Experience the best of Rabil

Boa Vista is a flat, sandy island with desert plains and long beaches, lying far out in the Atlantic off the coast of West Africa. Rabil, the island's former capital, stands about six kilometres south-east of Sal Rei, the island's main town, and the two are linked by a short road. The island's airport lies just outside Rabil.

The beaches of Santa Mónica are among the island's best known, with calm bays for swimming and steady wind for kite sports. The Viana desert, a sand desert inland, shows the island's dry landscape. Loggerhead turtles come ashore to nest on its beaches in the warm months.

Cachupa, the national dish of Cape Verde, is a slow-cooked stew of corn and beans with meat or fish, and grogue, a spirit distilled from sugar cane, is the traditional drink. Island life is quiet. The drier months from December to June suit walks and beaches, and the short rainy season from August to October brings occasional storms.