Praia de Chaves
West coast of Boa Vista, about 10 km southeast of Sal Rei
A long dune-backed beach with resorts set well back and a ruined brickworks at one end
Coastline
Open Atlantic with a partly sheltered northern corner
Sand & Water
pale gold, backed by low dunes, clear, calmer at the northern end and rough elsewhere
Length
5 km
Best For
Long walks, Windsurfing
Praia de Chaves is the compromise beach on Boa Vista: big and largely empty like Santa Monica, but close enough to Sal Rei to reach on a paved road and backed by enough resorts to have somewhere to buy a drink. Around five kilometres of pale sand curve along the west coast beneath low dunes, with the ruins of an old brickworks half swallowed by sand at the northern end. The northern corner is partly sheltered and is the only part where swimming is straightforward; the open middle and south take the full Atlantic and behave much like Santa Monica does.
Best Time to Visit Praia de Chaves
Usable year-round. The wind is strongest from November to June, which suits windsurfers and makes the beach feel cooler than it is; July to October is calmer and hotter with the warmest sea. Late afternoon is the best time on any day, when the light softens and the wind drops.
Best Months to Swim
Months to Avoid
Things to Do at Praia de Chaves
Windsurfing and kitesurfing
The steady cross-shore wind and the space to use it make Chaves a reliable spot from November through June. Schools operate out of the resorts rather than the beach itself.
Walking to the brickworks
The ruins of an old brick factory sit half buried in dune at the northern end, twenty minutes up the sand, and are the most photographed thing on this coast.
Swimming at the north end
The sheltered northern corner is the one genuinely swimmable part of the beach, and the only stretch where the shore break is manageable.
Horse riding
Riding along the sand at either end of the day is offered by a couple of operators near the resorts.
Turtle nesting walks
Loggerheads nest along this coast between June and October. Licensed conservation operators run evening walks under strict light rules.
Where to Stay near Praia de Chaves
Chaves has three or four large all-inclusive resorts set back behind the dunes and very little else. Independent travellers generally stay in Sal Rei, ten kilometres northwest, and come down for the day by taxi.
All-inclusive resort
Large properties behind the dune line, most with pools, watersports and their own stretch of sand.
Sal Rei guesthouse
Independent rooms in town, ten minutes away by taxi and much cheaper.
Getting to Praia de Chaves
Praia de Chaves is one of the few beaches on Boa Vista reachable on a paved road, about fifteen minutes from Sal Rei and ten from the airport. Any car will make it, which is not true of most of this island.
| From | Method | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | ||
| 10 minutes | ||
| 15 minutes |
Food & Drink
Eating on Chaves means the resorts, which are all-inclusive and self-contained. There are no independent restaurants on the beach and only a couple of beach bars, so anyone staying in Sal Rei should plan to eat before coming down or head back into town. Sal Rei itself has around a dozen places doing grilled fish and lobster.
Safety & Practical Tips
Chaves is safe from a crime point of view and hazardous in the water, like most of Boa Vista's west coast. The open middle and southern sections have heavy shore break and a pulling current; the sheltered northern corner is far gentler. There are no public lifeguards, though resorts sometimes staff their own frontage in season.
- •Swim at the northern end; the open stretches have a strong pull
- •Resort lifeguards, where they exist, cover only the frontage of that hotel
- •There is no shade on the sand at all once you leave the resorts
- •Take water if you are walking to the brickworks and back
- •Between June and October stay off the upper beach at night and keep white light away from nests
Nearby Attractions
Sal Rei
Town
Boa Vista's only town, ten kilometres northwest, with restaurants, guesthouses and boat trips.
Deserto de Viana
Natural landmark
The interior dune field, reachable by quad or jeep from the coast road.
Santa Monica Beach
Beach
The vast empty south coast beach, an hour away by four-wheel drive track.
Ilheu de Sal Rei
Island
The uninhabited islet off Sal Rei, with a ruined fort and the calmest swimming on the island.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Praia de Chaves safe for swimming?
At the sheltered northern corner, yes. The open middle and southern sections have heavy shore break and a strong pulling current, and there are no public lifeguards on any part of the beach. Resort lifeguards, where they exist, cover only that hotel's frontage.
How far is Praia de Chaves from Sal Rei?
About ten kilometres, or fifteen minutes by taxi on a paved road. It is one of the few beaches on Boa Vista an ordinary hire car can reach, which is why it gets more day visitors than the south coast does.
What is the ruined building on Praia de Chaves?
An abandoned brick factory at the northern end of the beach, now half buried in dune. It is a twenty-minute walk up the sand from the resort strip and is the most photographed structure on this coast.
Is Praia de Chaves better than Santa Monica?
For actually using a beach, yes. Chaves is reachable on a paved road, has somewhere to buy a drink, and has one genuinely swimmable corner. Santa Monica is larger, emptier and more beautiful, but has no access road, no facilities and no safe swimming anywhere along it.