Things to Do in Cape Verde in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
December Weather in Cape Verde
Is December Right for You?
Advantages
- Peak wind season for Sal and Boa Vista - December brings consistent 25-35 km/h (15-22 mph) northeast trade winds, making it the absolute best month for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Water temperatures sit around 24°C (75°F), and you'll find the most consistent conditions from 11am-5pm when thermal winds kick in.
- Dry season comfort with minimal rainfall - those 10 rainy days typically mean brief 10-15 minute showers, not all-day washouts. You're looking at about 95% sunshine probability, which means you can actually plan outdoor activities without backup plans. The 2.5 mm (0.1 inches) monthly rainfall is basically nothing compared to the 100+ mm (4+ inches) you'd see in August.
- Sea turtle nesting season on Boa Vista - December marks the tail end of loggerhead turtle nesting, particularly on beaches like Praia de Ervatão and Praia de Curralinho. Night patrols happen most evenings, and you've got decent odds of seeing hatchlings making their way to the ocean, especially in early December.
- Festival season and cultural celebrations - December brings Gamboa Festival in São Vicente (usually mid-month), featuring traditional morna and coladeira music. You'll also catch genuine Christmas celebrations that blend Portuguese Catholic traditions with West African influences, particularly noticeable in Mindelo and Praia where locals actually decorate with imported pine trees despite the 26°C (79°F) heat.
Considerations
- High season pricing kicks in hard - December through February sees accommodation prices jump 40-60% compared to October rates. A decent guesthouse in Santa Maria that costs 4,500 CVE (around 45 USD) in November might run you 7,000 CVE (70 USD) in December. Flights from Europe also spike, particularly the two weeks around Christmas and New Year when you're competing with Cape Verdean diaspora returning home.
- Wind can be too much for casual beach relaxation - those same northeast trades that make December perfect for watersports also mean constant wind on the eastern islands. If you're imagining calm beach reading on Sal, you'll be chasing your book down the sand. The windward beaches get choppy, and even swimming can feel like a workout. Santa Maria and Sal Rei become sandblasting zones on particularly windy afternoons.
- Limited inter-island ferry service in December - Cabo Verde Fast Ferry reduces frequency during this period for maintenance, and rough seas can cancel services with little notice. The 70% humidity combines with wind to create surprisingly rough passages between islands, and you might find yourself stuck on Santo Antão for an extra day or two if swells pick up. Domestic flights are more reliable but cost 3-4 times more than ferries.
Best Activities in December
Kitesurfing and Windsurfing on Sal and Boa Vista
December delivers the most consistent wind conditions of the year - those northeast trades blow 20-30 days out of 31, with speeds perfect for intermediate to advanced riders. The wind typically builds from 10am and holds until sunset, giving you 6-7 hours of riding time. Water temperature around 24°C (75°F) means you can get away with a shorty wetsuit or just boardshorts and a rash guard. Kite Beach in Sal and Praia de Cruz in Boa Vista see the best conditions, with flat water inside the reef and waves outside for those who want them. The scene is genuinely international in December - you'll hear German, Italian, French, and Portuguese on the beach.
Santo Antão Mountain Hiking
December brings the best hiking conditions to Santo Antão - the landscape is still relatively green from earlier rains but trails have dried out, and that 70% humidity drops significantly at altitude. The Cova de Paul crater hike and Ribeira Grande valley trails offer temperatures around 18-22°C (64-72°F) at higher elevations, a welcome break from coastal heat. December also means clearer visibility - you can actually see across to São Vicente from the mountain passes, something that's often obscured by haze in warmer months. Start hikes by 7am to avoid midday sun, though the UV index of 8 is less brutal at 1,200 m (3,937 ft) elevation than at sea level.
São Vicente Live Music Scene
December in Mindelo means peak music season - the cooler evenings around 21°C (69°F) bring everyone outdoors, and you'll find live morna and coladeira performances most nights of the week. The Gamboa Festival (typically mid-December) transforms the city with outdoor stages, but honestly the regular bar scene is just as good. Locals actually go out in December because it's not oppressively hot, and you'll catch spontaneous performances in places that don't even advertise live music. The scene runs late - nothing really starts before 10pm, and peak energy hits around midnight to 2am.
Boa Vista Turtle Conservation Patrols
Early December offers your last chance to see loggerhead turtle nesting activity before the season winds down. Night patrols along the eastern beaches run from 8pm-2am, and while nesting peaks in August-September, you'll still encounter females coming ashore and, more commonly in December, hatchlings emerging from nests laid 60 days earlier. The experience involves walking several kilometers of beach in darkness, which is actually pleasant in December's 21°C (69°F) nighttime temperatures. The 70% humidity makes it feel warmer than the thermometer suggests, but the ocean breeze keeps it comfortable.
Fogo Volcano Hiking and Wine Tasting
December offers ideal conditions for hiking Pico do Fogo, Cape Verde's active volcano at 2,829 m (9,281 ft). The summit hike takes 4-5 hours up and 2-3 hours down, and December's cooler temperatures make this significantly more bearable than summer months. You'll start in darkness around 4am to reach the crater rim for sunrise, experiencing temperature drops from 24°C (75°F) at base to near 10°C (50°F) at summit. The post-hike wine tasting in Chã das Caldeiras features wines made from grapes grown in volcanic soil - the 2025 harvest will be bottled and ready by December 2026, offering genuinely unique flavors you won't find elsewhere.
Tarrafal Beach and Snorkeling
December brings excellent visibility for snorkeling around Santiago's northern coast - that minimal 2.5 mm (0.1 inches) rainfall means clear water with 15-20 m (49-66 ft) visibility. Tarrafal Bay offers protected conditions even when the northeast trades blow hard, and water temperature around 24°C (75°F) allows for hour-long snorkeling sessions without getting cold. You'll see parrotfish, damselfish, and occasional sea turtles feeding on seagrass beds. The beach itself provides a genuine local scene - December is when Cape Verdean families take holidays, so you'll experience the beach culture as locals do, complete with grilled fish vendors and loud music systems.
December Events & Festivals
Gamboa Festival in Mindelo
This music festival typically runs for 3-4 days in mid-December and showcases Cape Verdean musical traditions - morna, coladeira, funaná, and batuko - alongside contemporary African and Portuguese artists. The main stages are outdoors in Mindelo's historic center, with smaller venues hosting jam sessions and workshops. What makes it special is the genuine local attendance - this isn't a tourist festival that happens to be in Cape Verde, it's a Cape Verdean cultural event that tourists can attend. You'll see three generations of families out together, and the food stalls serve authentic cachupa and jagacida rather than sanitized festival food.
Christmas Celebrations Across Islands
Cape Verdean Christmas blends Portuguese Catholic traditions with West African cultural elements in ways that feel genuinely unique. December 24th evening brings midnight mass with traditional morna hymns, followed by family feasts featuring roasted goat, xerém (corn pudding), and Portuguese sweet bread. What's interesting is watching locals decorate imported pine trees in 26°C (79°F) heat while wearing winter clothing purchased specifically for Christmas photos. The week between Christmas and New Year sees beach parties and outdoor concerts, particularly in Santa Maria and Mindelo, where the diaspora returns and the population temporarily doubles.