Praia De Santa Monica(Porto Portugues, Praia de Curralinho)

Located in the south-western part of the island of Boa Vista in Cabo Verde, Praia de Santa Monica – also called Santa Monica Beach, Praia do Curralinho, and Curralinho Beach – is an 18-kilometers-long beach with white sand, a few large rocks, nearby sand dunes, and nearby large rocky cliffs.  This sandy beach is located near the village of Povoacao Velha.  Travel+Leisure magazine listed this beach in Cape Verde as one of the “26 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World” in 2024 – this beach was listed as the 21st best beach in the world.  In addition, TripAdvisor also listed this beach as one of the best and stunning beaches in the world in 2019 as a part of its annual Travelers’ Choice awards.  Praia de Santa Monica is also a favorite of Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach.

Santa Monica Beach Boa Vista does not offer lifeguards or any other amenities, so please plan accordingly.

Praia de Santa Monica offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, swimming, paddleboarding, jet-skiing, snorkeling, scuba diving, water-skiing, parasailing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and wildlife watching.

This beach is ideal for less-experienced swimmers in summers because the water here has relatively gentle waves during this time.  Slightly experienced and strong surfers also sometimes visit Praia de Santa Monica Cabo Verde because the water here can occasionally offer fun surfing waves.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, or snorkel here, we recommend being careful because the water here can have dangerous rip currents and strong waves.  There is an interesting cave near Praia de Santa Monica Cape Verde that visitors can explore, along with large sand dunes – some of these sand dunes reach up to 50 meters.  If you like bird watching, many endemic birds feed here.  Praia de Santa Monica offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Boa Vista shoreline.

Praia de Santa Monica does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Praia de Santa Monica can be difficult because the roads nearby are uneven and sandy – this beach is connected to the local airport, towns, and villages of Boa Vista through an island-wide road.  We recommend driving here on a 4X4 car because of the uneven and sandy roads.  You can also visit and explore this beach through a guided quad tour – you can visit Cabo Verde’s official tourist website for more information regarding these guided tours.  We recommend carrying water while visiting this beach in the summer because you can get dehydrated quickly.  In addition, please also note that this beach can also get windy in winter.

Praia de Santa Monica is 18 kilometers (11 miles) long and is one of Cabo Verde’s longest beaches.

There are many attractions near Praia de Santa Monica within a 40-minute drive.  Morro de Areia Nature Reserve is a nature reserve that has a vibrant desert and coastal landscape. This reserve is home to many kinds of animals and you can explore it through guided tours – this reserve also offers amazing views of the Boa Vista shoreline.  The village of Povoacao Velha is one of the oldest inhabited areas in Boa Vista and it offers two beautiful churches dating back to the early 19th century.  In addition, it also has an arts studio that sells novelty items and handicrafts.  Viana Desert – also called Deserto de Viana – is a desert that has magnificent sand dunes, rocks, and desert vegetation – you can explore this beautiful desert through guided tours and it also has a relaxing ambiance.  Praia da Atlanta is a beach that offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, swimming, and wildlife watching – this beach also has a wreck of a Spanish ship named Cabo Santa Maria, which ran aground here in 1968.  Museu dos Naufragos is a museum that offers many amazing exhibits on local culture and history.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Chave Chimney is a chimney that is considered to be a popular local landmark – this chimney was part of a ceramics factory that was active in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants and beach bar areas near Praia de Santa Monica within a 40-minute drive.  Ka Fabiana Box Rotcha is a restaurant that offers many excellent dishes including fries, pasta, steaks, seafood, and excellent local cocktails.  Morabeza Beach Bar & Lounge Restaurant has an island-inspired ambiance and it is known for serving excellent steaks and seafood – it also hosts reggae music nights and fun parties.  Perola D’Chaves is a beach bar and restaurant that offers a relaxed ambiance, along with a variety of delicious dishes including pasta, salads, seafood, burgers, sandwiches, chicken dishes, and ribs.  Sodade – Casa da Cultura is a museum that is set in a Colonial-era house - this museum also has a restaurant that serves many amazing locally-inspired dishes for lunch and dinner.  Bahia Beach Club is another waterfront restaurant and bar that offers dishes with International culinary influences including steaks, seafood, pasta, and tartare, along with many excellent hot and cold beverages.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant nearby, Te Manche is a waterfront restaurant that is known for serving amazing stew and it also offers a variety of other dishes including seafood, pasta, fries, steaks, and pizzas.

If you are looking for a hotel near Praia de Santa Monica, there are many great nearby options within a 35-minute-drive.  The 5-Star Hotel Riu Touareg offers many amenities including multiple restaurants and bars, a gym, a spa, two tennis courts, multiple terraces, a nightclub, a kids’ club, a karaoke, a lounge, table tennis, a gift shop, a cocktail lounge, a hot tub, a hammam, and multiple pools.  Another great upscale hotel is the 5-Star Riu Karamboa that is built in Middle Eastern-style and offers many amenities including a gym, shopping stores, a water park, a playground, a hot tub, multiple pools, a spa, a nightclub, multiple restaurants, and multiple bars.  The 5-Star Hotel Riu Palace Boavista offers many amenities including a spa, a hot tub, a sauna, a play area, a gym, multiple pools, a private beach area, and multiple restaurants and bars.  The 4-Star Oasis White Hotel is another great upscale hotel that offers many amenities including a pool, a fitness area, sunbeds, multiple bars, and a restaurant.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Ouril Hotel Agueda that offers many amenities including a hot tub, a sundeck, a restaurant, and common outdoor sitting areas.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, Hotel Boa Vista offers a restaurant and it is also located conveniently close to some of the major attractions around the city of Sal Rei.