An empty stretch of sand and shallow surf on the coast near Santa Maria on Sal.
Travel planning

Cape Verde Packing List

This is not a malaria country, which changes the health kit completely. Pack instead for stomach upsets, mosquitoes and, on one island, altitude.
  • Country Cape Verde
  • Guide Packing
  • Reviewed 20 August 2026
  • Length 2 min read

Credit Tbo47, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Last reviewed 20 August 2026

If you have just read our Senegal guide, put it down. The two countries are 600 kilometers apart and their health advice has almost nothing in common.

The CDC recommends antimalarial medicine for travelers going to Senegal. It makes no such recommendation for Cape Verde. What the sources do flag here is different and more mundane, which does not make it less worth packing for.

Three things the advice actually names

The UK Health Security Agency has investigated an increase in cases of Shigella sonnei and Salmonella in travelers returning from Cape Verde. Reported cases have decreased, but the FCDO still names a risk of gastrointestinal illness and says to reduce it with good hand hygiene and food and water precautions.

The Cape Verde government has raised the civil protection warning level for dengue on the islands of Santiago, Fogo and Brava. Dengue is spread by mosquitoes that bite during the day, so bite avoidance is a daytime measure here rather than an evening one.

Altitude sickness is a risk on Fogo. The volcano is 2,829 meters, the highest point in the country, and people go up it.

The health half of the bag

If Fogo is on the itinerary, read up on altitude sickness before you go rather than while you are climbing.

  • Hand sanitizer, and the discipline to use it before eating.
  • Rehydration salts. They weigh nothing and they are the treatment for the most likely thing to go wrong.
  • Insect repellent, used in daylight as well as at dusk.
  • A yellow fever certificate if you are arriving from a country with transmission risk.
  • Any prescription medicine in its original packaging, and enough of it: some medicines are in short supply or unavailable locally.
  • Insurance documents covering medical evacuation. Your GHIC will not be accepted.

And the rest

  • Sun protection. The islands are dry, exposed and closer to the equator than they feel.
  • Shoes for volcanic rock, which is sharp underfoot and unkind to sandals.
  • A light layer for the boat: sea crossings are windy even when the beach is not.
  • Swimming things, and the sense to read the flags. See the safety guide.
This guide is general orientation, not legal, medical or governmental advice. Entry, health and safety requirements change frequently and depend on your nationality, your route and your dates. Always confirm with the relevant authority before you travel.