Things to Do in Cape Verde in November
November weather, activities, events & insider tips
November Weather in Cape Verde
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
Is November Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
- + Trade winds roll in and the Atlantic turns the exact postcard-indigo you came for, so November is the sweet window for slipping into Sal's Buracona caves before winter crowds muscle in.
- + Hotel rates fall 25-30% from October peaks. But you still pocket 28°C (82°F) days minus the summer humidity that turns a stroll across Praia's Plateau into breathing through wet towelling.
- + Turtle nesting season is still surging on B's Ervatao beach through mid-November, at dawn you'll read the fresh tractor-trail loggerheads carved across the sand the night before, a sight you can't catch in high summer.
- + The harmattan dust that coats every surface in August has blown away, so Praia's Sucupira market smells of grilled percebes instead of Saharan grit and your photos lose the orange haze filter.
- − Ocean temps slide to 24°C (75°F), refreshing for Europeans, though locals pull on light wetsuits and you'll want one for long drift-snorkels around Sal's Shark Bay.
- − Some inter-island ferries thin their timetables after October, so Santiago, Fogo can mean an extra day's wait instead of the usual daily hop.
- − November kicks off 'noite de morabeza', Sunday nights when half of Mindelo heads to family farms, leaving restaurants shuttered and streets eerily quiet.
Best Activities in November
Top things to do during your visit
November's razor-sharp visibility at Buracona lets you count the lava tunnels 15 meters (49 feet) below, and the cave's famous 'Blue Eye' fires only when low-angled sun hits the lens, twice daily in late autumn. The water is still balmy enough for three-hour dive stints, and you won't jostle with December's cruise flotilla.
Coffee harvest runs through November, so you'll freewheel past farmers raking red cherries across roadside tarps while the mountain air around Rui Vaz smells of fresh roast instead of dust. Hill temperatures park at 24°C (75°F), good for the 20 km (12.4 mile) Monte Verde cloud-forest loop minus the summer downpours that morph trails into mud slides.
November evenings deliver the 'noite de música' tradition: Cesaria Evora's old bandmates still launch impromptu sets inside Bar Tropico while colonial alleys fill with the scent of grilled espada from seasonal vendors. Walking tours run backwards from sunset, starting 4pm when Portuguese tiles glow and finishing around 9pm as live strings begin.
November gives the final crisp views into Fogo's crater before December's cloud lid slams shut, and the 1,400 meter (4,593 feet) ascent develops in 22°C (72°F) air instead of summer's brutal 35°C (95°F). You'll crunch volcanic-wine grapes that ripen in November's warm days and cool nights, Europe's only tropical vine, and guides let you taste straight off the cane.
November is peak turtle nesting on Boa Vista's 55 km (34.2 mile) coast, and the new-moon window lets you see the constellations that steered Cape Verdean navigators. Walks start at 8pm when sand cools to 25°C (77°F) for the 3 km (1.9 mile) round to Ervatao beach where 300-pound loggerheads heave themselves ashore.
The northeast trades that make November legend among kitesurfers blow a steady 15-20 knots across Santa Maria's 3 km (1.9 mile) bay, and the water is still warm enough for hour-long sessions sans rubber. Side-shore breeze and waist-deep sandbars give beginners a floor to stand on, unlike summer's deeper drill grounds.
November Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Mindelo's harbour-front stages throw three nights of morna in mid-November, where Cesaria Evora's old bandmates and rising voices fill the old customs house courtyard with the haunting lines that put the island on the world map. Grilled tuna sandwiches from nearby stalls taste like brine and smoke.
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Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Book Experiences in Cape Verde
Top-rated things to do in Cape Verde this November
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