Cape Verde for Senior Travelers

Why it suits

Several things line up here that rarely line up together. The flight from Western Europe is a few hours rather than overnight. There is no significant time difference. The climate is even, without the extreme heat of a mainland summer. There is no altitude. And, unusually for this latitude, the health preparation is light.

On that last point, be precise: neither the FCDO health page nor the United States Centers for Disease Control lists malaria among the risks for Cape Verde, and the CDC states plainly that the yellow fever vaccine is not recommended here. What the sources do name is dengue, with the civil protection warning level raised on Santiago, Fogo and Brava, plus the ordinary food and water precautions. So the pre-trip medical conversation is a shorter one than for most destinations in this part of the world.

The one real decision

Terrain. The country divides into flat, sandy, easy islands and steep, cobbled, demanding ones, and the difference is stark. A trip built on Sal or Boa Vista is level ground, short transfers and a comfortable base. A trip built on Santo Antão or Fogo involves gradients, uneven stone and long slow drives.

Both are good holidays. Choosing without knowing the difference is what produces a difficult week.

Pacing an island-hopping trip

If you want more than one island, build in more time than the map suggests. Each hop is either a flight with an airport at both ends or a ferry that depends on the sea. Two islands in ten days is comfortable; four is a logistics exercise. See getting around.

Leave a spare day before the flight home. A canceled ferry is the most likely disruption here and a day of slack removes it entirely.

Practical comfort

• The wind is constant, and it makes the sun feel milder than it is. High-factor sunscreen and a hat that stays on.
• Shoes with a proper sole if you are going anywhere with cobbles, which is most places outside the resorts.
• Bring every medicine you take, in original labeled packaging, with a few days spare in case a sailing is canceled.
• Pharmacies are available in the towns; specialist supplies are not.

Insurance

Global Health Insurance Cards are not accepted here, and hospital capacity outside Praia and Mindelo is limited, so a policy covering treatment and medical evacuation is the practical requirement rather than a box to tick. See travel safety.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Cape Verde travel advice: the FCDO restricts no part of the country, and Global Health Insurance Cards are not accepted. Accessed 14 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Cape Verde health: shigella, salmonella and dengue, and the civil protection warning level for dengue on Santiago, Fogo and Brava. Accessed 14 September 2026.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Travelers’ Health, Cape Verde: the yellow fever vaccine is not recommended for this destination. Accessed 14 September 2026.