Shop opening hours on Cape Verde

Many shops and agencies in Cape Verde tend to close in the afternoons. General closing times are between 1 – 3p.m. although there are some that close/re-open at later times. However, saying this, on the main tourist island of Sal many shops remain open during busy months.

A number of restaurants/businesses/bars close during the summer months of May to September, though as mentioned above, as the islands get busier with tourism, a few are staying open.

Check the bank holidays dates, not only for Cape Verde but also on the islands you are planning to visit. You may arrive there to find that certain shops or agencies are closed. There are some additional holidays on each island that differ to others.

Banks: Are open 8a.m.-3p.m. Mon - Friday except on Public Holidays but sometimes they close earlier the day before a bank holiday.

Currency: The currency in Cape Verde is escudos. One euro is equal roughly to 110escudos (cve), but in the banks it is set at 110.265cve. Euros are accepted on Sal Island but not all the other islands yet. Generally however, if you buy a drink that would normally cost 100escudos and you use one euro to pay for it, you won’t get 10escudos in change.

You are not supposed to take any escudos out of the country so please convert to euros before departing.

Buying goods: Suntan lotions, shampoos and conditioner for sale in shops are more expensive in Cape Verde, there isn’t a great deal of choice, so bring plenty with you.

I wouldn't say that all the goods with brand names that are for sale here are genuine, whether branded shampoos, sun lotions or electrical goods etc.

Mini-markets are mostly small shops; there are a few slightly larger stores on the main islands. You may walk past some of the smaller shops without realizing it, as many won't have signs outside.    

Not all shops/ cafe's etc areas follow the same guidelines on not refreezing food after it has been defrosted. Not sure whether any of the small shops have generators to support the running of their freezers. Maybe they re-freeze meats?

Commercial Shops: Some newer developments and hotels have commercial units to let, items for sale are generally more expensive in these shops.

Importation: Make enquiries about importation taxes before thinking of running a business and selling goods in Cape Verde, you may be put off by the number of difficulties with importing goods. Solicitors should be used to find out about all the nitty gritty important stuff. Whether buying to re-sell, intending to import goods or setting up in a partnership with someone else....the laws are different, so check that your investment is safeguarded.

Loja Chinese: The Loja Chinese shops, of which there are many, sell some electrical items. One person I know has bought a TV from there which he is quite happy with and has had for some time, another couple bought an electric fan and a music centre, both stopped working within 3 weeks of buying them.

The Loja Chinese Stores are generally accepted as being cheaper than other electrical shops. Electric items on the island are generally more expensive than in the UK. They don't always have prices on the items, so the same things that you buy one week may be a different price the next! They don't tend to give receipts either so unless you know what things cost, you may need to ask for a 'receibo'. You may be told the total price, but also check your change as well as the cost of each item! This isn't a problem at all of these stores.

There are a number of Chinese Shops which sell various basic items including clothing and cutlery but they are limited regarding the quality and range of sizes of clothing.

If you buy a pan from the Chinese shop, make sure there isn't glue at the bottom of the pan where they have filled in a hole, a friend returned it because it had a hole in it, they offered to put some glue in to block the hole, she declined the offer.

Fresh Fish: Fresh fish can be bought from local sellers or fishermen who sell fish on the street or near the pier. Just be aware that occasionally fish on display has been frozen and then defrosted.

Deli's - There are a number of Deli's on the main islands. These provide some nice cheeses and meats, imported from, Italy, Europe and the Canaries.

Supermarkets: There are a few larger supermarkets on the island of Santiago which sell a number of British favourites such as Branston Pickle, Haywards Pickles, Rogan Josh paste, bacon and other items. There is one Super Mercado (more like the size of a small town street co-op) on Sal, that currently stocks a few British favourites too.

Other food items including fresh fruit, salads and meats may be imported from the Canaries, Brazil or Europe, more so during the winter months when the islands and hotels are busier with tourists and they need fresh produce to provide guests. Local shops also benefit from this additional bulk importation.

There are sometimes difficulties with importing food items.....just ask people who run restaurants.

One apartment owner bought a whole tuna which was filleted and placed in his freezer, however the power supply went off for a few days and the fish had to be thrown out or given away. Keep this in mind if buying large quantities of freezer items and there is no back up generator for your building/apt.

Wholesale: There are some wholesale supplier on the main islands which may sell food items amongst other things.

There are a number of bakeries (Padaria's): Some of the Bakeries are run by Cape Verdean, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese or French business owners. You can buy sliced bread (Brown is called Integral), white (branco), small finger rolls, cacasa rolls, French sticks, pao (small finger rolls), sweet rolls, coconut bread etc.

Clothing: There are a few more clothes shops opening on Sal, which are starting to stock larger sizes of clothing, I say this because in 2006 on Sal, unless you could fit into a top for a woman imported that had been imported from China (that was a size 8) you had to go without! There are now also shops selling sports wear, T-Shirt shops, and branded goods. More clothing shops will be situated on the other main islands in the main towns or cities.

Activities: If you are looking for 'things to do' outside your hotel, and the deals the 'Tour Operator' offer you at the 'Welcome Meeting', you will find a number of tours and activities available at a cheaper price with other service operators/providers. The tours may differ and may be for longer or shorter times but you can research this online to see what others have commented about them, on sites such as 'Trip Advisor'. We will also have some starting to advertise and accept bookings via this website.

Toilets and bathroom facilities: Some restaurants and bars will have facilities downstairs, upstairs, in the same room. Not all are easily accessible to people with certain mobility difficulties.

Roads and paths: There are some areas that have no tarmac or cobbled roads, they are still sand or dirt roads. Some cobbles roads and paths will be uneven, others unlit with no street lighting, some cobbled paths may be missing some cobbles, other paths may be tiled and slippy if there is liquid on them. Any of these could cause you problems when walking or cycling out and about.

More information can be found on the different island web pages within this site and on FAQ's.