Sal Rei, the main town on Boa Vista, grew up beside the salt pans that gave it its name, on the island's north-west coast. Its harbour looks across to the islet of Ilhéu de Sal Rei and the ruins of an old fort. South of town, Praia de Cabral and Praia Carlota curve along a long pale bay where most of the hotels and kite schools sit. Inland, the dunes of the Viana desert begin just east of town, and rough tracks lead on to far beaches such as Santa Mónica on the south-west coast.
Kiting, dunes and the old wreck
The islet shelters the bay in front of Sal Rei, so the water inside stays flat and shallow, which makes it a good place to learn kitesurfing. Because the trade wind blows side-offshore here, riders learn with a school keeping watch. A morning in the Viana dunes feels like a corner of the Sahara. On the north coast, the hull of the Cabo Santa Maria, a Spanish cargo ship that ran aground in the late 1960s, still sits in the surf off Praia de Atalanta. From about March to May, humpback whales pass the island, though sightings depend on the day.
Booking on adventuro
Kite schools sit on the beaches just south of Sal Rei, a short walk or taxi ride from most hotels, and lessons start at beginner level. Use the Book here tab to see live kite lesson dates on Boa Vista.
