Things to Do in Cape Verde in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
March Weather in Cape Verde
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
78°F (25°C)
High Temp
66°F (19°C)
Low Temp
0.0 inches (0 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Brace for possible Harmattan events. Saharan dust can drift over, cutting visibility, tinting skies hazy, and dusting decks with fine red powder.
Is March Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + March owns the wind. Sailors know it. On Sal and Boa Vista, Atlantic gusts hit 18-22 knots, enough to lift your kite, never enough to flay your skin. Launch, sheet in, fly.
- + The archipelago shows off. Trade winds scrub the sky clean. Fogo and Santo Antão rise like black blades against cobalt water. No rain, no haze, just pure contrast.
- + Shoulder season magic. School holidays are gone. Santa Maria beach towels sit free. Ocean reads 23°C (73°F). Swim long, laugh loud.
- + Whales still cruise. Humpbacks head north past Boa Vista and Sal. Late March seas flatten. Boats glide, cameras click. Breach, blow, gone.
Considerations
- − Weather flips. One day Sal basks at 25°C (77°F), glassy calm. Next morning Harmattan arrives. Saharan dust coats tongues, blurs skies, chokes lungs.
- − Prices wake up. January deals vanished. Europe-to-Cape-Verde fares climb in March. Hotels stay flexible. Yet discounts shrink. Book smart, pay more.
- − Carnaval is memory. Mindelo's February drums faded. Summer festivals wait. March beats to everyday life: café gossip, fish market shouts, roadside grog.
Best Activities in March
Top things to do during your visit
March in Cape Verde is dry, steady, and the last gasp of prime season before the islands turn sticky. Warm air smells of sun-baked earth and Atlantic salt. Locals stroll, knowing hotter rain is weeks away. A deep blue sky vaults over black lava hills; a constant breeze keeps noon kind. This is the month to walk Cidade Velha's cobbles or tackle the central peaks without sweat dripping into your eyes. No rain means every road and footpath is open, and the sea stays glassy above pale sand. No festivals are scheduled. Daily life rules. You will hear waves hammer black lava at dusk while grilled tuna arrives, still sizzling. Evenings run cool enough for an outside chair and a second beer.
From Praia: Discover Santiago Island in 1 Day
otherThis guided day trip from Praia squeezes all of Santiago into one loop: jagged interior mountains, then cliffs where surf explodes. Terraced fields stick to green slopes. Villages echo with Creole chatter and roosters. You get the island's pulse, far beyond Praia's pavement.
It shows the contrasts and stubborn spirit that define Santiago, Cape Verde's biggest, most culturally loaded island.
Insider tip: Wear grippy shoes; March dust makes rock paths loose and slick.
Serra Malagueta Natural Park Hike & Relaxing Swim at Tarrafal Beach
adventureStart in Serra Malagueta's pine and eucalyptus scent, end on Tarrafal Beach's white sand. Hike trails that drop into deep valleys, then swim in water that shifts from turquoise to indigo. Gravel crunches. Mountain air tastes of resin.
One tidy outing pairs Santiago's misty highlands with Cape Verde's most photographed beach.
Insider tip: Pack a sun hat for the sand and a light layer for the hike. Mountain shade feels cool in March.
Santiago Island: Best of Praia & Cidade Velha Tour, a World Heritage Site
culturalPraia's Plateau district buzzes with market noise; Cidade Velha's Pelourinho pillory and Forte Real de São Filipe keep watch over centuries of history. Walk patterned cobbles on Rua Banana. Finger the weathered cathedral carvings.
It links today's capital to the colonial scars that shaped the Atlantic world.
Insider tip: Zoom in on stone details. They speak louder than wide shots.
Santiago Island Experience - Culture, Nature & Tarrafal Beach
guided_experienceTaste firewater grogue in a village distillery, smell mango and breadfruit groves, then sprawl on Tarrafal sand. You swing from culture to agriculture to beach in one sweep.
It samples rural life, fertile valleys, and coast in a single, balanced hit.
Insider tip: If someone hands you a March mango from a village tree, eat it; sun-ripened island varieties burst with sugar.
Private Tour in Praia, Cape Verde
private_tourA private guide tailors Praia to you. Hop from the Plateau's solemn government buildings to the sucupira market's shouting chaos. Hear Kriolu music leak from doorways. Notice Portuguese tiles beside Afro-Brazilian balconies.
You set the pace, chasing history, music, or street life.
Insider tip: Linger at Mercado de Sucupira for the soundscape. Vendor calls and shopper banter teach local humor faster than any textbook.
Hiking: Monte Tchota Natural Park - Pico D'Antónia (1394m) - Longueira
adventureClimb Monte Tchota Natural Park's ecological stairs to Pico D'Antónia, Santiago's roof. Air cools and thins. The island spreads like a chart below. Only wind and the passarinha's chirp break the hush.
It is the island's toughest hike and the only place to see the full volcanic blueprint.
Insider tip: Leave before dawn; March sun is brutal, and the full ascent eats hours.
Where to Stay in Cape Verde in March
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for March travellers.
Packing Checklist
Bookmark this page — your progress is saved between visits
Need the full list with shopping links?
Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Cape Verde Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Ignore the '10 rainy days' line. In Cape Verde that usually means a 10-minute light drizzle, often overnight, gone by sunrise. No umbrella needed. Hills just look greener.
Hunt the word 'xerém' on menus for top seafood. The slow-cooked cornmeal porridge comes with octopus or tuna and is pure comfort. In March you might find fresh lima beans stirred in.
Treat inter-island airline schedules as hopeful. Book morning flights when possible. Afternoon ones face delays or cancellations when winds shift, through Sal.
On Santiago skip Praia's main plateau for lunch. Walk to Achada Santo António fishing quarter. Family shacks grill the day's catch over charcoal. You eat with fingers at plastic tables above crashing waves.
Avoid These Mistakes
Do not treat Fogo or Santo Antão as day trips. A 'quick visit' demands dawn departure and a brutal schedule. Spend at least one night to feel the islands' slower pulse.
Pack more than beachwear. Evenings on boats, in the mountains, or during windy spells need a warm layer. That 66°F (19°C) low feels cold in the steady Atlantic breeze.
Avoid cramming too many islands into one trip. Ferries and flights eat whole days. More than three islands in 10 days leaves you in transit, not exploring. Depth beats breadth here.
Explore More Activities in Cape Verde
Didn't see anything interesting yet?
Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Cape Verde.
See All Cape Verde Tours on Viator