Cape Verde Snorkeling Tours: Our Top 15

1.Santa Maria: Guided Snorkeling and Reef Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 809 reviews · 2 hours · from $44Our pick

Join Cabo Verde Diving in Santa Maria for a two-hour guided snorkeling trip to reefs near Farol and the Bay of Santa Maria. You’ll ride a wet, low-sided Zodiac boat, receive equipment and a safety briefing, then look for turtles, rays, moray eels, reef fish, and a shallow wreck. Guides may include Adi, Addie, Ade, Daniel, or Wesley.

“Wow what a great trip guide was amazing , got some great videos of turtles 🐢 close up made my day 😊”

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2.Santa Maria: Snorkeling Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 213 reviews · 2 hours · from $44

Join Nando, a Santa Maria local, for two hours of boat-based snorkeling at the Caldeirinha shipwreck and underwater Christ statue. The tour includes a skipper, guide, mask, fins, vest, and a turtle-focused route. Hotel transfer may be available, and GoPro photos or videos are offered, though you should confirm whether they cost extra.

“Nando and his work partner were great! Really professional, let us feel safe at any stage even if there were waves and manage to see the turtles and swim over them! Nando was taking us by hand and pushing is in the direction of the fishes that he was able to see. nice touch receiving the photos that he made well done!!!”

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3.From Mindelo: São Vicente’s Enchanting Sea Turtle Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 153 reviews · 1h 30m · from $70

You’ll travel from Mindelo to São Pedro, meet a local guide such as Soraya or Eddie, receive snorkeling gear and safety advice, then take a short boat ride to see sea turtles in the sea. The $70 price includes round-trip transport, guiding, and equipment. Turtle sightings are guaranteed, but time in the water can vary.

“Alles super, aber vor Ort bekommt man das Schnorcheln für 15€ p. Person.”

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4.São Vicente: Snorkel with Sea Turtles Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 111 reviews · 1 hour · from $70

Meet your guide at your hotel or port, travel to São Pedro, and learn the basics before a short boat ride to a turtle-rich bay. You get snorkeling gear, a life jacket, and about one hour in the water. English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese are offered, with private groups available.

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5.Boa Vista: Beautiful Beaches, Turtles & Djeu Island Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 100 reviews · 7 hours · from $100

Spend about seven hours with Gil Taxi & Tours exploring Boa Vista by boat and 4x4. Snorkel around uninhabited Djeu Island, visit the Duque de Bragança fort, eat lunch at a beach bar, then see Santa Monica Beach, shark and turtle bays, sea caves, and Morro de Areia’s dunes. Guides including Joshua, Veronique, and Axurance are known for friendly, personal service.

“Book this Tour!!!very high recommended! Amazing Guide Joshua did an awesome Job! We started with a little delay due to other customers (not Gils or Joshuas fault!!!) -but no stress! we were picked up and had a nice boat trip to Djeu Island for Snorkeling, Joshua is a very smart guy and knows a lot of the small island and about Cap Verde over all. He took us to Tortuga Beach for very good lunch, showed us the local African Market which was additional for this tour, then we got on the Pick up Truck for Sandboarding which is a lot of fun, then to the turtle and shark bay…”

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6.Short Snorkeling Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 76 reviews · 2 months · from $53

You’ll take a short boat ride from the Riamar Diving Center to shallow snorkeling sites near Djeu Island or the Zans wreck. An English-speaking guide supplies all gear and leads you through 1 to 6 meters of water, with chances to see colorful fish, turtles, yellowtail snappers, and perhaps baby sharks. The trip ends with time on Djeu Island.

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7.From Mindelo: Snorkel and Swim with Sea Turtles

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 58 reviews · 1 hour · from $68

Meet guide Diego at São Pedro Beach after a 15-minute ride from Mindelo. After a safety briefing, take a wooden boat to the turtles, then spend up to 20 minutes snorkeling beside them. Groups are limited to nine, and pickup, gear, transport, and insurance are included.

“We highly recommend this tour! 💯👍 A very smart driver picked us up at our hotel in Mindelo. We drove approx. 15 minutes to the beach in Sao Petro. Diego, our tour guide was already there and started immediately to prepare the boot. He gave us security instructions also life jackets. My wife stayed in the boot while I went snorkeling. It was amazing to see the sea turtles and fishes too. Four big ones surrounded me while swimming and snorkeling. After a while even a bigger one showed up. On board again Diego told us about the wildlife and fishing activities in this area. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ka and Andi”

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8.Boa Vista Reef Snorkeling in Gatas Bay / Aperitif with Locals

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 46 reviews · 4 hours · from $67

Spend four hours snorkeling from the beach at protected Gatas Bay with an experienced, multilingual guide such as José. After viewing tropical fish and possible lemon sharks, stop in Fundo das Figueiras for goat cheese, pastries, rice, beer, soft drinks, or local grogue and pontxi. Hotel transfers, equipment, neoprene, insurance, and a small group of up to 12 are included.

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9.From Praia: Boat Trip, Snorkeling, Cave & BBQ on the Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 45 reviews · 7 hours · from $129

From Praia, travel to Ribeira da Barca for a 30-minute ride on a traditional fishing boat past volcanic rock and Pilon de Achada Leite. If the sea is calm, swim and snorkel inside Àguas Belas cave, then eat grilled fish, rice, and vegetables on a black-sand beach. Guides may speak English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish.

“Très belle sortie avec le guide KID juste exceptionnel, ainsi qu’aux pêcheurs navigateur qui ont su manœuvré et nous faire découvrir de magnifiques côtes malgré la force de la mer Seul point négatif le repas pas au niveau de la description il n’y avait aucune boisson Bravo pour le reste et surtout les lieux visités”

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10.São Vicente: Swimming and Snorkeling Tour with Sea Turtles

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 44 reviews · 1h 30m · from $67

From Mindelo, you’ll ride to São Pedro, board a local fishermen’s boat, and snorkel near wild sea turtles for up to 25 minutes. The tour includes hotel or cruise-port pickup, gear, lifejackets, and a safety briefing. Guides speak English, Portuguese, and French, and groups are limited to 12 people.

“Absolutely lovely experience! We saw many beatiful fishes and there were 3 turtles swimming around, the turtels are very friendly and arent bothered by the people at all.”

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11.Ilha Do Sal: Snorkeling with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 34 reviews · 1h 30m · from $35Best value

Join Taruga Sal Tours for a 90-minute guided snorkeling trip from Santa Maria Bay. Your instructor may include Alexandre, who speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish, or French. After a safety briefing and equipment lesson, you will visit reef areas and a shallow wreck where fish gather. You must be comfortable in the water.

“Foi tudo muito bom. A simpatia do Alexandre foi contagiante. Senti-me sempre muito à vontade com a experiência que ele demonstrou. Como ponto menos positivo o facto dos óculos de mergulho não vedarem bem”

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12.Snorkelling trip with certificate local guide

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 31 reviews · 6 hours · from $50

Join Nando Tours from Santa Maria for a boat snorkelling trip to a shipwreck and the underwater Christ statue. Expect about two hours in the water, with wetsuit, mask, fins, life jacket, photos, videos, and a local guide. Morning and afternoon departures are offered.

“ottima la guida e tutto il suo staff bellissima esperienza Nando super.”

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13.Fishing Snorkeling and Barbecue

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 31 reviews · from $92

Spend about five hours on a private boat from Sal Rei, fishing along Boa Vista’s Estoril coast before stopping at Djeu. Your captain grills the fish you catch while you explore the beach or snorkel near the reef. Tuck and his crew have hosted this trip, with rods and safety gear supplied. Pickup is offered, but a €50 taxi fee applies from Hotel Riu Touareg.

“‘Best trip ever!’ Direct quote from the eldest, we had a fabulous time with ‘Boat trips & Fishing Boa Vista’ our first time ever fishing and were clearly in good hands! Collected and dropped off at our hotel, there were just the three of us in our group so we had a small boat wiRead more”

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14.Live Snorkeling & Swimming with Sea Turtles in the Atlantic

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 29 reviews · 1 hour · from $57

From Mindelo, you’ll ride to São Pedro, board a small fishing boat, and snorkel near sea turtles in their natural bay. Guides may include Hernani, Diego, André, or Nani, with Captain Lulu sometimes filming. The listed one-hour experience includes transport, equipment, safety guidance, and hotel or harbor pickup.

“Ver a las tortugas en su hábitat fue una maravilla el guía fue muy explicativo y agradable, la única pega que pongo es que considero que los grupos deberían ser reducidos en nuestra excursión solo íbamos 4 y había algún grupo más pequeño pero llegó un grupo como de 14 personas y nadaban en la misma zona por lo tanto ya se volvió todo agobiante para nada y no estar todo el tiempo chocando con las personas y ya se escondieron más las tortugas asique creo que eso es algo a mirar porque hizo que la experiencia dejará de ser agradable”

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15.Boa Vista: Motoryacht Trip with Fishing, Snorkel, Beach BBQ

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 15 reviews · 6h 30m · from $111

You’ll cruise from Sal Rei with an English or German-speaking guide, try bottom fishing, snorkel by a reef, visit a small island fort, and eat a beach BBQ with fish or meat. Josie and her team handle the day, with hotel transfers, gear, drinks, and about two hours ashore included.

“It was very well organised with good communication. Josie and her team are very knowledgeable and quick to address any issues. They all seem to genuinely want guests to have a good time without hustling for tips. Lunch was good in a great location. Small groups so plenty of room on the boat and good toilet facilities on board.”

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