City, Sandy beach

The main centre of action of the whole island of Sal is in the town of Santa Maria and its surroundings. Here you will find everything from hotels, promenade, beaches, bars, churches, a desalinated water shop for the locals to a long pier with a daily sale of freshly caught fish. [btn "Sal holidays - comparison of tours" https://www.cestujlevne.com/zajezdy/kapverdske-ostrovy/sal] You, as a tourist, will be staying in Santa Maria, as 90% of the…

Lake

Salinas Salt Lake is located in the northeast of the island near the village of Pedra de Lume. Salt is inextricably linked to the island, as it has been mined here since 1833, albeit to a lesser extent. The salt flats of Salinas are located in an extinct crater, where seawater from the ocean a kilometre away seeps through cracks in the volcanic rocks, and are still used today for desalination and salt extraction. Major mining ceased in 1985 and…

Desert

Thevast wasteland in the north of the island, known as Terra Boa, is said to be the most fertile land in all of Sal. The barren desert with few bushes and grasses is definitely a tourist destination. You'll see a mirage here . [btn "The cheapest tours to the island of Sal" https://www.cestujlevne.com/zajezdy/kapverdske-ostrovy/sal] Fata morgana During tours, tourists stop roughly halfway through this area to admire the distant phenomena known…

Village, Sandy beach

The small and quiet resort of Murdeira is located on Beirona Beach, about halfway between the airport and Santa Maria. This tourist village consists of one large apartment resort, Murdeira Village Resort, and a long beach several kilometres long. It also includes housing for locals, restaurants and shops. [btn "The cheapest tours to the island of Sal" https://www.cestujlevne.com/zajezdy/kapverdske-ostrovy/sal] The beach has a beautiful view of…

City, Lookout

Thecapital Salu is located in the middle of the island near the only airport. The destination of your trip, if you have a rental car on Salu, will probably not be this place full of dilapidated houses, cables and wires, but since all the roads run alongside, stop here, at least for a local viewpoint. [btn "Sal holidays - compare tours" https://www.cestujlevne.com/zajezdy/kapverdske-ostrovy/sal] You'll recognize the authentic unadorned…

City, Harbour

The town of Palmeira is the main port on the island of Sal, where not only cargo ships but also ferries from the surrounding islands arrive. Palmeira is a typical coastal town with bars, restaurants and remnants of colonial Portuguese architecture. You can also visit the local school and hand out trinkets such as crayons, chalks and colouring books to the children. They'll be grateful. [btn "Sal holidays - compare tours" https://www…

Stony Beach

Roughly in the middle of the island on the east coast you will find a shallow rocky shoreline known as Shark Bay . This bay is considered by many to be the best place to see on Sal, and they are certainly not far from the truth. Enter the water, stand still and wait for the dozens of baby lemon sharks to begin swarming around you. The largest lemon shark is 3.5 metres long and weighs 180 kilograms. Don't worry. You'll see no more than half…

Stony Beach

The area known as Shell Cemetery Beach is a roughly kilometer long black rocky beach where large shells and shell fragments wash up from the ocean every morning. It can be found on the eastern edge of the town of Santa Maria, just across the southeastern tip of Sal Island. [btn "Sal Holidays - Comparison of Tours" https://www.cestujlevne.com/zajezdy/kapverdske-ostrovy/sal] Head here early in the morning for a walk on the beach, just like the…

Botanical garden

The small, but by Cape Verdean standards the largest botanical garden Viveiro and ecopark is located just a few kilometres north of Santa Maria on the main road. This project is the brainchild of two married couples who have combined a hobby with a business. They sell the plants they grow and also offer gardening services to local residents and especially to hotels. [btn "Sal holidays - comparison of tours" https://www.cestujlevne.com/zajezdy…