Santa Monica Beach
South coast of Boa Vista, about 30 km from Sal Rei
An enormous empty beach with nothing built on it and nobody on it
Coastline
Open Atlantic
Sand & Water
pale, fine and deep, clear but rough, with heavy surf and strong undertow
Length
20 km
Best For
Long walks, Photography
Santa Monica is the beach people mean when they call Cape Verde empty. Around twenty kilometres of unbroken pale sand run along the south coast of Boa Vista with no buildings, no shade, no facilities and, on most days, almost no people. It is regularly named among the finest beaches in the Atlantic, and it is also one of the least usable: the surf is heavy, the undertow is severe and there is no lifeguard within thirty kilometres. Come for the walk and the photographs, not for the swim.
Best Time to Visit Santa Monica Beach
Reachable year-round, but the tracks in are easier from November to June when the ground is dry. September and October bring the warmest water and the heaviest showers. Go early or late in the day: there is no shade of any kind and the middle of the day is punishing.
Best Months to Swim
Months to Avoid
Things to Do at Santa Monica Beach
Walking the length of it
You can walk for two hours in either direction and see nobody. The sand is deep and soft, which makes it harder work than it looks, and there is nowhere to refill water.
Photography
The combination of empty sand, dunes behind and Atlantic swell in front gives this beach its reputation. Early morning and the hour before sunset are the only times the light is workable.
Quad and jeep tours
Most visitors arrive on an organised tour that combines Santa Monica with the Viana dunes and the Cabo Santa Maria shipwreck in a single day.
Turtle nesting
The south coast is important loggerhead nesting habitat between June and October. Access is restricted at night and rightly so; go only with a licensed conservation guide.
Where to Stay near Santa Monica Beach
Nothing is built on Santa Monica and nothing is likely to be. Visitors stay in Sal Rei or at the resorts around Praia de Chaves and come out for the day, which is a drive of forty minutes to an hour on rough track.
Sal Rei guesthouse
Small independent places in the island's only town, about an hour away by four-wheel drive.
Chaves resort
All-inclusive properties on the nearer stretch of south coast, most of which run tours out to Santa Monica.
Getting to Santa Monica Beach
There is no paved road. Santa Monica is reached by unsigned sand track from Povoacao Velha, and an ordinary hire car will get stuck. Almost everyone comes on an organised jeep or quad tour from Sal Rei.
| From | Method | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Full day | ||
| 60 minutes from Sal Rei |
Food & Drink
There is nothing here at all: no bar, no shack, no water tap along the entire twenty kilometres. Tours bring lunch and drinks; independent visitors need to carry everything, including considerably more water than seems necessary. The nearest food is at Povoacao Velha, a small village inland on the way back toward Sal Rei.
Safety & Practical Tips
The danger at Santa Monica is the ocean and the isolation, not crime. Heavy shore break and a powerful undertow make swimming genuinely hazardous, and there is no lifeguard, no phone signal in places and no quick way to get help. People also get stuck driving the sand tracks without a guide or recovery gear.
- •Treat this as a beach for walking, not for swimming; the undertow is severe
- •Carry far more water than you expect to drink, and something to cover your head
- •Do not attempt the track in a two-wheel drive hire car
- •Tell someone your plan; mobile coverage is patchy along the south coast
- •Between June and October keep well clear of turtle nests and never drive on the upper beach
Nearby Attractions
Deserto de Viana
Natural landmark
A field of Saharan dunes in the island's interior, usually visited on the same day trip.
Cabo Santa Maria shipwreck
Landmark
A rusting 1968 cargo wreck half buried in sand on the north coast.
Praia de Chaves
Beach
The nearer south coast beach, with resorts behind it and slightly more sheltered swimming at its northern end.
Sal Rei
Town
Boa Vista's only town, with the island's restaurants, guesthouses and boat trips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you swim at Santa Monica beach?
It is not advisable. The shore break is heavy and the undertow strong, there are no lifeguards anywhere on the twenty-kilometre stretch, and help is at least an hour away. Local guides consistently advise against swimming here. Praia de Chaves and the beaches around Sal Rei are far better choices.
How do you get to Santa Monica beach?
By unsigned sand track from Povoacao Velha, roughly an hour from Sal Rei. There is no paved access and an ordinary hire car will get stuck. Most people come on a jeep or quad tour that combines the beach with the Viana dunes and the shipwreck.
Is Santa Monica really one of the best beaches in the world?
It earns the reputation on looks and emptiness: twenty kilometres of fine pale sand with nothing built on it and often nobody on it. It scores badly on everything else, since there is no shade, no facilities, no safe swimming and no easy access.
Are there turtles at Santa Monica?
Yes. Boa Vista hosts one of the largest loggerhead nesting populations in the world and the south coast is important habitat, with females nesting from June and hatchlings emerging from August into October. Night access is controlled and should only be done with a licensed conservation guide.