Boa Vista
Boa Vista
I've just got back from the most AMAZING trip to the Cape Verde island Boa Vista! It might not be to everyone's taste, but for me this was the perfect holiday to end the first year of university. With an island motto of 'No Stress', the sleepy island is the most idyllic destination for relaxation.
The first reaction most people have when you say Boa Vista is 'where?'. It's a tiny island with one 55 kilometres of talc soft, white sand off the West Coast of Africa. The international airport (which FYI is probably the most casual, lad back airport I've ever been to with a canvas roof) was only opened in 2007 and as such the island still remains a relatively unknown destination with only a handful of hotels. Neighbouring island Sal is now permeated by mass tourism and I'm sure in 5 years time the deserted island of Boa Vista will be awash with hotel complexes. Because the airport is so small, airlines can only send out their smaller, short distance aircrafts and as such the 6 hour flight can seem a little cramped, but it is 100% worth it for the tropical destination.
We paid a little extra and had a private transfer. This was definitely a decision that paid off as we not only had a fun ride across the unmade roads in a jeep, but got the hotel before the coach and therefore checked in quickly. We stayed in the Riu Touareg which emerged like a sandcastle over the horizon. An incredible hotel with everything you could possibly need, if all you want to do is relax this is the perfect place. There is literally nothing around the hotel for miles except stretches of white sand beaches and desert. If you are looking for a holiday with lots of activities and mixing with the locals I would not suggest Boa Vista as whilst the locals are incredibly friendly, you cannot walk from the hotel to any towns, meaning for the majority of the holiday you will be isolated to the hotel complex. That being said we did take a mini bus in to the capital Sal Rei and went on a quad bike tour of the island. Through this not only did we get to see stunning turtle beaches and hidden treasures, but also visited Rabil, a small town where you really get a sense of the depravity of the island. If you do take a quad bike tour I would definitely recommend purchasing a bandana before hand as rain is a rarity on the island and as such it is incredibly dusty. We went on the excursion with local company Giggling Gecko Adventures and despite our quad getting stuck in the sandiness, it was an incredible experience. The Santa Monica beach is the most beautiful I have ever seen. The crystal blue waters make for excellent diving/snorkelling and whilst I didn't trial this, Matt did and came back full of the fish he had seen.
The island of Boa Vista is the perfect destination if all you want to do is lie on stunning beach and relax. There are a few excursions around the island, but if you look of adventure or activities such as waterparks, this probably isn't the island for you!
Lucy's Top Travel Tips
- If you're going to visit, go soon! In the next few years the island will no longer be the sleepy island void of mass tourism that it currently is.
- Don't bother paying £200 for upgraded seats on the plane, it's really not worth it there is not a noticeable difference in space.
- Definitely take an excursion of the island, you will see the real Boa Vista and how the locals really live.
- Pay a little extra for a private transfer, it's an excursion of it's own accord and will get you across the barren and rather bumpy road quicker and bypass the check in que.
- Get to the airport on return a little earlier than your fellow travellers (again private transfer will enable this), there is very limited space so if you want a table, in particular one in the shade I would definitely recommend getting there before the crowds.
