Cape Verde March — Boa Vista sand dunes and Atlantic coast in clear air

Cape Verde · Cape Verde

March

Post-Carnival shoulder window — superb weather, easing crowds, and excellent value.

Best match

#3 of 12 months

March is one of the best times to visit Cape Verde.

Climate

High

26.5°C

Low

19.8°C

Rain

2mm

Sun

8.8hrs/day

30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5

How March scores in Cape Verde

Weather
Outstanding
Value
Very good
Crowds
Good
Events
Above average
Atmosphere
Excellent

What you gain in March

  • March is the optimal weather month for the archipelago: sunshine hours at their annual peak (8.8), virtually no rain (2mm), and temperatures ideal at 26°C. The Harmattan dust season is ending, and the air clarity in March is exceptional — the Santiago mountains are visible from Boa Vista on particularly clear days.
  • Post-Carnival pricing returns to normal levels on São Vicente, and the resort islands ease from their January-February peak as European school holidays end. This is the best-value month for a quality trip.
  • Whale watching season opens from March: humpback whales pass through Cape Verdean waters on their Atlantic migration, and the whale-watching boats operating from Santa Maria (Sal) and São Vicente run regular excursions with reliable sightings.

What you sacrifice

  • March can bring occasional Calima (Saharan dust storm) events — days when visibility drops and fine red dust coats everything. These pass within 24–48 hours but can disrupt water sports and outdoor plans briefly.
  • The best wind sports conditions are ending: March trade winds are strong but beginning to moderate compared to the January-February peak. Kitesurfers wanting the most consistent wind should come January or February.

How March compares to April (best month)

FactorMarchApril
Weather
9
9
Value
7
8
Crowds
6
7

March in other destinations

Lisbon (16.6°C)Barcelona (15.8°C)Tokyo (13.8°C)Bali (30.8°C)Santorini (14.6°C)Paris (11.5°C)New York (9.7°C)Marrakech (22.3°C)Amsterdam (9.2°C)Maldives (30.8°C)Rome (15°C)Bangkok (34.3°C)Istanbul (11.6°C)Vienna (10.3°C)Seoul (9.6°C)Dubrovnik (13.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.7°C)Kyoto (14.3°C)Phuket (33°C)Cape Town (25.4°C)Prague (10°C)Amalfi Coast (15°C)Mexico City (26°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (12°C)Sydney (25°C)Iceland (4°C)Tulum (30°C)Dubai (29°C)Singapore (32°C)Hoi An (28°C)Chiang Mai (34.5°C)Miami (26.7°C)Florence (14.8°C)Queenstown (19.5°C)Madrid (15°C)Porto (17°C)Edinburgh (9°C)Copenhagen (7°C)Budapest (11°C)Kraków (9°C)Tbilisi (13°C)Palawan (31°C)Hanoi (22°C)Osaka (14°C)Goa (34°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (27°C)Mykonos (15°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (32°C)Costa Rica (27°C)Cancun (30°C)Krabi (34°C)Athens (16°C)Seville (21°C)Cartagena (32°C)Siem Reap (33°C)Havana (28°C)Split (14°C)Taipei (22°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (17°C)Ho Chi Minh City (35°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (11°C)Dominican Republic (29°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (24°C)Jordan (17°C)Azores (18°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (21.5°C)Cairo (25.1°C)Kenya (28.5°C)Jaipur (30.8°C)Las Vegas (22.5°C)San Francisco (15.1°C)Madeira (20.5°C)Vancouver (10.5°C)Muscat (31.5°C)Lima (26.4°C)Cinque Terre (14°C)Kotor (14°C)Tel Aviv (21°C)Santiago (27°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (10.1°C)Penang (33.1°C)Lombok (31.4°C)Fez (19.5°C)Kerala (33°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (21°C)Oslo (5°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 →