11 Turtle Watching in São Vicente to Build a Day Around

1.São Vicente’s Enchanting Sea Turtle Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 153 reviews · 1h 30m · from $70Our pick

Meet a local guide in São Pedro, receive snorkeling gear and safety guidance, then take a short boat ride to swim with sea turtles for about an hour. Pickup and return are included from Mindelo port or your accommodation. Guides speak English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French.

“Our guide, Eddie, was incredibly helpful, kind, and patient. He guided us close to the turtles and stayed with us. It was my first time and I would definitely do it again !”

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2.Snorkel with Sea Turtles Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 111 reviews · 1 hour · from $70

Meet your guide, collect snorkeling gear, and take a short boat ride from São Pedro to a turtle-filled bay. You get about an hour in the water, with life jackets, safety help, and sightings guaranteed. Guides speak English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. Ask for Elder if available, a notably attentive guide.

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3.Snorkel and Swim with Sea Turtles

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 58 reviews · 1 hour · from $68

Meet your guide, ride from Mindelo to São Pedro, and board a wooden boat in search of sea turtles. Guide Diego provides the safety briefing and leads your snorkeling time, limited to 20 minutes to protect the animals. The tour serves no more than nine people and includes transport, equipment, and pickup from your hotel or cruise terminal.

“Hat alles super funktioniert und ich hatte riesigen Spaß mit den Schildkröten.”

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4.Swimming and Snorkeling Tour with Sea Turtles

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 44 reviews · 1h 30m · from $67

From Mindelo, ride to São Pedro, board a local fishermen’s boat, and snorkel with sea turtles in their natural setting. You get gear, a safety briefing, hotel or port transfers, and up to 25 minutes near the turtles. Richard is one English-speaking guide you may meet. Groups are limited to 12.

“Absolutely lovely experience! We saw many beatiful fishes and there were 3 turtles swimming around, the turtels are very friendly and arent bothered by the people at all.”

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5.Live Snorkeling & Swimming with Sea Turtles in the Atlantic

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 29 reviews · 1 hour · from $57Best value

Meet Carreta sea turtles in São Pedro Bay, 15 minutes from Mindelo. Kapverden Tours provides hotel or harbor pickup, a boat ride, snorkeling gear, and guides in English, French, or Portuguese. Guides such as André, Diego, and captain Lulu help you enter the water safely, take photos, and return to shore.

“We had a great time, There were a lot of Turtles”

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6.Spectacular experience with sea turtles

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 20 reviews · from $61

From Mindelo, you are driven to São Pedro, a fishing village about 15 minutes away. After a safety briefing, you board a small boat to see young sea turtles near the bay, then enter the water under strict no-touch rules. Pickup, a mobile ticket, and groups of up to 12 are included.

“It was a great experience. As promised we saw sea Turtles, approximately 4 of them. The guide was able to interact and play with them. It was shorter than the hour promised but the tides were strong that day so very understandable. We alwRead more”

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7.Snorkeling with Turtles Breathtaking Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 6 reviews · 2 hours · from $88

Travel from your São Vicente accommodation to São Pedro, receive a safety briefing, and board a local fishermen’s boat to swim with Green turtles. The group is limited to eight, with equipment and hotel pickup included. French, English, and Portuguese are advertised, though language support may vary on the day.

“Le guide ne nous a pas accompagné, il nous a laissé seul avec le monsieur du bateau qui ne parlait ni français ni anglais. Nous sommes restés 3/4 h au lieu de 2h00. Et comme nous logions à 15 minutes à pied, le guide nous a proposé de rentrer à pied et n’est pas revenu. Nous avons vraiment l’impression de nous faire voler…. Autrement, les tortues sont magnifiques !”

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8.Private Snorkel Experience with Sea Turtle for Cruisers

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 4 reviews · 1 hour · from $117

Meet your guide at the Port of Mindelo, transfer to São Pedro, and take a short boat ride to a turtle site. Your private group receives equipment, a safety briefing, and guided snorkeling in English, Portuguese, or French. Turtle sightings are guaranteed, with pickup and return included.

“All went smoothly and it was a great experience. Efficient and friendly staff.”

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9.Snorkeling with Turtles

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 4 reviews · 2h 30m · from $82

From Mindelo, Zion Tours Cabo Verde takes you to São Pedro for a guided Atlantic snorkeling trip. You’ll swim with turtles, watch fish and other marine life, enjoy a boat ride and local snack, and have free time in the bay. Guides speak English, German, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

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10.Snorkeling with turtles at Sao Pedro’s Beach

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 3 reviews · from $88

Meet your guide for transport to São Pedro’s Beach, where local fishermen help lead a turtle snorkeling session in clear water. Snorkeling gear, safety instructions, car transport, and boat transport are included. Guide Nelson, fisherman Pumba, and driver José have helped with the experience. Bring water, sunscreen, swimwear, and a way to change afterward.

“Our tour guide or driver was called José. He was very friendly and nice. He gets 5 stars for the review. You get 3 stars for the bad snorkeling equipment. The mask and mouthpiece were very poorly fitted and didn't stay in place in the water. The mouthpiece kept popping out of her mouth. My girlfriend panicked in the water and couldn't snorkel for long because she had swallowed a lot of sea water. The mask and mouthpiece with tube were not good. You couldn't attach it to the mask (mouthpiece) either. If the equipment had been better, we would have been able to photograph and see the turtles even…”

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11.São Pedro experience (hiking & snorkeling with turtles)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $123Top rated

From Mindelo, spend about five to six hours exploring São Pedro’s white-sand beach and cliffside lighthouse, then swim with sea turtles in the sheltered bay. A local beach restaurant serves lunch featuring the catch of the day. Pickup is offered, groups are capped at eight, and moderate fitness is needed.

“Awestruck and guide. The hike to the lighthouse is amazing, the local food and drink is great and the swimming with turtles magical. You just need to book this one.”

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