Fogo, Maio, Santo Antão and São Nicolau are among the Cabo Verde islands targeted by a new European Union funding programme supporting sustainable and inclusive nature tourism. The initiative provides approximately €1.3 million for civil society organisations developing projects connected with biodiversity conservation, protected areas, coastal and marine tourism, rural communities and local income generation. The programme is designed to strengthen tourism products while linking visitor experiences with environmental protection and community participation across the Atlantic archipelago.
EU funding targets nature-based tourism
The European Union launched its 2026 call for proposals in January, inviting civil society organisations in Cabo Verde to develop projects focused on sustainable and inclusive nature tourism. Individual grants are expected to range between €310,000 and €325,000, with projects lasting between 24 and 36 months.
The funding framework covers activities that can connect tourism with the protection of natural environments. Proposed projects can include co-management of coastal and marine protected areas, biodiversity conservation, environmental management and the development of tourism products based around natural heritage.
For visitors, the approach creates opportunities for tourism experiences that extend beyond traditional beach holidays. Coastal excursions, marine activities, hiking, rural experiences and wildlife-related tourism can form part of itineraries while contributing to the conservation of the landscapes that attract visitors.
Fogo offers volcanic landscapes and cultural travel
Fogo is one of the most distinctive destinations within Cabo Verde’s tourism network. The island is dominated by Pico do Fogo, an active volcano rising to approximately 2,829 metres and surrounded by the volcanic landscape of Chã das Caldeiras.
Visitors travelling to Fogo can combine hiking and landscape tourism with cultural experiences in São Filipe, where colonial-era architecture, local restaurants and the island’s distinctive agricultural traditions provide alternatives to outdoor activities.
Nature-focused tourism projects can create further opportunities for travellers to explore Fogo through guided activities, local products and community-based experiences. The volcanic environment provides a strong setting for hiking, photography and geological tourism.
Maio brings beaches and marine tourism into focus
Maio offers a different tourism environment, with beaches, coastal landscapes, salt pans and relatively low-density settlements. The island is also associated with marine and coastal ecosystems that can support nature-focused visitor experiences.
Sustainable tourism initiatives can provide opportunities for visitors to explore coastal environments through guided excursions, marine activities and community-led tourism products. The island’s fishing communities are particularly relevant to the EU programme because the funding framework includes income generation for fishing communities alongside environmental management.
For travellers, Maio can be incorporated into a wider Cabo Verde itinerary combining beach tourism with experiences on the archipelago’s more mountainous islands.
Santo Antão strengthens the hiking tourism offer
Santo Antão is already recognised for its dramatic mountain scenery, deep valleys and hiking routes. The island provides a natural setting for trekking, rural tourism and community-based experiences.
Travellers can explore agricultural valleys, mountain trails and villages while experiencing a landscape that differs considerably from Cabo Verde’s flatter coastal islands. Nature tourism projects supported through environmental management can further connect local communities with tourism activities.
For visitors planning an active holiday, Santo Antão can therefore complement coastal stays elsewhere in Cabo Verde. Hiking routes and rural experiences can be combined with accommodation in local communities and transport between mountain settlements.
São Nicolau adds biodiversity and rural experiences
São Nicolau provides another setting for nature-based tourism, with mountainous terrain, rural communities and coastal environments. The island’s landscapes support hiking, cultural sightseeing and exploration of traditional settlements.
Tourism projects involving local organisations can create additional opportunities for visitors to access these environments through locally developed activities. The EU programme’s focus on youth, women, rural communities and fishing communities places local participation within the development of new tourism products.
The objective is to connect economic opportunities with the protection of natural resources, creating tourism activities that rely on the continued preservation of Cabo Verde’s landscapes and biodiversity.
Protected areas become part of the visitor experience
Coastal and marine protected areas are a central component of the funding programme. Their management can influence how visitors access beaches, marine environments and other sensitive ecosystems.
For tourism operators and travellers, protected-area management can support activities such as guided nature excursions, marine observation, environmental education and community-based experiences. The programme also encourages civil society organisations to participate in environmental management and tourism product development.
This approach creates a closer connection between conservation and the tourism economy, particularly on islands where natural landscapes form a major part of the visitor offer.
Local communities gain a larger role in tourism
The programme specifically identifies young people, women, fishing communities and rural communities as groups that can benefit from income-generating activities. Local organisations can participate in developing tourism products while also contributing to environmental management.
For travellers, community participation can translate into locally operated excursions, cultural experiences, food products, craft activities and nature tours. Such experiences can distribute tourism spending beyond major accommodation and transport businesses.
Cabo Verde’s tourism economy is concentrated around several established destinations, including Sal and Boa Vista, but the new programme focuses on broadening nature-based tourism opportunities across islands such as Fogo, Maio, Santo Antão and São Nicolau.
A broader tourism experience across Cabo Verde
The EU-backed programme provides a framework for developing tourism products that combine environmental protection with local economic activity. Its 24-to-36-month project period allows participating organisations to develop and test tourism initiatives across coastal, marine and rural environments.
For travellers, the potential outcome is a wider range of experiences across Cabo Verde, from Fogo’s volcanic landscapes and Santo Antão’s mountain trails to Maio’s beaches and São Nicolau’s rural and coastal environments.
As the projects progress, the €1.3 million funding package is expected to support new approaches to nature tourism, conservation and community participation, giving visitors more ways to experience Cabo Verde while connecting tourism activity with the islands’ natural and cultural heritage.
