Travel Smart
Honest, sourced guidance so you travel confident. Most of any country is calmer than the headlines suggest.
Safety
Countrywide advisory (Government of Canada)
Exercise increased cautionExercise a high degree of caution
Source: Government of Canada · Verified 2026-07-26
Sal Island (Espargos, Santa Maria)
Exercise normal precautionsThe tourist hub and safest island. Flat, developed, with international airport and resort infrastructure. Petty theft exists but violent crime is rare.
Avoid: Avoid walking alone after dark in Espargos city center (especially near the port). Isolated beach areas are safe during day but not recommended at night.
Common scams: Unofficial guides offering inflated tour prices; money changers offering poor rates; 'authentic restaurant' touts steering tourists to overpriced establishments.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Santiago Island (Praia, inland villages)
Exercise increased cautionCulturally rich and welcoming. Petty theft and scams target tourists in Praia city; violent crime is uncommon. Inland villages are safe and genuinely welcoming.
Avoid: Certain Praia neighborhoods at night (Achada Santo Antonio, Ponta d'Agua). Avoid isolated areas after sunset. Use registered taxis.
Common scams: Unofficial guides; overcharging; fake artisan goods passed off as traditional.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Sao Vicente, Santo Antao, Maio
Exercise normal precautionsQuiet islands with low crime. Excellent for hiking, cultural immersion, and meeting locals. Tourism infrastructure is minimal but welcoming.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
4 zones rated separately against Government of Canada, UK FCDO. Oldest check on this page: 6 July 2026.
Emergency Contacts
Policia Nacional
police · Nationwide
UK FCDO lists 132 as the police number for Cabo Verde. An earlier version of this entry had 131, which is the fire number, so check the number you are dialling against the source before you need it.
SourceAmbulance (national emergency number)
ambulance · Nationwide
UK FCDO lists 130 for an ambulance and says to call it and ask for one. Response varies by island, and FCDO notes that medical facilities are basic and limited outside the two main hospitals, with air evacuation extremely difficult from Brava and Santo Antao because neither has a working airport.
SourceHospital Universitario Dr. Agostinho Neto
hospital · Praia, Santiago
Rua Borjona de Freitas, Plateau, Praia, Santiago
The hospital serving Praia and the largest in the country, listed by the US Embassy in Praia under Hospitals - Santiago. The Ministry of Health names it and Hospital Baptista de Sousa as the two central hospitals. Its own site at han.gov.cv was suspended when this was checked, so the embassy list is the source for the address and numbers. Note that Hospital Baptista de Sousa is in Mindelo on Sao Vicente and does not serve Praia.
SourceHospital Central Dr. Baptista de Sousa
hospital · Mindelo, Sao Vicente
Largo do Tarrafal, Mindelo, Sao Vicente
The second of the two central hospitals and the one covering Mindelo and Sao Vicente, not Praia. Address and numbers are from the hospital's own contact page. The US Embassy in Praia lists it under Hospitals - Sao Vicente at Rua Angola No. 49, Mindelo on 231 2680, so try that number if these do not answer.
Source