B&B Villa Cristina, Praia de Chaves, Boa Vista, Cape Verde

Christine Cocchia

4 months ago

I absolutely loved my stay at Vila Cristina. From the moment I arrived, Cristina and her team made me feel completely at home. There’s such a genuine sense of care here — you can tell they really want their guests to enjoy the island and feel relaxed. The room was clean and comfortable, and the location is perfect: quiet, but just a short walk to the beach and town. Breakfast each morning was a treat — fresh fruit, good coffee, and a few local touches that made it special. It’s a simple place, but full of warmth and heart. I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Adrien G.

4 months ago

We spend 3 fantastic days in paradise at Vila Cristina. The place is quiet and super beautiful. The bed is great, the breakfast is not only tasty but also very generous. Fabienne was super nice and reactive. But… we made a HUGE mistake: we left Vila Cristina to try other places in Boa Vista. We regretted our decision for the rest of our stay. If we come back to Boa Vista that will be in Vila Cristina 100%.

Alexander Ziegler

8 months ago

Seriously a special and unique place. You have view on the beach from every place in the house. And you are alone on your beach, except very few people passing by, but there are also hours where you see nobody... the house is cleaned once a day, breakfast is perfect. The team takes care of any issue within shortest time, you just send a WhatsApp. This is really impressive. So, if you have any issue it gets fixed. And on top everybody is super friendly.

Prof Bob

11 months ago

We loved our stay at Vila Cristina (number 20, second row) and highly recommend it. Any critical points below are just to set realistic expectations. The villa is spacious with a large veranda, two good sized bedrooms with twin beds that can join, and a well equipped kitchen. There is a Nespresso machine (pods without milk were hard to find, we eventually found some at the Shell garage shop in Sal Rei), a filter coffee machine, and a kettle. Air conditioning worked well but was rarely needed in March with 25 degree temperatures and constant breezes. Each bedroom has a shower and toilet. One shower occasionally overflowed if used too long but both worked well. The villa was cleaned daily and WiFi worked very well. The villa is about 50 metres from the beach and being in the second row makes little difference as the whole complex feels beachfront. The surroundings may seem off putting on arrival due to an abandoned resort nearby but once inside Vila Cristina you only notice the sea. The coastline is beautiful but the sea is rough, with red and yellow flags common, limiting swimming. Snorkelling at Gata Bay was worthwhile with a guide due to strong currents. The nearby beach stretches for miles. Perola D Chaves restaurant about 10 minutes walk north along the beach serves decent food, though vegan options are limited. All inclusive resorts 10 minutes walk south offer buffet dining and sunbeds. Cats are a friendly feature of the complex. Flies were common but mosquitoes were not an issue in March. Breakfast was delivered in a cool box with sliced vegetables, fruit, bread, cereal, and coffee in a flask which was great for vegans. Leonilda from Cristina’s team was fantastic, resolving minor issues like a blown light bulb and arranging restaurant bookings and car hire. She even arranged another villa for us after checkout so we could relax before our flight. Car hire via Cristina was eventful. Our first 4x4 was faulty but Michela from Perla Hire Cars replaced it within 30 minutes. Despite further hiccups, Michela refunded our deposit without issue. A 4x4 is essential for exploring the island’s rough tracks. Dining in Sal Rei was mixed. Bowlavista was disappointing for vegans, Port Cafe’s vegetable pizza was decent, and Soldade served a nice bean dish. Mar Azul’s rice and vegetables were good but the standout was Reencontro Restaurant in Fundo de Figueiras which served simple but tasty food lifted by fantastic local chilli relish. We visited the Viana Desert where we got stuck but were kindly rescued by a local artist, Hidden Beach which is a beautiful rocky inlet with mesmerising sea sounds, and the Morro Negro lighthouse which offers incredible views if you are brave enough to drive up. Boa Vista felt very safe and Cristina’s complex has patrolling lookouts and a manned barrier. In short, Boa Vista is peaceful, relaxed, and perfect for those seeking sunshine and downtime. Unless you love sunbathing or watersports, a week is probably enough.

Peter Fuller

a year ago

We stayed here for 6 nights and had the best experience. Easy to find and very friendly and efficient first contact at check in. Beautiful location 30 seconds to the beach. Wonderful inclusive breakfast every morning and daily freshen up of the accommodation. Extremely good value for money and we will have no hesitation in staying here again,for longer,next time we visit Boa Vista.