Amílcar Cabral International Airport

The Amílcar Cabral International Airport on the island of Sal is Cape Verde's largest and busiest airport, serving as the main entry point for European tourists. Built in 1939 under Portuguese colonial rule, it originally functioned as a refueling stop for transatlantic routes. After Cape Verde's independence in 1975, the airport was renamed after Amílcar Cabral — the agronomist, poet, and revolutionary who led the independence movement against Portugal and was assassinated in 1973, just two years before liberation. The name is a deliberate political statement that greets every arriving passenger.