Viveiro Golf Club
Santa Maria
Viveiro Golf Club is the main golf course on Sal Island and a brilliant option for UK travellers who want to add golf to a Cape Verde sunshine holiday. Located near Santa Maria, it offers something very different from a typical European golf break: green fairways and putting surfaces set against a dry, desert-style island landscape, with Atlantic Ocean views and a peaceful, open feel. The club describes it as the first and only grass golf course in Cape Verde.
The course is an 18-hole, par-72 layout measuring around 6,005 metres from the white tees, with shorter yellow and red tee options available. That makes it suitable for mixed-ability golfers, couples and holiday players who want an enjoyable round without feeling completely out of their depth.
What makes Viveiro stand out is the setting. Palm trees, sandy paths, water features and natural island terrain give the course a real “oasis in the desert” feel. It is not a packed golf destination with lots of nearby courses, so it works best as part of a relaxed Cape Verde holiday where golf is one of the highlights rather than the whole trip.
Practice facilities include a driving range, putting green and pitching area, and equipment hire is available, which is handy for UK travellers who do not want to bring clubs.
For a Cape Verde golf holiday with winter sun, easy resort living and a genuinely unusual island golf experience, Viveiro Golf Club is well worth adding to the itinerary.
Sal Airport
13km
England’s best golf tour operator 2026 winner
Time Zone:
GMT+1
Currency:
€ (Euro)
Temperature:
-4°C - 25°C
Cost of a Beer:
£4.50
Cost of a 3-Course Meal:
£30
Hashtag Guide
About The Area
Santa Maria is a brilliant choice for golfers who want a Cape Verde golf holiday built around winter sun, beach life and relaxed island charm. Set on Sal Island, this lively resort town is known for its long sandy beach, clear warm water, restaurants, shops, bars and water-based activities, with Santa Maria Beach stretching for around 8 km along the coast.
Golf here is still developing, so Santa Maria is better suited to relaxed holiday golfers than those looking for a packed championship itinerary. The key local option is Viveiro Golf & Country Club, which describes itself as the first and only grass golf course in Cape Verde, with an 18-hole course on Sal Island and views towards the Atlantic Ocean. It gives visitors a very different type of round, combining desert surroundings, ocean air and year-round sunshine.
Away from the course, Santa Maria has plenty to keep the holiday feeling full. You can enjoy beach days, kitesurfing, boat trips, diving, turtle experiences in season, island tours, the Pedra de Lume salt crater and the famous Blue Eye at Buracona. The area also works well for easy evenings, with beachside restaurants and a laid-back town centre.
For UK golfers, Santa Maria is ideal if golf is part of the trip rather than the whole trip. Hashtag Golf Travel can help shape a Cape Verde escape around sunshine, resort comfort, island exploring and a few enjoyable rounds in a truly different setting.
