The 15 Best Boa Vista Tours & Excursions

1.Shark, Turtles, Cave, Sandboarding & Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 328 reviews · 4 hours - 270 minutes · from $70Our pick

Join Gil Taxi & Tours Boa Vista for a four-hour 4x4 trip across the island’s south. Guides such as Veronique, Joshua, and Cuckoo lead you to turtle and shark bays, Morro de Arreia for sandboarding, Varandinha caves, Santa Monica Beach, and a local grogue and ponche tasting in Povoação Velha. Hotel pickup and photos are included.

“We were a group of 6, our guide Veronica made our tour fun. She’s so interactive and made us all feel so comfortable. The tour itself self was amazing, from start to finish. We would definitely recommend to anyone. Thank you Veronica and Gil for an awesome experience.”

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2.Turtle, Shark, Santa Monica, Sandboard & Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 228 reviews · 4 hours · from $76

Spend four hours crossing Boa Vista’s west coast in a 4x4 with guides such as Fredy, Evandro, Julie, and Cristiano. Sandboard at Morro de Areia, watch for green turtles and lemon sharks, stop at Santa Monica Beach, then taste grogue, ponche, and local snacks in Povoação Velha. The route is active, dusty, and packed with variety.

“What an outstanding day. Julia and Christiano were the perfect hosts. Pick up on time, knowledgeable and informed us of everywhere we were going and what to expect. It was a fabulous day and well worth the money I have to say. Would definitely recommend and if we visit the island again we will definitely book again. Thank you for a fabulous day”

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3.Santa Monica, Dunes, Caves and Village 4×4 Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 137 reviews · 4 hours · from $76

Ride into Boa Vista’s Viana desert, visit the old village of Povoação Velha, walk through Varandinha’s sea caves, and finish at Santa Monica Beach with time for a swim and included cocktail. Guides such as Freddy, Evandro, Nielson, and Julie have led this route. Expect rough tracks, big views, and a lively ride.

“We liked to see the caves, it is very beautiful. The ocean is very blue, and the landscape is very unique.”

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4.Boa Vista Jeep Expedition: Shipwreck & Viana Desert (4-Hour)

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 134 reviews · 4 hours · from $64

Spend four hours exploring northern Boa Vista in a Toyota Landcruiser with a local guide such as Vagner, Hendrick, or Fabrizio. Expect bumpy off-road tracks, the Cabo Santa Maria shipwreck, Bofareira Bay, Espingueira refreshments, Viana Desert dunes, and the pottery chimney at Praia de Chaves. Water and hotel transfers are included.

“Exploring the sights of the north part of the island in a jeep was fabulous. Travelled over varied terrain which at times was bumpy. Our fantastic guide Fabrizio said it was a free massage. Fabrizio was brilliant. Very chatty, friendly and knowledgeable. The tour covers a number of sights with ample stops to explore and take pictures. There is a chance to taste the local grog at a village bar and chat with the locals who were all exceptionally friendly. It can be dusty and hot but chilled water is provided. We would highly recommend this tour.”

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5.Boa Vista Quad Tour: Shipwreck & Viana Desert (2-Hour)

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 121 reviews · 2 hours

You’ll ride a guided quad from Sal Rei to the Cabo Santa Maria shipwreck and Viana Desert, with hotel pickup, fuel, equipment, and water included. Guides such as Vagner, Fabrizio, Fabrice, and Mauru have been praised for safety and patience. Bring your driver’s license, sunscreen, closed shoes, and clothes you can get dusty.

“I enjoyed the opportunity to take good photographs and see and learn more about Boa Vista”

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6.Whale Watching Trip with Motoryacht

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 115 reviews · 3 hours · from $94

Cruise from Sal Rei for up to three hours in search of humpback whales, guided by local biologists such as Josie and Sarah. The best season is March to May, when whales mate and calve near Boa Vista. Expect a detailed briefing, drinks, hotel pickup, and a real chance of sightings, but no guarantee.

“Alles super, freuen uns schon auf die Tour am Samstag”

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7.Northwest & Deserto de Viana 4×4 Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 113 reviews · 4 hours · from $53Best value

See Boa Vista’s northwest in four hours with a multilingual guide, hotel pickup, and a 4x4 ride to Rabil, the Deserto de Viana, Praia da Atalanta, and the Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima. You get craft, sand, sea views, and the Cabo Santa Maria wreck in one compact outing.

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8.2-Hour Buggy 1000cc North Island Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 113 reviews

Join No-Limits Adventure for a two-hour north Boa Vista outing in a powerful 4x4 side-by-side buggy. You’ll receive a safety briefing, helmet, goggles, overalls, water, and a local guide. The route runs through Via Pitoresca, Cabo Santa Maria’s shipwreck beach, the Viana Desert, and Ponta do Sol. Guides may include Mario, Djeu, Giovanni, or Josiel.

“The best trip we’ve ever been on! The guys were helpful, informative & really friendly. They helped us with our overalls, helmets & scarfs and made sure to tell us everything we needed to know! The tour itself , wow, stunning. We loved every minute of it you see so much! The views are unbelievable. They have their own photographer who follows u all through the tour, the photos are so good you have to get them at the end! It’s so worth it! We would do the trip again today if we could . Thanks so much Harriet & Jack x”

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9.Beautiful Beaches, Turtles & Djeu Island Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 100 reviews · 7 hours · from $100

Spend seven hours exploring Boa Vista with guides such as Joshua, Veronique, or Axurance. Snorkel around uninhabited Djeu Island, visit the Duque de Bragança fort, eat lunch by the beach, then ride by 4x4 to Santa Monica Beach, Shark Bay, Turtle Bay, Praia Varandinha, and the Morro de Areia dunes.

“The snorkelling was really good, saw loads of fish, the Santa Monica beach is so beautiful, really lovely, we only saw a couple of baby sharks and quite difficult to spot but the tide was out, turtles were amazing and we enjoyed the sandboarding.”

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10.Boa Vista Island Full-Day North to South Discovery

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 79 reviews · 8 hours · from $94

Spend eight hours crossing Boa Vista with a local guide, stopping at Morro de Areia, Varandinha, Santa Monica, Povoação Velha, Sal Rei, Cabo Santa Maria, and Viana Desert. You will have time for swimming, sandboarding, lunch, local shopping, and a look at Rabil pottery. Guides speak English, Italian, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.

“Il tour é stato molto bello. Ci hanno prelevato direttamente dall’hotel e tutte le guide erano molto gentili e disponibili!! I posti che abbiamo visto sono i più famosi di Boavista. Il pranzo era incluso ed é stato eccezionale. Tutto ottimo”

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11.Short Snorkeling Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 76 reviews · 2 months · from $53

Spend two hours snorkeling in the Bay of Sal Rei, just 2 to 5 minutes by boat from the Diving Center Riamar. You may visit Djeu Island or the Zans wreck, with shallow water from 1 to 6 meters, colorful fish, turtles, yellowtail snappers, and perhaps baby sharks. Gear and an English-speaking guide are included.

“Yesterday I waited half an hour for the driver to come pick me up. When the program organizer finally called me back, they said the program was canceled, didn't they tell me? They didn't say anything. I was supposed to go today but again no communication, I want my money back and the time I wasted!!! This is a scam!”

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12.2h North Buggy Adventure 1000cc

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 74 reviews Top rated

Drive a powerful 1000cc buggy along Boa Vista’s Via Pitoresca and remote north coast. You’ll stop at Cabo Santa Maria’s 1968 Spanish cargo shipwreck and Ponta do Sol Panorama Point. Helmets, glasses, water, fuel, and pickup are included. Bring your driving licence and expect a two-hour outing starting at 2 pm.

“Be aware you need to bring your driving licence and the pick up is at 1 from your hotel - this isn’t sign posted anywhere. It seemed one rule for one another for others apart from that the guides were friendly, informative . There isn’t much to do on the island so this was something good fun for a few hours”

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13.Sal Rei, Santa Monica Beach, Caves, Dunes & Shipwreck Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 67 reviews · 6 hours · from $94

This six-hour Boa Vista tour takes you from your hotel to Varandinha Cave, Santa Monica Beach, Viana Desert, and the MS Cabo Santa Maria shipwreck. You ride in a certified, air-conditioned vehicle with a local guide speaking English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, or Spanish. Small groups keep the day personal, with time for beach stops and Sal Rei.

“Super nette Tourenleitung mit Nicole, die uns geduldig alle Fragen auf Deutsch beantwortet hat. Auf den Pickup‘s ist es teils schon sehr anstrengend, vor allem Richtung Schiffswrack. Ansonsten kann ich die Tour allen für den ersten groben Überblick empfehlen - alles drin. Das Essen am Strand von Santa Monica: top! Nur leider über die GJG-Buchung nicht inklusive, bei den Locals wäre sie inbegriffen. Haben wir leider zu spät gecheckt…”

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14.Guided turtle tour in a group in Boa Vista

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · from $104

Join Cabokaitours for an evening turtle watch from Boa Vista to Ervatão. After hotel pickup at 6:30 pm, you’ll receive a beach briefing before watching loggerhead turtles lay eggs, or hatchlings reach the water later in the season. Groups are limited to 12, with time for careful photos.

“Fantastic tour! We were picked up at around 8pm from our hotel and taken on a short drive to the beach. Our guide was fantastic and gave us all of the necessary knowledge about the loggerheads turtles before we saw them. We saw well ovRead more”

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15.Boa Vista 4h South Buggy Adventure 1000cc

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews

Take a four-hour 1000cc buggy ride from Sal Rei along Boa Vista’s south coast. Drive past a pottery chimney, sandy beaches, Morro de Areia, Praia de Verandinha’s natural arch, and vast Santa Monica Beach. Pickup, fuel, helmets, glasses, water, and return transport are included.

“What a fantastic time we had, we were a bit apprehensive over the cost but decided to take the plunge and were were so glad that we did. What value for money we had, a great group of adrenaline junkies who all put their foot down and enjoyed the sheer thrill of the varioRead more”

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