Cape Verde · Cape Verde
December
Christmas sun seekers arrive in force — the islands at their most vibrant and most expensive.
Strong option
#8 of 12 months
There are better months for Cape Verde — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
26.8°C
Low
20.8°C
Rain
4mm
Sun
7.9hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Cape Verde
Weather
Excellent
Value
Average
Crowds
Above average
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Outstanding
What you gain in December
- ↑December is the beginning of Cape Verde's most culturally animated period: the Christmas season in Mindelo and Praia is celebrated with music (morna and funaná concerts through the month), colourful street decorations in both cities, and a festive energy that reflects the Portuguese and African influences in the Creole culture.
- ↑Trade winds are strengthening through December toward the January peak: kitesurfing conditions on Sal's Kite Beach are excellent and improving. For those who combine water sports with a beach holiday, December is outstanding value compared to January.
- ↑The warm December nights (20.8°C lows) and consistent sunshine make the islands ideal for the Christmas escape: watching the sun set over the Atlantic from Boa Vista's desert dunes while eating grogue (Cape Verdean sugarcane spirit) is a fundamentally different Christmas than northern Europe offers.
What you sacrifice
- ↓Christmas and New Year weeks bring the year's second-highest prices: accommodation and flights from the UK and Portugal are at December peak pricing, and the best resort properties require booking many months ahead.
- ↓The resort character of Sal and Boa Vista is most pronounced in December: the all-inclusive hotels are fully operational and the beach strip at Santa Maria can feel generically resort-ish rather than authentically Cape Verdean. São Vicente and Santo Antão offer the cultural depth that the resort islands don't.
How December compares to April (best month)
| Factor | December | April ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 8 | 9 |
| Value | 4 | 8 |
| Crowds | 5 | 7 |
December in other destinations
Lisbon (14.4°C)Barcelona (13.8°C)Tokyo (12°C)Bali (30.3°C)Santorini (14.5°C)Paris (6.9°C)New York (5.1°C)Marrakech (18.1°C)Amsterdam (6.4°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (11.7°C)Bangkok (30.4°C)Istanbul (9.4°C)Vienna (3°C)Seoul (3.7°C)Dubrovnik (11.6°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.5°C)Kyoto (11.3°C)Phuket (31.8°C)Cape Town (25.6°C)Prague (3°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (25°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (27.5°C)Miami (25.6°C)Florence (9.8°C)Queenstown (21°C)Madrid (9.5°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (5°C)Budapest (5°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (7°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (20°C)Osaka (11°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (14°C)Zanzibar (31°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (28°C)Havana (26°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (20°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (16°C)Ho Chi Minh City (31°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (17°C)Jordan (14°C)Azores (18°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (20.4°C)Cairo (20.8°C)Kenya (26°C)Jaipur (22.8°C)Las Vegas (14.7°C)San Francisco (13.8°C)Madeira (20°C)Vancouver (7.1°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (24.2°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (19°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (6.8°C)Penang (30.9°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Fez (15.2°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (19°C)Oslo (2°C)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Cape Verde, not across destinations. Methodology →