Vila do Maio
Cape Verde · Maio · 10 m
Description
Vila do Maio is the small capital of Maio, the quietest inhabited island in Cape Verde and the one that tourism has largely passed by. Its beaches are as long and as pale as those on Sal and Boa Vista and are almost always empty, with a single row of pastel houses and a white church behind them. An acacia forest planted against erosion covers part of the interior and shelters birds. Salt pans still work near Porto Inglês. Turtles nest along the southern shore through the late summer. The island is flat and easily circled by road in a single day.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 6 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – June
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Empty beaches at Ponta Preta and Bitche Rocha
- Turtle nesting on the southern shore (June - October)
- Salt pans at Porto Inglês
- Acacia forest and its birdlife
- Pastel houses and the white church
- Morro and the island loop road
- Fishing villages at Calheta and Morrinho
- Snorkelling on the sheltered reefs
Getting there
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry