Friday 28 de August de 2026 · Macaronesia
The rise of resorts and holiday flats on Boa Vista is driving up demand for buildable land, while doubts grow over whether infrastructure can really keep pace.
The island's long-standing Italian presence translates into a steady flow of villa and apartment purchases.
Waiters, receptionists and cleaning staff say they can no longer afford to buy a home of their own in Sal Rei.
The protection of shifting dunes and nesting beaches is limiting the expansion of new developments across large parts of the island.
Direct international flight connections have turned land near the terminal into some of the most sought-after on the island.
The arrival of new hotel complexes at Praia de Chaves and Santa Mónica has sent coastal land values soaring in Boa Vista.
While the tourist coast experiences a price surge, the rural inland villages register barely any property sales.
Just a few kilometres from the luxury villas, hundreds of workers live in precarious housing near the port of Sal Rei.
The council approved the transfer of public land to build 200 affordable homes for families struggling to access housing.
The hotel construction boom is attracting workers from other islands and from Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, but housing for them is virtually non-existent.
Entire second-home complexes record minimal occupancy for much of the year.