour or stay based in one location.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What is the Eco-Museum on Maio Island about?

The Eco-Museum covers Maio's colonial history and its centuries-long salt trade, which exported salt to Brazil and other countries until the 19th century. The visit frames the salt production you see later at Porto Inglês.

Do I eat lunch with the group, or is it separate?

Lunch is at your own expense at a typical local restaurant in Pedro Vaz village, so you choose what to order and pay the restaurant directly. Breakfast with a local family in Morro is included.

What happens at the goat cheese stop in Ribeira João?

You experience the local production of goat cheese by working alongside the people who make it, rather than watching from a distance. It is a hands-on visit to an active production site.

Is the walk across the Morrinho dunes difficult?

The walk is described as easy and suitable for all physical fitness levels. The dunes are white sand formed by wind from the Sahara, and the route passes through agricultural and fishing areas on the way there.

What time does the tour end, and will I be dropped at my hotel?

The tour lasts around six hours total and concludes with drop-off at your accommodation after the swim at Bitchirotcha Beach. Pickup is also from your accommodation at the start of the day.