The Island of Sal: Sun, sea and sand in Cape Verde

Sal, in the Cape Verde islands, is a pearl of golden sand, hugged by the turquoise blue of the surrounding ocean.   

One of the Barlavento Islands (windward islands) of Cape Verde, Sal is distinguishable from its neighbors by the endless sand of its beaches and deserts, with little oases and charming cities dotted in between.

When the island was originally discovered back on December 3, 1460, it was named Llana, but soon afterwards the island’s generous salt deposits were found and the island then became known as Sal (Portuguese for salt).  The island then became a center for salt mining, but nowadays the produce is used mainly locally.

Weather-wise, Sal enjoys an average of 350 sunny days each year, with the so-called “rainy season” running from July to mid-October each year, but with little rain actually falling.  This makes Sal a perfect sunny holiday destination.

The island is geologically the oldest in the Cape Verde archipelago and was formed some 50 million years ago by the eruption of a volcano which today, fortunately, is inactive. 

The island is 35 km long by 12 km wide, with most of the island being pretty flat.  In fact, the highest mountain is Monte Grand, a mere 403 meters in elevation.  This is apparently why clouds don’t hang around too long on the island and visitors can enjoy all those lovely sunny days.

Cape Verde’s main airport, Amilcar Cabral International Airport, is located inland on the island of Sal and is to be found in the island’s main city of Cidade dos Espargos. The city is home to around 20,000 inhabitants and grew from being a salt industry town to a major tourist city.  The town offers all the normal facilities including banks, a post office, health center, restaurants and bars, various guesthouses and hotels, along with more modern options like Internet cafes for those wishing to keep in contact with the outside world.

The island of Sal has generally become a popular tourist destination, handling around 50 percent of tourism in the archipelago at the major beach resort of Santa Maria on the coast.  Santa Maria offers the typical large hotel complexes that modern visitors expect from such a destination, offering entertainment programs, along with various water sports, including water skiing, surfing or diving, as well as horse riding.

The beaches are around 200 meters wide, running for several kilometers, making the town a perfect location for the typical sunbathing and beach vacation.  The town itself is quaint with attractive, pastel-colored houses, shops and restaurants, as well as the old harbor where they used to handle the salt in the past.  Nowadays visitors can enjoy browsing souvenir shops and can watch the fishermen bringing in the catch of the day at the quayside.

There is an excellent range of hotels to choose from in Santa Maria, ranging from the 5-star Meliá Tortuga Beach, which offers a full-service spa for a bit of pampering and many recreational amenities including two outdoor swimming pools, a full on health club and sauna.

For those traveling with children the hotel offers babysitting and childcare as well as a range of activities for the children themselves.

For the more budget-conscious, Dourada Studios offer self-catering facilities close to the Santa Maria Town Square and Praia de Santa Maria. The property is also within easy reach of Shark Bay Beach.

For the ultimate in independence, the studio apartments offer basic kitchenettes with refrigerators and stove tops and each apartment has its own private balcony.  Housekeeping is available on a limited basis.

You can see a range of other hotels on the island of Sal here with varying rates and star gradings, including reviews.

Another harbor town worth visiting is Palmeira, with a range of restaurants and bars, all with a distinctive Portuguese flavor. 

 In the area divers can experience some incredible underwater caves and reefs, including the fascinating “Olho Azul” or blue eye, pictured left, located around five kilometers north of the town.

For those interested in a curative salt bath, Pedra Lume (which means fiery stone) is the perfect location.  The town is well known for its salt sea, which is located in a low volcano crater beneath sea level.  For a small admission fee, a salt bath can be enjoyed and there are showers available to clean off when ready to head out.

All in all, for anyone wishing for sun, sea and sand, you can’t go wrong with the island of Sal in the Cape Verde archipelago.

Enjoy a video slideshow of the island, complete with local music, below courtesy YouTube channel STP:

--

Photo credits:

• Sal beach with umbrella CC BY-ND 2.0  Beatrice Tiberi
• "The Blue Eye" cave CC-by-SA Daniel Åhs Karlsson 
• Colorful stall on Sal CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Francisco Morais
• Sal map CC-by-SA Bela-vista.net