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Cabo Verde

Praia: how to get there and around

Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.

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Praia is the capital of Cabo Verde, 18 m (59 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre.

Key facts

Population137,868
Elevation18 m (59 ft)
Area103 km²
Time zoneAtlantic/Cape_Verde (UTC-1 now)
CurrencyEscudo (CVE)
Dialling code+238
Driving sideRight
Plug typesEuro, Schuko
Coordinates14.932, -23.513
Praia

Open Praia in Google Maps

Daylight in Praia runs from about 11 h 17 min a day in late December to 13 h 3 min in late June (computed for 14.93° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.

Getting there

Praia is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 6,890 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Maio Airport (MMO, 41 km).

Flights to Praia: every airport, routes and times

Buses to Praia · Driving and car hire

Twin towns and sister cities: Corvera de Asturias, Bissau, Lisbon, Funchal, Faro, Macau, Oeiras, Rio de Janeiro, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Jinan, Boston, Fortaleza, Providence.

Common questions

Which airport serves Praia?

Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI), 3 km (2 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.

How big is Praia?

About 137,868 people live in Praia, across 103 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).

What time zone is Praia in?

Atlantic/Cape_Verde, currently UTC-1.

What currency is used in Praia?

The Escudo (CVE). Traffic drives on the right.

Where these facts come from

  • GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
  • Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
  • OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
  • Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines

Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.