Wind that works with you
The same trade winds that turned Sal into a windsurf and kitesurf paradise keep the sand cool and the air fresh during training.
Cabo Libre · Santa Maria Beach
Beach Volleyball Camps
Train, improve and enjoy beach volleyball on one of the world's most beautiful beaches.
In front of Hotel Morabeza, Santa Maria Sunshine all year round Beginners to national-team level
Introduction
Sand, salt air and serious volleyball.
Cabo Libre Beach Volleyball Camps take place on Santa Maria Beach — eight kilometres of powder-white sand, warm Atlantic water and a trade wind that has made Sal famous among wind and water sports lovers. The courts sit directly in front of Hotel Morabeza, where the island's beach volleyball story began.
This is not a mass-produced sports package. Every camp is shaped around the people who join it: your level, your goals, your holiday. Mornings belong to training on the sand, afternoons to tournaments and to everything else Sal has to offer — from windsurfing and diving to sunset drinks on the pier. The result is a week that feels like a training camp and a holiday at the same time.
2006
The year Rainer first landed on Sal
20 yrs
Building beach volleyball on the island
365
Days of training weather per year
2×
National teams coached at Olympic qualifiers
Why here
Why beach volleyball on Sal?
Few places on earth combine perfect playing conditions with a genuine island holiday quite like Sal, Cape Verde.
A season that never ends
Warm temperatures and reliable sunshine all year — while Europe is grey, you are training barefoot in February.
The most beautiful court in the world
Nets pitched on Santa Maria Beach, turquoise Atlantic on one side, beach bars and fishing boats on the other.
Morabeza — the local warmth
Cape Verdeans call their famous hospitality morabeza. On the courts it means locals and guests playing side by side, every single afternoon.
About the camps
Small camps, big memories.
Cabo Libre has deliberately kept its camps rare and personal. Until today only a handful have taken place — and every single one was a success that participants still talk about. Instead of scaling up, Rainer scales in: fewer players, more attention, better volleyball.
Camps are organised around your needs and expectations. Tell the team what you want to achieve — your first clean bump-set-spike, a sharper side-out game, or simply two weeks of playing in the sun — and the programme is built to match. A selection of professional coaches supports you towards your personal goals, and the team helps you fill the rest of your stay with everything else the island can offer.
“We are happy to organise our camps according to your needs and expectations.”
Meet Rainer
The man who brought the nets to Santa Maria.
Founder of Cabo Libre, former teacher, lifelong volleyball player — and one of the people behind the growth of beach volleyball on Sal.
- 1986
A magazine article
Rainer reads about a secret windsurf paradise in a German windsurf magazine. The name Sal never quite leaves his head.
- 2006
Arriving — twenty years too late
He finally lands on Sal and finds everything the article promised: perfect wind, perfect waves, and the wonderful beach in front of Hotel Morabeza.
- 2006+
A run-down court and a daily game
On that beach he discovers a battered volleyball court where Cape Verdean youngsters gather every afternoon. He joins in — and starts bringing beach volleyball equipment from Germany on every holiday.
- Later
From teacher to island host
Rainer gives up his career as a teacher, spends most of the year on Sal, rents out holiday apartments and organises beach volleyball camps on that very same spot.
- 2023
Coaching Cape Verde in Dakar
He is invited to coach the men's national team at the Olympic qualifications in Dakar, Senegal. For the young duo Ivan Christian and Admilson it is a first international tournament — good games, an unfortunate quarter-final loss, and a 5th place. The women's team, Lu and Janice, win the competition outright and qualify for the African Championships in Morocco.
- 2024
Marcio Araujo joins the story
Brazilian legend Marcio Araujo — one of the greatest beach volleyball players ever — signs to empower Cape Verdean beach volleyball and becomes official coach of both national teams. Whenever he is on Sal, he stays in one of the Cabo Libre apartments. Future beach camps with Marcio as main coach are being planned.
Coaching philosophy
Progress you can feel by the end of the week.
Your goals set the programme
Every camp starts with a conversation. Coaches build the sessions around the level and ambitions of the people on the sand — never the other way around.
Technique before tricks
Clean passing, honest footwork and a reliable set: the fundamentals that hold up under pressure come first, then tactics and match play.
Play, don't just drill
Afternoons are for tournaments. Everything trained in the morning gets tested in real games — the fastest way to make progress stick.
Volleyball as a bridge
Guests train alongside local players. Twenty years of shared games on this beach are the reason the camps feel like a community rather than a course.
Coaches
Coached by people who built volleyball on this island.
Rainer
Founder & head coach, Cabo Libre
Almost twenty years of beach volleyball on Sal, a former teacher's eye for explaining things simply, and the coach of Cape Verde's men's national team at the 2023 Olympic qualifications in Dakar.
Marcio Araujo
Official coach of both Cape Verde national teams
One of the greatest beach volleyball players of all time. Since 2024 the Brazilian has been contracted to empower Cape Verdean beach volleyball, and he stays in a Cabo Libre apartment whenever he is on Sal. Future camps with Marcio as main coach are being planned.
A selected coaching network
Professional coaches on request
Cabo Libre works with a good selection of professional coaches who can be brought in to support your personal goals — from first steps on sand to advanced tactical work for competitive pairs.
2023, Dakar. Cape Verde's women's pair Lu and Janice won the Olympic qualification tournament and booked their place at the African Championships in Morocco — with Rainer on the island's coaching side of the story.
Camp options
Choose how you want to train.
Three ways into the same sand — all of them adaptable to your level, your dates and your ambitions.
Most popular
Group Camps
Multi-day camps on the courts in front of Hotel Morabeza. Morning training blocks, afternoon tournaments, and a group that quickly turns into a holiday family. Dates are organised around the season and around you — the 2026 camp ran from 4 February to 16 March.
- Morning technical & tactical training
- Different tournaments in the afternoon
- Mixed levels, from first-timers to competitors
- Ideal for solo travellers, clubs and teams
One-to-one
Private Coaching
Prefer full attention? Book a professional coach for individual sessions, a pair or your own team. Every session targets exactly what you want to improve, at the pace that suits you.
- Individual, duo or team sessions
- Programme built around your goals
- Flexible timing during your stay
- Perfect alongside a family holiday
Tailor-made
Custom Camps & Team Trips
Clubs, university teams and groups of friends can have a full camp designed from scratch — training volume, coaching level, tournaments and island activities included.
- Own dates and own group
- Coach selection to match your level
- Accommodation in Cabo Libre apartments
- Island tours and water sports arranged
Who can join
Everyone who wants to play.
Absolute beginners
Never played on sand? Perfect. You will learn the basics in a small, friendly group and play your first real rallies within days.
Club & indoor players
Translate your indoor skills to the sand: movement, ball control in the wind and the two-player game.
Ambitious pairs
Side-out systems, serving strategy, defence reading — with coaches who work at national-team level.
Teams & clubs
Bring your squad for a pre-season camp in the sun, with accommodation and tournaments arranged.
Families & friends
Mixed levels are welcome. Play together in the morning, share the beach and the island in the afternoon.
Solo travellers
Arrive alone, leave with a team. The camps are famously easy to join on your own.
What's included
Everything you need but your sunscreen.
Camp content is arranged individually — this is what a Cabo Libre camp typically covers.
- Coached training sessions on Santa Maria Beach
- Afternoon tournaments during the camp
- Professional coaches matched to your level
- Full beach volleyball equipment and nets
- Help finding accommodation in Cabo Libre apartments
- Advice and booking help for island activities
Daily training experience
A day at the camp.
Morning training, afternoon tournaments — and an island waiting in between.
- 07:30
Coffee on the sand
The beach is still cool and almost empty. Fishing boats come back in while the nets go up.
- 09:00
Morning training
Technique and tactics in focused blocks — passing, setting, attacking and defence, adapted to your group.
- 12:00
Lunch & recovery
Fresh tuna, cachupa or a beach bar sandwich, then shade, sea and a proper break.
- 15:30
Afternoon tournaments
Different tournament formats where everything from the morning gets tested in real matches.
- 18:30
Sunset on Santa Maria
The pier turns gold, guests and locals share a cold drink, and someone always suggests one more game.
Gallery
Life on the courts.
FAQ
Good to know before you book.
Do I need to be an experienced beach volleyball player?
No. The camps are built around you. Complete beginners learn the basics step by step, while ambitious players and teams work on technique, tactics and match play with professional coaches.
Where exactly does the training take place?
On Santa Maria Beach, on the courts in front of Hotel Morabeza — the same spot where Rainer first started playing with local youngsters almost twenty years ago.
When is the best time to come?
Sal has sunshine and pleasant temperatures all year round, so training is possible in every season. The classic camp window runs in the European winter — the 2026 Beach Camp ran from 04/02 to 16/03.
How is a camp day structured?
Training takes place in the morning, when the beach is fresh and the wind is gentle. In the afternoon there are different tournaments — and time to enjoy the island.
Can I come alone?
Absolutely. Many guests arrive solo and leave with a whole team of friends. Groups, clubs and families are equally welcome.
Can I book private coaching instead of a group camp?
Yes. Cabo Libre works with a selection of professional coaches, so sessions can be arranged one-to-one, in pairs or for a whole team, according to your personal goals.
Where do participants stay?
Rainer also runs holiday apartments on Sal. Cabo Libre Apartments in Santa Maria is the natural home base — a few minutes on foot from the courts, the restaurants and the beach.
What else can I do besides volleyball?
Plenty. Sal is a paradise for windsurfing, kitesurfing, diving and island tours, and the team happily helps you combine training with everything else the island offers.
Contact
Ready for your camp on Santa Maria Beach?
Message Rainer directly. Tell him your level, your dates and what you want to get out of the week — he will put a camp together around it.
Courts on Santa Maria Beach, in front of Hotel Morabeza — Sal, Cape Verde
Where to stay
Sleep where the coach lives — Cabo Libre Apartments
Rainer's own holiday apartments in Santa Maria are the natural base for camp guests: seven individually painted apartments, a few minutes on foot from the courts, the restaurants and the beach. Marcio Araujo stays there too whenever he is on the island.
View Cabo Libre Apartments Nearby
Everything within reach.
Restaurants, beach bars, taxi drivers, things to do, wellness, shopping and the nearest supermarket — measured from the front door.
Santa Maria Beach600 m · 8 min walk
Santa Maria Centre370 m · 5 min walk
RestaurantsRua 1º de Junho restaurants450 m · 6 min walkBeach bars & nightlifeBuddy Bar370 m · 5 min walkTaxi driversEldon Soares — Easy-Go Taxi370 m · 5 min walk
Things to doSanta Maria Centre370 m · 5 min walk
Wellness & massageWellness & massage in Santa Maria250 m · 3 min walkShoppingSanta Maria craft market520 m · 6 min walkSupermarketsSupermercado Ultramarino350 m · 4 min walk