Satellite: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX (CC BY 4.0). Outline and points © OpenStreetMap contributors / Natural Earth. North up.
In numbers
346km²
Area
154km
Coastline
1,312m
Highest point
Monte Gordo
12,700
People
27°C
Warmest sea
September
719km
To the mainland
When to go to São Nicolau
Best for the beach from May to July and from October to November.
The sea is warmest in September (27 °C) and coolest in February (22 °C). You can swim comfortably all year (21 °C or more).
Averages 1991–2020. Sea: NOAA OISST, the water within 35 km of the coast. Air, rain and sun: NASA POWER. Best months weigh warm afternoons (23–30 °C), sea of 24 °C or more and few wet days.
Island of Cape Verde
São Nicolau is an island in Cape Verde. It covers 346 km², with 154 km of coastline. Its highest point, Monte Gordo, rises to 1,312 m. About 12,700 people live on it. The nearest mainland is 719 km away.
Getting there
- Preguiça Airport (SNE)airport on the island, with scheduled flights
- Ferries3 ferry terminals on the island
- 719 km from the mainlanddistance to the nearest continental coast
- From May to July and from October to Novemberbest months to go (from 30 years of averages)
Plan the trip
Ferries, stays and things to do
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On the island
What you find on São Nicolau.
- 15beachesPraia D'Francês, Baixo Rocha, Praia de Baia Gombeza and 12 more
- 7viewpointsMiradouro, Miradouro do Monte Cintinha, Vista Panoramica de Cha de Monte Gordo and 4 more
- 4lighthousesfaro/lighthouse and 3 more
- 3ferry terminals
- 10named peaksTope da Mesa, Tope de Guincho, Monte Trigo and 7 more
- 25volcanoesMonte Gordo, Monte Caçador, Monte Calderinha and 22 more
- 7waterfalls
- 17waymarked walking routesSNP1-Saniclau Trails-Nha caminhe, Saniclau Trilhas NHA Caminho, SNP5-SaniclauTrails-Nha caminhe and 14 more
- 1campsitesWild camping spot
- 19hotels, guesthouses and apartments
- 31restaurants, cafés and bars
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit, inside the island's outline. A low number may only mean nobody has mapped it yet.
Cross-checked with our atlases
São Nicolau in our other atlases
Everything Coastya, Peakyas, Lakeyas and Cascadyas know about what lies inside São Nicolau, each with its own numbers.
11beaches and covesCoastya
5mountainsPeakyas
Highest point
1,312m
Monte Gordo
prominence 1,312 m · according to Peakyas
Beach with the warmest sea
26.5°C
Praia Maria dos Anjos
sea in the warmest month · according to Coastya
11 beaches
on Coastya, the beach atlas
- Praia Maria dos Anjos26.5°C
- Prainha26.5°C
- Praia da Luz26.5°C
- Praia da Telha26.5°C
- Praia de António de Colado26.5°C
- Furna do Jacaia26.5°C
- Praia do Pilãò26.5°C
- Praia da Pedra Vermelha26.5°C
3 more on CoastyaOpen Coastya ↗
5 mountains
on Peakyas, the mountain atlas
- Monte Gordoprominence 1,312 m1,312m
- Monte Bissau615m
- Pico do Alberto598m
- Monte Caldeirinha
- Pico Ladeira de Cabra
The shape of the land.
On average the island stands 269 m above the sea. 46 % of it is below 200 m.
- 13 %0–50 m
- 33 %50–200 m
- 39 %200–500 m
- 15 %500–1,000 m
- <1 %1,000–2,000 m
Share of the island's area in each altitude band, from the Copernicus DEM (30 m, read at 30–240 m on large islands).
Size, for real
Next to islands you may know.
20 km
All outlines drawn to the same scale (Natural Earth and OpenStreetMap).
Towns on the island
- Tarrafal de São Nicolau4,371 people
- Ribeira Brava2,851 people
Month by month
The weather on the island.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon high (°C) | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 24 |
| Night low (°C) | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 |
| Sea (°C) | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
| Rain (mm) | 34 | 29 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 37 | 53 | 32 | 33 | 40 |
| Wet days | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Sun h/day | 7.9 | 8.3 | 9.5 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 9.0 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.2 |
| Wind (km/h) | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 25 |
Averages 1991–2020 for the ~55 km NASA POWER cell over the island; the sea from NOAA OISST.
Recent years
Warmer and cooler years at sea.
Each month's sea temperature compared with its 1991–2020 average, in degrees.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | −0.3 | +0.2 | +0.5 | +0.5 | +0.4 | ±0.0 | +0.6 | +0.8 | +0.8 | +0.7 | +0.6 | +0.1 |
| 2021 | +0.1 | +0.1 | −0.3 | −0.2 | −0.1 | ±0.0 | +0.1 | −0.1 | +0.3 | +0.1 | +0.1 | −0.1 |
| 2022 | +0.4 | +0.1 | −0.2 | ±0.0 | +0.2 | +0.4 | +0.2 | +0.2 | +0.5 | +0.5 | ±0.0 | +0.3 |
| 2023 | +0.5 | −0.1 | +0.4 | +1.2 | +1.0 | +1.5 | +1.8 | +1.8 | +1.3 | +1.1 | +0.9 | +1.2 |
| 2024 | +1.3 | +1.8 | +1.4 | +1.2 | +1.3 | +1.1 | +0.7 | +0.7 | +0.8 | +0.6 | +0.6 | +0.8 |
| 2025 | +0.8 | ±0.0 | −0.3 | −0.2 | −0.1 | +0.2 | +0.5 | +0.7 | +0.5 | +0.6 | +0.5 | −0.1 |
+1 warmer than usual −1 cooler than usual
Photos
Seen by visitors.
Nearby
More islands nearby.
Santa Luzia
Cape Verde35 km²397 m53 km away
São VicenteCape Verde226 km²750 m79 km away
Santo AntãoCape Verde787 km²1,979 m108 km away
SalCape Verde215 km²405 m143 km away
Boa VistaCape Verde634 km²387 m167 km away
FogoCape Verde472 km²2,829 m185 km away
MaioCape Verde274 km²437 m195 km away
BravaCape Verde63 km²976 m200 km awayAbout these numbers
| Names, area, population | Wikidata (Q492509) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Outline | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Sea temperature | NOAA OISST v2.1 · 1991–2020 |
| Climate | NASA POWER · 1991–2020 |
| Relief, 3D model | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Beaches, ports, lighthouses, trails | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Towns | GeoNames · CC BY 4.0 |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Beaches, mountains, lakes and waterfalls | Coastya, Peakyas — Wikidata · CC0; © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL; GeoNames · CC BY 4.0; NOAA OISST |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
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