12 Half-Day Tours in Cape Verde Worth Booking

1.All-Inclusive Half-Day Lounge Catamaran Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 486 reviews · 4 hours · from $81Our pick

Sail Sal’s west coast aboard the Lounge Catamaran Sodade for four hours of swimming, snorkeling, fishing, snacks, unlimited beer and soft drinks, and live Cape Verdean music. Guides including Alina, Rony, Kenni, Keila, Bellany, and Willy help create a friendly, lively trip. Choose a family sailing or adults-only departure.

“It was fun, friendly, comfortable & interesting, had a GREAT day! Thank you”

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2.Lounge Catamaran SODADE Half-Day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 295 reviews · from $71Top rated

Sail from Palmeira to Murdeira aboard the SODADE catamaran for about four hours. You’ll have hotel pickup, open beer, wine, and soft drinks, snacks, music, a swimming stop, and masks for optional snorkeling. Crew members including Alina, Rony, and Lucy are known for keeping the return sail lively.

“Transfert de l’hôtel au bateau parfait à l’heure rien à dire. Équipage au TOP vraiment INCROYABLE, très serviable avec le sourire. Beau paysage avec la possibilité de se baigner, pêcher, tuba et masque à dispo. On ne ressent pas le mal de mer car le catamaran est grand. Retour sur le port en musique et en dansant ce qui anime la demie journée Petit bémol : les « meilleures places » sur le bateau sont prises et plus possibilité d’y accéder après . Et je trouve que le buffet était un peu limite pas assez de choses à manger et trop rapide mais sinon c’était super top je recommande”

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3.Lounge Catamaran SODADE Half-Day (Adults Only)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 232 reviews · from $79

Set sail from Palmeira for a four-hour adults-only afternoon near Sal. You’ll cruise toward Murdeira Bay and Monte Leão, with beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks, live entertainment, snorkeling gear, fishing gear, and a floating pool when conditions allow. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

“Fantastic experience, the crew lead the party. Dancing, drinking snorkeling and fishing. On time pickup with great vibes from start to finish.”

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4.Half-Day Diving in Sal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 135 reviews · from $109

Meet the Cabo Verde Diving Aquarium team in Santa Maria at 8:30 am for two guided scuba descents, usually one to 18 to 35 meters and a second to 18 meters or less. Tanks, weights, belts, transfers, and guidance are included. Bring certification proof and budget an extra €20 for rental gear.

“Cabo Verde Dive School provided an excellent service from start to finish. All of the staff were very friendly. The dive brief was clear and the guides were very helpful on the boat. Amazing dive spots seeing turtle, nurse shark, lots of stingray anRead more”

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5.Half-Day Sal Island Tour with Shark Experience from Santa Maria

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · from $40Best value

Travel from Santa Maria with a guide such as Mamadu or Mamadou for a four-hour look at Sal beyond the resort zone. You’ll visit Murdeira, Palmeira, Espargos, Ponta Preta, Buracona, Pedra de Lume, Terra Boa, and Shark Bay. Hotel pickup, transport, and a professional guide are included, while entrance fees, food, and water shoes cost extra.

“La bonne humeur de Mamadou et sa disponibilité ! Ensuite le faite d’être en petit comité c’est plus sympa 😊”

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6.Half-day Quad Tour to Santa Monica Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 31 reviews · from $64

Spend about four hours driving a quad from Sal Rei through Rabil, Povoação Velha, Santa Monica Beach, Varandinha Caves, and Morro de Areia. Small groups of up to 10 get guide support and beach time. Bring a license, closed shoes, long trousers, and a face covering for dust.

“Amazing must do experience. Loved it. Don’t forget to bring face masks ;) It will be enough dust, adrenaline and fun with beautiful scenery.”

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7.Half-Day Sailing Yacht Adventure in Sal Island – 3 hours

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · 3 hours · from $69

Sail Sal’s southwest coast aboard the classic yacht Lucy with a small group of up to 8 to 10 people. Expect a quiet, wind-powered cruise, light snacks, drinks, shaded seating, and an optional swim or snorkel stop. Departure is from Santa Maria Beach or Bikini Beach, with the exact point confirmed after booking.

“Quelle expérience inoubliable lors de notre sortie en voilier ! 🌊⛵ Un immense merci à Daniel et à toute son équipe pour leur accueil chaleureux, leur professionnalisme et leur bonne humeur communicative. Grâce à eux, nous avons vécu un moment magique et rempli d’émotions. Le clou du spectacle : avoir eu la chance d’apercevoir des baleines majestueuses et des tortues marines, un vrai cadeau de la nature ! 🐋🐢 Nous repartons le cœur léger et des souvenirs plein la tête. 💙 Anaïs, Maïssa et Kelly :)”

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8.Half-day Northern Tour + Viana Desert Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $63

From Sal Rei, this private 3 to 4-hour outing visits Rabil’s clay artisans, the Sahara-swept Viana Desert, Cabo Santa Maria shipwreck, Praia da Atalanta, and Fatima Church. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, with space for up to eight people. Guides such as Ndiouga and Njango are noted for friendly, well-informed service.

“The tour covered all of the key highlights of northern Boa Vista as promised. The Viana Desert is something out of this world and a must see if you come to Cape Verde. Our tour guide, Ndiouga, was incredibly knowlegable about the areas we visited and was very friendly. Great tour with no stress!”

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9.Half-day Electric Car Rental in Santa Maria

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 9 reviews

Drive a two-person Spinach electric car around Sal for four hours or 60 km. After a short briefing, follow planned routes with an app-based audio guide to places such as the salt flats, Kite Beach, Rui Beach, and Preta Beach. Bring your original license and passport or ID, and allow time for the €200 refundable deposit.

“So we thought we would try this experience as it looked fun in Santa Maria, Sal, Cape Verde. Booked for 4hrs and we did the self tour. We wanted to go to the volcano and swim in the salt lakes. We clarified when we booked at the front desk tRead more”

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10.Half-Day Diving Trip in Sal with Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 6 reviews · from $114

Meet the Cabo Verde Diving team around 8:30am for two guided scuba descents near Santa Maria. You’ll visit two sites, usually spending 40 to 60 minutes underwater each time, with tanks, weights, equipment, and hotel transfers included. Certified divers only, with depths reaching 35 meters on the first outing.

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11.Half-day Tour + Santa Monica Beach by 4×4

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · from $52

Spend three to four hours exploring southern Boa Vista by 4x4, with hotel pickup, a small group of up to eight, and stops in Rabil, Povoação Velha, Santa Monica, Varandinha, and Chaves Beach. Guides including Alex, Cleiton, Laury, and Aldo have led this route, which mixes local life, island history, beaches, dunes, and sea-carved caves.

“El magnifico trato de nuestros guías Alex y Cleiton que nos han explicado todo con el máximo detalle y han estado pendientes de nosotros. La ruta increíble y los medios de transporte también. 100% recomendable”

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12.Half-day tour around the island

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 4 reviews · 4 hours

Explore Sal with a private guide for up to four people, visiting Murdeira Bay, Buracona’s Blue Eye, Terra Boa’s mirage, Espargos, and Pedra de Lume. Guide Djohn has tailored the route to visitors’ interests, while multilingual guides offer tours in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, or German.

“A brilliant half day trip. We saw the blue eye which was spectacular. We saw the mirage which was phenomenal. To top of the trip we were in the sea with baby lemon sharks and then floated in the salt lake. Truly amazing experience.”

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