Scuba Diving Regions in Cape Verde

    From world-class walls to muck diving havens, discover the unique character of each regional cluster.

    Regional Diversity

    Diving in Cape Verde is possible year-round, but the best conditions are typically found between April and November. During this period, the seas are calmer, and water temperatures rise to a comfortable 24-27°C. The winter months (December to March) bring stronger winds and cooler waters (21-23°C), but offer the unique chance to hear Humpback Whales.

    11
    Regions
    81
    Total Sites
    5
    Day Limit

    Planning Tips

    Many regions are seasonally dependent. For Cape Verde, the best diving conditions are usually spread across different months depending on the archipelago or coast.

    Updated: June 2026

    Boa Vista

    island
    13 dive sites

    Boa Vista is Cape Verde's premier whale watching and large marine life destination, offering extraordinary encounters with humpback whales, whale sharks, and ma...

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    Brava

    island
    4 dive sites

    Brava is Cape Verde's smallest inhabited island and its most remote diving frontier, offering steep volcanic drop-offs, crystal-clear waters, and underwater lan...

    Base Towns

    Nova Sintra
    Furna
    Faja d Agua

    Fogo

    island
    2 dive sites

    Fogo is Cape Verde's most geologically dramatic island, dominated by the active Pico do Fogo volcano rising nearly three thousand meters above the Atlantic, cre...

    Base Towns

    Sao Filipe
    Mosteiros
    Cova Figueira

    Maio

    island
    8 dive sites

    Maio is Cape Verde's hidden diving gem, an unspoiled island offering pristine coral formations, healthy sea turtle populations, and schooling reef fish in water...

    Base Towns

    Vila do Maio
    Calheta
    Pilão Cão

    Raso & Branco Islets

    island
    2 dive sites

    The Raso and Branco Islets form a protected nature reserve in the central Cape Verde archipelago, offering some of the most remote and pristine diving in the en...

    Base Towns

    Accessed via expedition from Sao Nicolau or Sao Vicente

    Sal

    island
    21 dive sites

    Sal is the most developed diving destination in Cape Verde, offering an extraordinary combination of volcanic cavern systems, vibrant coral reefs, historic ship...

    Base Towns

    Santa Maria
    Espargos
    Palmeira

    Santa Luzia & Ilhéu do Passa

    island
    2 dive sites

    Santa Luzia and Ilheu do Passa represent Cape Verde's most exclusive and restricted diving destination, a strictly protected nature reserve of deserted islands...

    Base Towns

    Accessed via expedition from Sao Vicente only

    Santiago

    island
    7 dive sites

    Santiago, the largest and most populated island in Cape Verde, offers surprisingly diverse diving centered around the protected Tarrafal Marine Reserve in the n...

    Santo Antão

    island
    6 dive sites

    Santo Antao is Cape Verde's most dramatic diving destination, featuring sheer volcanic walls that plunge from the surface into deep Atlantic waters, endemic spe...

    São Nicolau

    island
    6 dive sites

    Sao Nicolau is Cape Verde's emerging diving destination, offering pristine wall dives, giant manta ray cleaning stations, and some of the most untouched reef sy...

    Base Towns

    Ribeira Brava
    Tarrafal de São Nicolau
    Praia Branca

    São Vicente

    island
    10 dive sites

    Sao Vicente, home to Cape Verde's cultural capital of Mindelo, offers a compelling combination of harbor wreck diving, volcanic wall systems, and access to some...

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