Best Time to Visit Praia

Dry months: December to June

Praia is mild for most of the year, and these months are the easiest. Days are warm, evenings are comfortable, and rain is rare. From March to June it barely shows up at all, with only one or two wet days a month.

December to February is a little cooler and breezier, with the lowest humidity of the year. It's good for walking around the Plateau, the old hilltop centre, and for the market on Praça Albuquerque. March to May is sunnier, with long bright days. It suits beach time at Quebra Canela or the black sand at Praia Gamboa. It's also the best window for day trips to Cidade Velha, the UNESCO-listed first colonial town, and for hikes inland on Santiago.

Expect dust now and then. The harmattan, a dry wind from the Sahara, can leave a haze over the island in winter.

July to November: hotter and wetter

July is still a good month. It's warm and mostly dry, and the sea feels lovely. Then August arrives, and rain jumps to 13 days. September is the wettest month, with 17 wet days, and it's also the hottest, tied with August and October at a 28°C high. Nights stay muggy. The rating drops to Fair, and we'd say that's honest.

Rain comes in short, heavy bursts, not all-day drizzle. Dry roads turn slick, and some hiking tracks get muddy. The upside is a green island. The hills around Serra Malagueta look their best after the rains. October and November cool down and dry out again, and both rate Excellent. If you want fewer people and don't mind a shower, they're smart choices.

Crowds, festivals and when to go

Praia is a working capital, not a resort town, so crowds are never huge. It gets busiest around Christmas and New Year, and in July and August, when Cabo Verdeans living abroad come home. Flights fill up then.

Festivals add colour. Carnival in February or early March brings parades and costumes. In June, the São João celebrations bring drumming and street parties. The Gamboa Music Festival, held in the Gamboa area in late spring, draws crowds for live music. Check the dates before you book, as they can shift.

Our pick? March to May. You get the sun, the quiet beaches and the least rain. Travelling on a budget, or want to see Santiago green? Try October.