Taxis

Taxis are one of the first points of contact on your arrival at the airports and it can sometimes be quite daunting and exhaustive to locate one at the airport whilst wondering if you are being ‘ripped off’  .  This information is based on taxis on Sal, but the same information is probably a good guide to start with on the other islands.

Most of the taxi vehicles at the airport and throughout Sal are coloured as the picture below. These taxis are registered and strictly regulated by the police for legality and service much the same as other countries such as UK. The drivers mainly belong to their own association, and they work, more or less on a fixed fee basis.  The cars are owned by ‘individual’ drivers, but work, a bit like Uber, for one of several companies. Each driver of the clearly colour coded taxis has a taxi license and correct insurance to be able to operate as a service provider. The typical fares are ranging from 12 to 15 Euros for a transfer into Santa Maria from the airport and about 2 Euros within Santa Maria itself. This cost is during the daytime hours. Prices do increase in the evenings by 1 Euro within Santa Maria and a couple of Euros out of town. Ask the fare first so that you are aware of the cost and if the figure is far above the estimated figures provided just go to the next one , they will soon accept a reasonable offer of a standard fare than lose custom! Taxis accept mainly Euros and Cape Verde Escudos but some do take other currency so just check. It is advisable that you are aware of your own currency exchange rate before agreeing to a price. If you are concerned about your airport transfer just speak to your accommodation provider as there are a few private hire taxis available also on the island.

On the whole the taxis are good value and you might even find a good driver that you could contact again during your stay. For going further afield, look at our article on minibus fares @ 1 Euro