Cape Verde · Cape Verde
January
Peak winter sun season — Sal and Boa Vista at full capacity, trade winds strong.
Strong option
#9 of 12 months
There are better months for Cape Verde — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
26.2°C
Low
19.8°C
Rain
3mm
Sun
8.1hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How January scores in Cape Verde
Weather
Excellent
Value
Above average
Crowds
Above average
Events
Above average
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in January
- ↑January is deep in the prime tourism season for the resort islands: Sal (Santa Maria) and Boa Vista deliver near-guaranteed sunshine (8.1 hours per day), warm swimming temperatures (23°C water), and almost no rain. For northern Europeans fleeing January cold, Cape Verde in January is among the best-value sun destinations reachable from London or Lisbon.
- ↑Trade winds in January are at their most consistent: the Sal kite beach at Kite Beach near Santa Maria delivers 6–7 Beaufort wind regularly, and the IKO-certified schools (Kite Evolution, ProCenter) run full schedules. Beginners and intermediates both thrive in January's reliable conditions.
- ↑Cal (Saharan dust) can occasionally drift across in January — it softens the light into a warm amber haze and produces extraordinary sunsets over the Atlantic. Not always present, but photogenic when it is.
What you sacrifice
- ↓January is the peak tourist month for Sal and Boa Vista: package holiday resorts from the UK, Germany, and Portugal fill the all-inclusive hotels, and Santa Maria's beach strip is well-populated. This is not an off-the-beaten-track experience.
- ↓Accommodation prices are at their annual peak for the resort islands. São Vicente and Santo Antão remain reasonable, but Sal and Boa Vista command January premiums.
How January compares to April (best month)
| Factor | January | April ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 8 | 9 |
| Value | 5 | 8 |
| Crowds | 5 | 7 |
January in other destinations
Lisbon (13.6°C)Barcelona (13.2°C)Tokyo (9.8°C)Bali (30.2°C)Santorini (13.4°C)Paris (7°C)New York (3.3°C)Marrakech (17.3°C)Amsterdam (5.6°C)Maldives (30.1°C)Rome (11.6°C)Bangkok (31.1°C)Istanbul (8.7°C)Vienna (3.2°C)Seoul (1.1°C)Dubrovnik (11.1°C)Rio de Janeiro (30.9°C)Kyoto (9.2°C)Phuket (31.5°C)Cape Town (26.1°C)Prague (2°C)Amalfi Coast (12°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (31°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (24°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (29°C)Miami (24.1°C)Florence (9.2°C)Queenstown (22°C)Madrid (9.4°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (4°C)Budapest (4°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (6°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (18°C)Osaka (9°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (30°C)Mykonos (13°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (13°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (29°C)Havana (26°C)Split (10°C)Taipei (19°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (15°C)Ho Chi Minh City (33°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (4°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (28°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (18°C)Jordan (12°C)Azores (17°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (19.8°C)Cairo (19.1°C)Kenya (26.8°C)Jaipur (22.2°C)Las Vegas (13.9°C)San Francisco (13.2°C)Madeira (19.5°C)Vancouver (6.9°C)Muscat (26.4°C)Lima (26.2°C)Cinque Terre (11°C)Kotor (10°C)Tel Aviv (18°C)Santiago (30°C)Bogotá (19°C)Bruges (5.8°C)Penang (31.5°C)Lombok (30.8°C)Fez (13.8°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (18°C)Oslo (-1°C)Auckland (24°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Cape Verde, not across destinations. Methodology →