Quiet Maio is all about kicking back and relaxing, offering deserted beaches, turquoise seas, nesting turtles, and abundant birdlife.
Visiting Maio is all about kicking back and relaxing. Here, you can enjoy deserted beaches fringed by turquoise seas. It’s the least visited of the nine inhabited islands of Cape Verde and offers a much slower pace of holiday, a true escape!
A private jeep safari around the island is a great way to discover the many hidden beaches. One of your stops will be Salina de Porto Inglês, a large salt pan where you can see the salt being sorted, ground, and packed by local women. It’s a good place to go if you’re a keen bird watcher, as it has a large breeding population of Kentish plover. There are also species of migratory waders, desert species, and raptors. Ospreys are frequently spotted around these wetlands.
The western side of the island offers some of the best beaches for swimming or snorkelling, as these have some protection from the strong winds that Cape Verde sometimes experiences. Calheta is perhaps one of the nicer spots, and is Praia Bitxe Rotxa, beside Vila do Maio. It’s worth asking for advice from your local guide or the locals before you swim because there can be undercurrents.
Maio is a major nesting site for loggerhead turtles and the turtles generally come to nest on the eastern and northern beaches, such as Morrinho, Baxonha and Santana Beach. June to October is the time to witness nesting turtles, and usually at night. And seeing this spectacle on such a quiet island has the added advantage of a more intimate experience. If you’re feeling energetic, you can hike to Monte Penoso, the highest point on the island.
The nicest place to stay on Maio is in the pretty town of Vila do Maio. This is the capital of Maio and the main hub of the island, with colourfully painted houses and peaceful cobbled streets. There’s a vibrant market in the town, and an old 18th century fort once used by the Portuguese settlers. The Stella Maris Apartments are on the southern edge of the town, on the ocean front and with an infinity pool facing the sea.
You need to be a little flexible with your dates if you wanted to visit Maio, as flights are not as frequent as they are for some of the other islands. Flights to Maio usually depart from Sal, or Santiago.
And remember, all of our holidays are tailor made for you. Maio is a really love place for secluded beaches and we can talk to you about which other islands you would like to visit before looking at your flight options. We’ve put together a few holiday suggestions for Cape Verde, all of which are fully customisable for you.
Chat to Max or Jake about Maio: ???? team@archipelagochoice.com
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