The 15 Best São Vicente & Mindelo Tours

1.São Vicente’s Enchanting Sea Turtle Snorkeling

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

Meet your guide in São Pedro, collect snorkeling gear, learn basic safety, then take a short boat ride to a turtle area for time in the water. Pickup and drop-off are included from Mindelo port or your accommodation. Guides speak English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. Soraya and Eddie have earned special praise for their patient help.

“Alles super, aber vor Ort bekommt man das Schnorcheln für 15€ p. Person.”

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2.Snorkel with Sea Turtles Adventure

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

Travel from your hotel or port to São Pedro, learn the basics from a multilingual guide, then take a short boat ride to a turtle-filled bay. You get about an hour in the water with snorkeling gear and a life jacket. Guide Elder has earned praise for his calm, friendly help, especially with nervous swimmers.

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3.Full Day Island Tour, São Vicente, Mindelo, Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 109 reviews · 6 hours · from $82

Spend six hours exploring São Vicente with a multilingual guide such as Sonia, Danny, Paulo, Rui, or Carlos. Walk through Mindelo, visit its markets, climb Monte Verde, see Salamansa and Calhau, swim at Baía das Gatas, and stop for a local lunch. Bring cash, swimwear, a towel, water, and sun protection.

“very good way to see Mindelo and island of São Vicente.”

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4.Santo Antão Day Trip with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 101 reviews · from $147

Travel from Mindelo to Santo Antão by ferry, then cross the island with a local guide such as Maira, Riva, or Lea. See the Cova de Paúl crater, Corda Road, Delgadinho viewpoint, Ponta de Sol, Ribeira Grande, and Vale de Paúl. Lunch is extra, and the ferry can be rough.

“Pasamos un día excelente gracias a nuestra guía Maira y el conductor. Fueron muy agradables, nos explicaron todo con mucha dedicación y detalle, fue un auténtico placer. Totalmente recomendable!”

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5.São Vicente Island: Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 97 reviews · 6 hours · from $88

Starting in Mindelo, this six-hour private or small-group tour combines colonial sights, markets, Calhau Valley, Salamansa, Baía das Gatas, Sahara-blown dunes, and Monte Verde. Guides such as Elder and Fredy have been praised for warm cultural explanations, though Spanish-language guiding may vary. Lunch is separate, and hotel or port pickup is included.

“Everything was perfect. There is really nothing to improve. Our guide, Elder was very thorough and kind. We saw everything!”

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6.Beaches, Villages and Monte Verde (excludes city)

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 87 reviews · 5 hours · from $82

Leave Mindelo for a five-hour circuit of São Vicente with a multilingual guide such as Sonia or Lino. Visit São Pedro, Calhau, Praia Grande, Baía das Gatas, Salamansa, and Monte Verde. Expect short walks, local farming scenes, a possible swim, tea or coffee at the mountain tea house, and lunch at your own cost.

“overall it was a satisfying experience, we've visited all the places we were supposed to see, unfortunately there was no visibility on the Monte Verde's peak. The lunch at the restaurant was very good ( not incl). Our guide Sônia was highly knowledgeable. Recommended”

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7.Full Day Island Tour, Highlights of São Vicente

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 74 reviews · from $81Top rated

Spend about six hours touring São Vicente with a local guide and driver. See Mindelo’s markets, climb Monte Verde for tea and wide views, swim at Baía das Gatas, and visit Calhau. Hotel pickup is offered, groups can reach 20 people, and lunch is not normally included in the $81.42 price.

“Good tour for highlights of area. Meeting location at exit of port. Great guide and driver. Recommended”

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8.creol cooking with Catia

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 70 reviews · 3h 30m · from $64

Meet Catia Sofia Andrade and Markus at Mindelo’s Palacio do Povo, shop for fresh ingredients at the main and fish markets, then ride a public bus to their home. In a small group of up to eight, you’ll prepare Cape Verdean dishes, learn practical cooking tips, and share lunch in a private household.

“Great day, started visiting the markets to get ingredients with Marcus and Catia, and then food prep and cooking, great meal and a lot of fun and learned a lot about Cabo Verde and Creole culture.”

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9.Half Day Island Tour, Sao Vicente, 4h

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · from $63

Join Green Line Tours Cabo Verde for a four-hour group tour from Mindelo, with hotel pickup and a professional local guide. Visit markets, Fortim del Rei, Torre de Belem, and Monte Verde, then stop at Salamansa and Baía das Gatas for coastal views and a possible swim. Guides such as Danny, Carlos, Sonia, and Jaime have led this route.

“The company's owner was out guide, spoke an excellent English and was very knowledgeable and committed. Awesome tour where personal preferences were responded to.”

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10.Snorkel and Swim with Sea Turtles

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

From Mindelo, drive to São Pedro, then join guide Diego or another marine professional for a short boat ride and a guided swim with sea turtles. Groups are limited to nine, and your time in the water is capped at 20 minutes to protect the animals. Transport, life jackets, masks, tubes, and insurance are included.

“We highly recommend this tour! 💯👍 A very smart driver picked us up at our hotel in Mindelo. We drove approx. 15 minutes to the beach in Sao Petro. Diego, our tour guide was already there and started immediately to prepare the boot. He gave us security instructions also life jackets. My wife stayed in the boot while I went snorkeling. It was amazing to see the sea turtles and fishes too. Four big ones surrounded me while swimming and snorkeling. After a while even a bigger one showed up. On board again Diego told us about the wildlife and fishing activities in this area. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ka and Andi”

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11.Half Day Island Tour, Best of São Vicente, Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 54 reviews · 4 hours · from $64

Spend four hours exploring São Vicente by small van and on foot. Visit Fortim do Rei, Mindelo’s fish and produce markets, Monte Verde’s 774-meter summit, Salamansa, and Baía das Gatas. Guides speak English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Tea or coffee at Monte Verde is included when available.

“This tour exceeded our expectations. We saw the majority of top sites in Sao Vicente in the time allotted. Had we not taken a tour, we would never have realized how beautiful the city and island are. The tour company is extremely well organized. They communicated with us several times before we docked at the cruise terminal. They met us just outside the terminal door, checked us in, and then assigned us in groups to 9-passenger vans. Our guide and driver were both excellent. Our guide, Jaimie, was knowledgeable, affable, and passionate about his island. He shared his vast knowledge of his country's history and current conditions. He answered every…”

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12.Markets, Mountains, Fishing Villages & Beaches

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 49 reviews · 4 hours · from $64

Meet your guide at your Mindelo hotel or the cruise terminal for a four-hour tour of city markets, Monte Verde, Salamansa, and Baía das Gatas. You’ll get local culture, mountain views, a fishing village, and time for a swim. Tours run in English, Portuguese, or French, with hotel or harbor transport included.

“We were robbed canceled trip snd money was kept by provider avoid this trip”

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13.Swimming and Snorkeling Tour with Sea Turtles

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

From Mindelo, you’ll ride to São Pedro, board a local fishermen’s boat, and snorkel with sea turtles in clear coastal water. The tour takes up to 12 people, includes gear, lifejackets, transfers, and guides in English, Portuguese, or French. Turtle sightings are guaranteed year-round, with water time limited by local rules.

“Het was magisch, en heel respectvol naar de dieren toe! dank jullie wel!”

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14.Mindelo Cultural: city tour “Mindelo by Night”

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 35 reviews · 2 hours · from $81

Spend two hours walking through Mindelo with guides such as Marion, Suzy, Mario, or Valeria, visiting music bars, restaurants, a local meeting spot, and a night bar outside the center. Hear live Cape Verdean music, see traditional dance, taste grogue or ponche, and get useful advice on where to eat and listen to music later.

“I really loved this tour. Marion was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and easy to connect with. She shared amazing recommendations for bars and restaurants, and each spot helped me experience Mindelo in a more authentic, local way. I really appreciated how she blended culture, conversation, and fun throughout the night. A genuinely memorable experience — highly recommend!!!”

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15.Full-Day Tour of Sao Vicente from Mindelo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 31 reviews · from $75

Spend 6 to 7 hours touring Sao Vicente from Mindelo in an air-conditioned vehicle with a local guide. Walk Mindelo’s center, visit markets and the Cesaria Evora Museum, climb Monte Verde for island views, stop in fishing villages, swim at Baia das Gatas, eat a three-course lunch in Calhau, and pass farms in Madeiral Valley.

“Our tour guide was Carlos and he was great!!! He had an extensive knowledge about Cape Verde and the surrounding islands and was extremely polite and professional.”

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