Cape Verde

Migratory giants that visit the islands for breeding and calving.

Humpback Whale

The world's largest fish, attracted by plankton blooms during the warmer months.

Whale Shark

Known locally as 'Ragged-tooth' sharks, often found resting in caverns and overhangs.

Sand Tiger Shark

A variety of colorful sea slugs unique to the Macaronesian islands.

Endemic Nudibranchs

Scuba diving in Cape Verde offers a unique blend of tropical and Atlantic marine life, set against a dramatic volcanic backdrop. Located about 570 kilometers off the coast of West Africa, this ten-island archipelago is a crossroads for migratory species and a haven for endemic life. Divers can explore a variety of underwater landscapes, from cavernous lava tubes and steep walls to historical shipwrecks and vibrant coral reefs. The islands of Sal and Boa Vista are the most developed for diving, offering easy access to sites teeming with parrotfish, barracuda, and several species of moray eels. During the winter months, Cape Verde becomes one of the few places in the world where you can hear and occasionally see humpback whales on their breeding grounds. The mixing of warm tropical waters and cooler Atlantic currents creates a biodiversity-rich environment where you might see manta rays and whale sharks in the summer, and sand tiger sharks and nurse sharks year-round. Whether you are navigating the intricate tunnels of 'The Blue Eye' or drifting along the volcanic ridges of 'Santo Antão', Cape Verde provides an adventurous and relatively off-the-beaten-path diving experience that rewards those looking for rugged beauty and surprising marine encounters.

The liveaboard industry in Cape Verde is small but growing, occasionally offering expeditions between the northern and southern island groups for experienced divers.

Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort

Hotel Riu Palace Boavista

Odjo d'Agua Hotel

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

Boa Vista

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...

Brava

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...

Fogo

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...

Maio

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...

Raso & Branco Islets

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

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

Santa Luzia & Ilhéu do Passa

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

Santiago

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...

Santo Antão

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...

São Nicolau

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...

São Vicente

Boa Vista: Ancora

Sao Vicente: Areia Branca Wreck

Boa Vista: Atlantis Reef

Maio: Baia da Santana

Boa Vista: Baia das Gatas

Sao Vicente: Baia das Gatas SV

Brava: Bajona

Maio: Barreiro

Maio: Bitchoroco

Sao Vicente: Boca de Lapa

Santo Antao: Boca de Pistola

Raso & Branco Islets: Branco Islet

Sal: Buracona

Boa Vista: Cabo Santa Maria Wreck

Santo Antao: Canal de Sao Vicente

Sao Nicolau: Carbeirinho

Maio: Carvoeiro

Sal: Chopim

Santiago: Cidade Velha

Santo Antao: Cruzinha

Boa Vista: Dente de Cao

Brava: Faja d Agua

Sao Vicente: Fish Valley

Santo Antao: Fontainhas

Sao Nicolau: Fragata

Brava: Furna Bay

Maio: Galeao Bay

Sao Vicente: Gruta de Sao Pedro

Boa Vista: Ilheu de Sal Rei

Maio: Ilheu Laje Branca

Brava: Ilheus Secos

Sal: Jardim das Gorgonias

Boa Vista: Joao Valente Reef

Sao Nicolau: Juncalinho

Santiago: Lighthouse Reef

Boa Vista: Manta Reef

Boa Vista: Morro de Areia

Maio: Morro

Fogo: Mosteiros

Sao Vicente: MS Brasil Wreck

Sal: Palao Reef

Sal: Palmeira Bay

Santa Luzia & Ilheu do Passa: Passa Islet

Sal: Plane Wreck

Boa Vista: Ponta Antonia

Sao Vicente: Ponta d Areia

Sao Vicente: Ponta da Coluna

Santiago: Ponta do Atum

Sao Nicolau: Ponta do Barril

Sal: Ponta do Morrinho

Sao Vicente: Ponta do Sol SV

Santo Antao: Ponta do Sol Wall

Maio: Ponta Preta Maio

Sal: Ponta Preta

Sao Nicolau: Praia Branca

Santiago: Praia de Gamboa

Raso & Branco Islets: Raso Islet

Sal: Regona

Santiago: Ribeira da Barca

Santiago: Santa Maria Bay

Boa Vista: Santa Monica Beach

Sal: Santo Antao Wreck

Fogo: Sao Filipe

Boa Vista: Shark Alley

Sal: Shark Bay

Sao Nicolau: Tarrafal Bay SN

Santiago: Tarrafal Bay

Santo Antao: Tarrafal de Monte Trigo

Sal: Tchuklasta

Sal: The Blue Room

Sal: The Buddha

Sal: The Cavern

Sal: The Pinnacles

Sal: The Pontoon

Sal: The Wall (Parede)

Sal: Three Caves

Sal: Tile Wreck (Naufragio do Telha)

Sao Vicente: Turtle Bay SV

Sal: Turtle Reef

Boa Vista: Varandinha

Santa Luzia & Ilheu do Passa: Wreck of the Beatrice

Inter-island travel is primarily by domestic flights (BestFly Cabo Verde) or ferries. On individual islands, 'aluguer' minibuses are the most common and affordable way to get around.

Amílcar Cabral International Airport

Aristides Pereira International Airport

Liveaboard Diving in Cape Verde

Experience Overview

Featured Operators

Remote Reach

Booking Advice

Where to Stay in Cape Verde