Cabo Verde has no permanent watercourses. Rainfall, drought, altitude and exposure create sharp differences between dry lowlands, mountain valleys and humid microclimates. Fogo's volcanic craters and slopes, the mountainous landscapes of Santo Antão, Santiago and Fogo, and the dunes, beaches, coastal lagoons and saltworks of Sal, Boa Vista and Maio are major natural settings. Marine ecosystems extend the subject beyond the islands and coastal strip. The protected-area network covers terrestrial, coastal and marine areas. Under Decree-Law No. 25/2026, the stated inventory contains 47 protected areas. Older Ministry of Agriculture and Environment material listed 46 areas and different land and sea totals, so figures from different dates or boundary definitions should not be combined. INGT and the Direção Nacional do Ambiente provide the official boundary and area information through geographic information systems. Common categories include Parque Natural, Reserva Natural and Monumento Natural. Cabo Verde also has four Ramsar sites and UNESCO-MAB biosphere reserves on Fogo and Maio; these international designations do not automatically mean that a site is a national protected area. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, especially the Direção Nacional do Ambiente or environmental authority, works with municipalities, local bodies, communities, non-governmental organizations and scientific institutions. Formal co-management means that these parties share defined responsibilities under a collaboration protocol, an oversight committee, a management plan and an annual plan. Protected areas may also use ecotourism, business or financial-sustainability plans, monitoring and annual reporting. New arrangements should become fully effective only after the required technical work and plans receive approval; otherwise implementation can proceed in stages. Cabo Verde has high endemism, meaning that many species occur nowhere else. Relevant species include the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, whose major nesting sites include Curral Velho; the Cape Verde shearwater, Calonectris edwardsii; the Cape Verde storm petrel, Oceanodroma jabejabe; the Cape Verde sparrow, Passer iagoensis; the Cape Verde warbler, Acrocephalus brevipennis; the Fea's petrel, Pterodroma feae; and the Raso lark, Alauda razae. Decree-Law No. 8/2022 protects specially protected flora and fauna. A national action plan for marine birds covers 2026 to 2031. Organized non-scientific wildlife observation requires prior authorization from the environmental authority, and turtle watching is seasonal and regulated under Decree-Law No. 50/2024. Nature-related use includes small-scale farming and agroecology, goat and cattle grazing, artisanal and recreational fishing, salt production, birdwatching, hiking, kitesurfing, windsurfing and nature tourism. A protected area's zoning and management plan determine which activities are allowed and which protection conditions or permits apply. Santo Antão is especially known for mountain landscapes and hiking experiences. Protected areas may have ecotourism plans, while Ramsar sites can support birdwatching, water sports and guided excursions. No single nationwide fee or opening schedule has been verified; local arrangements may involve a visitation fee, licence, concession or service charge. Cabo Verde's ecosystems face extended drought, intense rainfall and flash floods, erosion, landslides, heat, windstorms, hurricanes, sea-level rise, coastal flooding, saltwater intrusion, groundwater loss and desertification. These processes affect beaches, dunes, marine habitats, vegetation and turtle reproduction. Fogo also has volcanic activity. The ecological effects are distinct from the administration of disaster response, which follows separate procedures. Environmental education includes the BIO-TUR work of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Direção Nacional do Ambiente, the Reserva da Biosfera school programme, community training, monitoring and participatory protected-area planning. A formal national training programme specifically for nature education has not been verified; access usually depends on the project or institution. Conflicts arise when tourism, all-terrain vehicles, horses, bicycles or artificial light disturb dunes, vegetation or turtle hatchlings; when sand extraction or coastal construction damages beaches; when overgrazing harms soil and wetlands; when fishing creates pressure or bycatch; or when infrastructure and urban growth affect protected areas. Environmental impact assessment under Decree-Law No. 27/2020, zoning, management plans, co-management, local participation and monitoring provide the main ways to address these conflicts. Brava requires careful classification. Resolution No. 14/2026 begins interministerial preparation of a protected-area roadmap, but it does not by itself establish a classified protected area.
Nature in Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde's nature combines ten volcanic islands, arid to semiarid landscapes, strong elevation and microclimate differences, and marine ecosystems. Craters and slopes on Fogo, mountain valleys on Santo Antão, Santiago and Fogo, and dunes, beaches, lagoons and saltworks on Sal, Boa Vista and Maio support distinctive habitats and species. Protection uses a national network of terrestrial, coastal and marine protected areas, supplemented by Ramsar wetlands and UNESCO-MAB biosphere reserves. Farming, grazing, fishing, salt production, recreation and tourism are possible within the applicable zoning, management plans and protection conditions.
Tip
Treat any activity in Cabo Verde's natural areas as a site-specific decision, not as a general permission. Check the exact boundary, designation and management plan first, then confirm the activity's authorization, protection conditions and local charges. Give special attention to wildlife observation, turtle watching, dunes, beaches, coastal works and areas exposed to drought, flooding or erosion.