Flights from Barcelona to Cape Verde from 126EUR*

Flights to Cape Verde from Barcelona

Vueling flies direct from Barcelona to Sal in around 5 and a half hours, with no stops. You land at Amílcar Cabral International Airport, about 20 minutes by road from Santa Maria, where most of the island’s hotels and restaurants are.

Sal is also the gateway to the rest of the archipelago. Connections to Boa Vista, Santiago and São Vicente are run by local airlines and booked separately, so it pays to line up your dates before you commit to accommodation.

Check available dates in the search box before you plan the rest of the trip.

What documents you need to travel to Cape Verde

Cape Verde is not part of the European Union or the Schengen Area, so a passport is mandatory. It must be valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry into the archipelago, and the Spanish ID card (DNI) is not accepted for this trip.

Spanish and other EU citizens do not need a visa for short tourist stays, but 2 steps are compulsory, and it is worth dealing with them as soon as you have your dates:

• Online pre-registration on the EASE platform (Electronic Authorization for Stay and Entry).
• Payment of the Airport Security Tax.

Without both, you will not be allowed to board, and approval can take a while. If you hold another nationality, or you are travelling from a country where health-related entry requirements may apply, check your specific situation on the travel documents page and with the relevant consular office before booking.

What to know when you land in Cape Verde

From the airport to the resort area. Amílcar Cabral sits next to Espargos, in the middle of the island. The transfer to Santa Maria is by taxi or hotel shuttle and takes around 20 minutes, so if your flight lands in the afternoon you will still get there in daylight.

Currency. The Cape Verdean escudo, pegged to the euro at a fixed rate. Cards work in hotels and tourist restaurants, but in markets and away from the resort areas you will still need cash. There are ATMs in Espargos and Santa Maria.

Climate and wind. Temperatures barely shift through the year, staying between 25 and 28°C. What does change is the trade wind, steady and stronger on the northern and eastern islands. It is what turned Sal into a kitesurfing destination, and it is also worth bearing in mind if you want a calm beach.

Getting between islands. Domestic flights are the quick option. There are ferries too, though the crossings are long and the sea is often rough.

Cape Verde uses type C and F plug sockets at 230V. The official language is Portuguese, but on the street people speak Cape Verdean Creole, and in the tourist areas of Sal and Boa Vista Spanish is widely understood.

What to do in Cape Verde

4 islands, 4 very different trips. Your choice shapes the rest of the stay, so make it before you book accommodation.

Sal

This is where you land and where most people stay. Santa Maria has a long beach of fine sand, warm water and the best hotel infrastructure in the archipelago. It is the island for kitesurfing and windsurfing, with schools for complete beginners, and it has the liveliest nightlife.

Boa Vista

A short hop from Sal with a local airline. Dunes that run right down to the sea and a sense of space that is hard to find anywhere in the Atlantic. Between June and October, loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nest on its beaches, and guided night tours let you watch without disturbing them.

Santiago

The largest island, and the one that explains the country. Praia is the capital, and a few kilometres away lies Cidade Velha, the first European settlement in the tropics and a World Heritage Site. Markets such as Sucupira, colonial architecture and Pico da Antónia towering over the interior, with very little beach tourism.

São Vicente

Mindelo is the cultural capital of the archipelago and the home of morna, the genre Cesária Évora took to the rest of the world. You can hear it live in bars and squares any night of the week. Go in February and you will catch the best-known carnival in the country.

Luggage for your flight to Cape Verde

What you can take depends on the fare you choose when booking. The simplest fare includes a personal item that fits under the seat in front, and from there you can add cabin or checked luggage as needed.

For a stay of a week or more, and especially if you are bringing water sports gear, it is best to sort this out while booking rather than leave it until the check-in desk. Check the current conditions in Vueling’s luggage policy before completing your purchase.