Cape Verde · Month comparison
July vs April
April ranks #1 overall vs July at #10. The quietest month with the best sunshine — an underrated gem for those in the know.
July
#10 of 12 months
Strong option
Summer peak begins — still excellent weather, turtle season at its best.
- ↑July is loggerhead turtle nesting peak on Boa Vista: the Turtle Foundation reports the highest nesting female counts of the year, and guided night watches offer the chance to see females hauling above the tide line to lay. The scale of the nesting activity is genuinely extraordinary — one of the Atlantic's most important loggerhead rookeries.
- ↑Sea temperatures at 25–26°C make July among the best months for swimming and snorkelling: the waters around Ilhéu do Sal Rei (Boa Vista) are crystal clear, and the whale sharks that occasionally appear off São Vicente from July onward add a rare snorkelling opportunity.
April
#1 of 12 months
Best match
The quietest month with the best sunshine — an underrated gem for those in the know.
- ↑April sees the highest sunshine hours of the year (9.0 per day) and the lowest tourist volumes: European package tourism has wound down from the winter peak and hasn't yet been replaced by summer visitors. The Sal resort area is calm, prices are competitive, and the wind sports infrastructure is fully operational.
- ↑The Cidade Velha UNESCO site on Santiago island is best visited in April's dry season light: the ruined Portuguese colonial city (founded 1462) — the oldest European settlement in sub-Saharan Africa — has extraordinary atmosphere at the Pillory Square and the Cathedral ruins. The Saturday market on the road from Praia is a genuine cultural experience.
| Factor | July | April |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 7 | 9 |
| Value score | 5 | 8 |
| Crowd score | 5 | 7 |
| Events score | 6 | 5 |
| Atmosphere | 8 | 8 |
| Avg high temp | 28.8°C | 27.3°C |
| Monthly rain | 5mm | 1mm |
| Daily sunshine | 8hrs | 9hrs |
July trade-offs
- ↓July is the beginning of the expensive summer season: package holiday bookings from Portugal, UK, and Germany push Sal and Boa Vista resort prices toward their second peak (after January). Last-minute availability is limited.
- ↓The brief rainy season begins on the wetter islands (Santiago, Santo Antão) in July: not dramatic, but a few rain events per month on the mountains can interrupt hiking plans.
April trade-offs
- ↓Trade winds moderating from their January-February peak: kitesurfers and windsurfers will find April conditions excellent but less consistently powered than the winter prime months.
- ↓Some Mindelo music venues and cultural spaces run reduced programmes in April — the post-Carnival lull affects the cultural calendar on São Vicente.
Scores compare months within Cape Verde. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →