Unlike on Sal aluguers do not like to accept European passengers. They expect you to hire one yourself and take the full charge which can be as much as £20 or £30 for even a short journey. It is absolutely essential to haggle in advance. A half day trip visiting one of the remote beaches will set you back by at least £40 to £50.
So a hire car sounds attractive. But do not even think of attempting this yourself in a hire car, even a good 4x4 taking one to the south unless you are an experienced desert driver. You will get stuck in the sand drifrts that plague these poor roads.
Car hire is more costly on Boa Vista than in Sal. There is far less demand. And supply ise limited , as there is not the reliable fleet of Suzuki Jimnys which exist on Sal. Driving conditions are difficult with only a short stretch of tarmac road around the capital Sal Rei. Elsewhere the traditional Cape Verde volcanic cobbled roads soon give way to dirt tracks of uneven repair. The road out to Espinguera on the north of the island is marked only by white stones at 50-100m distances. In the south it can be still more difficult where the wind has swept big dunes across the road and made them impassable except to those with desert driving skills.
Aluguer drivers on Boa Vista will not generally permit Europeans to share
one as they do on Sal, so you are faced with hiring the entire vehicle or
a taxi. This can be very expensive as fixed tariffs are not enforced as
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