Cape Verde: Pick 2 Islands, Not 10
Ten islands does not mean a ten-island itinerary. Cape Verde has no bridges, no causeways, and no shortcut between islands beyond a domestic flight or a ferry, so the trips that actually work cover two, at most three, islands in a week.
São Vicente and Santo Antão: culture then cliffs (5 to 7 days)
Start in Mindelo on São Vicente: live morna in the taverns, Laginha Beach, and the view from Monte Verde. Then take the roughly 1,500 CVE ferry (around €14 each way for non-residents) to Porto Novo on Santo Antão, since the island has no airport at all. Spend four days hiking Vale do Paúl, the Cova crater, and the clifftop trail from Ponta do Sol to Cruzinha, staying in valley eco-lodges, before the return ferry.
Sal and Boa Vista: wind then dunes (6 to 7 days)
Three days on Sal cover kitesurfing at Kite Beach, floating in Pedra de Lume, Shark Bay, and Santa Maria’s nightlife. A short commuter flight gets you to Boa Vista for sandboarding in the Viana desert, Santa Mónica beach, and a night turtle-nesting patrol in Sal Rei, if your dates fall in nesting season between July and October.
Santiago and Fogo: history then volcano (5 to 6 days)
Two days on Santiago cover the Praia plateau, the UNESCO site of Cidade Velha, and Tarrafal beach. A roughly 25 minute flight to São Filipe puts you on Fogo for two nights in Chã das Caldeiras, including the guided summit climb of Pico do Fogo (2,829m, guide mandatory) and volcanic wine tasting before descending to São Filipe’s colonial townhouses.
Why not all ten in one trip
Every one of these combos already burns a day on transport in each direction. Add a third island to any of them and you’re spending more of the week getting somewhere than being there; that’s the honest math behind capping it at two or three. It’s tempting to add São Nicolau or Maio to a longer trip since they’re on the map, but neither has the flight frequency to slot into a week without real risk of a missed connection turning into a lost day.
Verdict: if this is a first trip, São Vicente and Santo Antão gives the best return per day, morna, mountains, and a genuine cultural anchor in Mindelo, without needing a domestic flight at all.
Book inter-island flights well ahead of any holiday period; short 20 to 45 minute hops between Sal, Santiago, São Vicente, Boa Vista, and Fogo sell out fast when demand is high. For single-day versions of these same regions, see the day trips guide.