Money-Saving Tips
The Cape Verde Islands don't have to be expensive. Here are the best strategies for budget-conscious travelers:
- Use Escudos: Pay in Cape Verdean Escudos (CVE) instead of Euros. Although Euros are accepted, the exchange rate in restaurants and shops is often worse than the official rate. Withdrawing from an ATM (Multibanco/Caixa) is the cheapest option.
- Aluguers instead of taxis: Shared taxis (Aluguers) are the main mode of transport for locals. They run fixed routes for 1–3€ — much cheaper than private taxis. Just wave from the roadside.
- Book domestic flights early: Bestway (formerly TICV) and Cabo Verde Airlines offer domestic flights from 40–60€ if you book 2–4 weeks in advance. Last-minute bookings are more expensive.
- Shop at markets: Fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish at the Mercados (Sucupira in Praia, Mercado Municipal in Mindelo) are dirt cheap: bananas, papayas, and mangoes cost just cents.
- Water in large bottles: Instead of small 0.5l bottles, buy 5l canisters in the supermarket — much cheaper per liter.
- Ferries instead of flights: The São Vicente–Santo Antão ferry (CV Interilhas) costs only 5–10€ per route and is an experience in itself. There is also a ferry between Fogo and Santiago.
- Hiking costs nothing: The best experiences in Cape Verde — hiking on Santo Antão, volcano trekking on Fogo, beach days on Boa Vista — cost little or no admission. A local guide for hikes costs 20–30€ per day and is often worth its weight in gold.
- Rainy season = savings time: From July to October, prices for flights and accommodations are 20–40% lower than in the high season.
