Map › Cape Verde › Ervatão - Boa Vista › Curral Velho

Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores & Cape Verde · Curral Velho - Boa Vista · Boa Vista · Sal Rei

Curral Velho

advanced onlylow crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Nearby Ervatão 13 km · Praia de Chaves 20 km · Praia Carlota (Estoril) 25 km · Turtle Bay (Bahia) 28 km · straight-line distance

SeasonJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Nov, Decthe months riders and schools name How windy16-28 Launchhugeaccess rules on record, below Watermixed27°C in summer · 8 things riders flag LevelAdvanced onlywith a caveat, in the Level section

Schoolsnone named here

From the airportno transfer time published

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Curral Velho is the empty end of Boa Vista. The beach sits on the south coast below the ruins of an abandoned salt-trading hamlet, which is where the name comes from, and getting there is an hour or more of 4x4 track through the dunes from Sal Rei.

Same NE trades as the rest of the island, roughly late Oct-May, 16-28 knots; how that wind sits relative to the shore depends on the bay's orientation, and nobody has written it down. Open-ocean swell and current come straight in. There is nothing here: no school, no rescue, no phone signal, no other kiters to notice if you drift off.

That makes it a spot for self-sufficient, experienced riders who come with a guide or as one leg of a downwinder, and for nobody else. The whole coastline is loggerhead turtle nesting ground, so stay off the nesting stretches and keep away at night in season.

The wind

locals call it NE trade winds

Direction

Typical strength

16-28

steady

The same NE trade season as the rest of Boa Vista, roughly late Oct-May. How the wind sits relative to the shore depends on the bay's exact orientation; unconfirmed.

Forecast

Month by month

Jan, riders' month72
Feb, riders' month87
Mar, riders' month81
Apr, riders' month81
May, riders' month84
Jun65
Jul23
Aug18
Sep38
Oct48
Nov, riders' month65
Dec, riders' month70

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Nov, Dec.

13Jan24°
14Feb24°
13Mar24°
13Apr24°
13May25°
12Jun25°
9Jul27°
9Aug28°
10Sep28°
11Oct29°
12Nov27°
13Dec26°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	72%	12.9 kt	NE	22.9°C	24.1°C
Feb	87%	14 kt	NE	22.6°C	23.5°C
Mar	81%	13.1 kt	NNE	22.3°C	23.6°C
Apr	81%	12.8 kt	NNE	23.4°C	24.4°C
May	84%	12.9 kt	NNE	23.8°C	24.6°C
Jun	65%	11.8 kt	NNE	24.9°C	25.1°C
Jul	23%	9.3 kt	NNE	25.9°C	26.6°C
Aug	18%	9.2 kt	NNE	27°C	28°C
Sep	38%	10.3 kt	NE	27.4°C	28.4°C
Oct	48%	11.1 kt	NE	27.3°C	28.6°C
Nov	65%	11.9 kt	NE	26°C	27°C
Dec	70%	12.5 kt	NE	23.9°C	25.5°C

modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2020-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2020-2024

The water

Type

mixed

Temperature

27°C summer · 23°C winter

Wetsuit

boardshorts plus optionally a rash-guard/thin top - full wetsuits are not the norm on Boa Vista per general island guidance

Currents

Unmeasured. The coast faces open ocean, so expect current.

24–29°C water

Your level

not for beginners herenot for intermediates hereadvanced

No infrastructure, no rescue, and an exposed open-ocean setting make this a spot for experienced, self-sufficient kiters only.

The scene

What riders come here for

advancedfreeride

essentially deserted; the wider area draws a trickle of eco-tourists on turtle-watching and ghost-village day trips rather than kiters

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

No school names this spot

Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.

On your own

Room to launch: huge

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Ervatão, 13 km

Ervatão Praia de Chaves Praia Carlota (Estoril)

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Rescue

none available

Launch

Open beach launch with plenty of space; no facilities of any kind nearby.

Space

huge

Hazards riders report 8

completely remote - no rescue or cell coverage
no other kiters around if something goes wrong
open-ocean swell and current exposure
loose 4x4 track access
completely remote - no rescue or reliable cell coverage
protected landscape (Paisagem Protegida de Curral Velho, 16.35km²) with environmental rules covering the area
hawksbill and loggerhead sea-turtle nesting beaches nearby - avoid disturbing nesting/hatching zones, especially at night in season
the offshore islet Ilhéu de Curral Velho is a strict Integral Nature Reserve - landing there is off-limits

Rules & access

part of a coastline used by nesting sea turtles - avoid disturbing nesting/hatching areas, especially at night in season
part of a coastline used by nesting hawksbill and loggerhead sea turtles - avoid disturbing nesting/hatching areas, especially at night in season
Ilhéu de Curral Velho and the adjacent coast were designated a Ramsar wetland site in 2005 and the islet itself is protected as an Integral Nature Reserve - no landing on the islet

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Go with a local guide or on an organised 4x4 safari or downwind trip; do not drive in alone.
Carry everything: water, food, spare lines, pump, repair kit. There is no shop, no shade and no signal.
Stay off the beach at night in turtle season and give any nest markers a wide berth.

Getting there

Airport

BVC Aristides Pereira International Airport (Boa Vista)

Route

4x4 only, roughly an hour or more of dune/track driving from Sal Rei; local guides/taxis or a rented pickup are the usual way in, per Cape Verde's own tourism board

Cost level

mid

Staying

none on site - base in Sal Rei and drive in for the day

No-wind days

explore the ghost-village ruins, the old salt pans, the Vicente Fount spring, and the turtle-nesting coastline on foot

Photos

Titled Curral Vehlo beach, closest at 221m — Fulvio Barudoni / CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Islet at Curral Vehlo, recognisable scenery — Fulvio Barudoni / CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Same named beach, higher-res angle — Fulvio Barudoni / CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kite Curral Velho?

The NE trade-wind season runs roughly late October to May, matching the rest of Boa Vista.

Is Curral Velho suitable for beginners?

No; there is no infrastructure or rescue, and the exposed open-ocean setting makes it a spot for experienced, self-sufficient kiters only.

How do I get to Curral Velho?

It's reachable only by 4x4 track, roughly an hour or more of dune driving from Sal Rei, and there is no accommodation on site.

Are there rules at Curral Velho?

The beach lies along a coastline used by nesting sea turtles, so riders should avoid disturbing nesting or hatching areas, especially at night in season.

Last updated: August 2026