Sal is a small island. It measures 29.7 kilometres in height and only 11.8 kilometres in width. You'll have no problem travelling around it in one or two days with a rental car.
Rent a car
Renting a car on Sal is the ideal option when you want to explore more than just the resort of Santa Maria and the hotel resort.
Renting is not complicated. Just ask at the front desk or go outside the hotel and see if there's a rental car place at the intersection - you can't reserve a car online in advance.
Rent a car for a day, maximum 3 days. That's all you need. The road to Sal is made up of one main artery between Santa Maria and the airport near the town of Espargos in the centre of the island, from where a spiderweb of smaller roads and unpaved off-road surfaces lead off. It is because of the lack of tarmac roads and poor quality terrain that we do not recommend renting a scooter.
How much does it cost to rent a car or scooter for the day?
- Larger jeep (Nissan Navara, Suzuki Vitara) 70 eur
- 4x4 car (Dacia Duster, Suzuki Jimmy) 55 eur to 60 eur
- car with normal drive (Fiat Panda, Renault Kwid) 46 eur
- scooter 30 eur
A valid driver's license is all you need to rent a car and we recommend an international one. Road rules are the same as European ones.
A cash deposit of 200 to 400 eur is required upon rental.
The price of a litre of petrol is around 135 cve and you won't drive much given the size of the island.
Car with driver
If you don't dare to drive a car on your own or just don't want to worry about anything while driving, arrange a chauffeured car. He or she can help you plan your trip around the island and see the essentials, if necessary.
You'll pay about 70 eur for the day with everything.
Taxi
Taxis on Sal are not overpriced and are definitely not your typical rip-off. Here are some examples of prices:
- Airport - Santa Maria for 15 eur
- Hotel Riu Funana - Santa Maria centre for 4 eur
- Hotel Riu Funana - ecopark and botanical garden for 5 eur
- Santa Maria tour for 2 eur
The prices are rather fixed and independent of the distance travelled. Just tell the driver the destination and let him know the price in advance. At night there may be an extra charge 1 eur over daytime rates.
Note that the official taxi is blue with a yellow stripe. These taxis are officially regulated and policed by the police.
