Overview
Lost off the coast of Senegal, Boa Vista clearly has the profile of a “winter kite trip”: long deserted beaches, turquoise water, arid scenery, and wind that blows regularly for several months. The kite season mainly revolves around the European winter, from November to May, with a peak reliability between January and March, when the established trade winds often provide 15 to 30 knots and temperatures around 25–30 °C.
Around Sal Rei and at spots like Praia Carlota or Praia de Chaves, you find a rather rare mix of water conditions: flat areas or light chop near the shore for learning or working on the basics, and further out, clean waves that become really interesting for intermediate/advanced freestyle and wave riding. The wind is often side to side-off, which creates nice smooth surfaces but requires serious supervision, hence the presence of centers with safety boats and well-organized setups.
The atmosphere remains quite chill and less developed compared to other islands, with a few schools and kite centers around Sal Rei, cool evenings more than really festive ones, and a sense of “end of the world” that suits those who mainly want to string together sessions rather than go out every night.