Maio sits a short hop from the capital yet remains the least visited of the inhabited islands, which is precisely its charm. Whitewashed villages, a fringe of dunes and the largest planted forest in Cabo Verde make it the archipelago's gentlest escape.
The main town, Porto Inglês, takes its name from the English ships that once loaded salt here. Its pastel church square and lighthouse set the tone for the whole island: neat, calm and welcoming. Fishermen still land their catch straight onto the town beach.
Inland, decades of patient planting have raised an acacia forest across the island's heart, part of a national effort against desertification. The wetlands and salinas behind the dunes shelter flamingos and waders, and the island's beaches host nesting turtles with a fraction of Boa Vista's visitors.
There are few resorts and no crowds. Travellers who choose Maio tend to describe the same routine: walk an empty beach in the morning, eat grilled fish at noon, watch the light change over the salt flats, repeat.
Known for
- Empty white beaches
- Acacia forest
- Salt flats
- Unhurried village life
Good to know
The ferry from Praia takes a few hours; small planes also connect the island.
Maio's salinas supplied ships for centuries before tourism existed.
The whole island is a UNESCO-recognised biosphere reserve area.