All You Need To Know About Visiting Sal, Cabo Verde in 2022

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Sal is most likely the island you think of when you hear about Cabo Verde. You think beautiful stretches of white, sandy beaches with turquoise waters and the shining, hot sun. It is the most frequented island with the most international connections offering an ideal sunny getaway for Europeans in particular. Water and wind-related activities can keep you well occupied during your stay on the island. Sal also used to be a center for mining salt, hence the name, and giving you a reason to explore beyond your hotel grounds among other things.

GETTING TO SAL

As the most popular island in Cabo Verde, it is also the most well-connected island to international destinations: 
– Amsterdam on TUI almost every day often doing loop with Boa Vista;
– UK cities on TUI flying 2-3 times per week from London Gatwick and Manchester, 1-2 times per week from Birmingham and once a week from Bristol with the frequency depending on the season;
– Brussels on TUI which flies 2-4 times a week depending on the season;
– German cities like Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Hannover on TUI which flies about once a week often doing a loop with Boa Vista;
– Lisbon on TAP which flies almost daily;
– Luxembourg on Luxair which flies 1-2 times per week depending on the season;
– Paris Orly on Transavia which flies once a week and over Faro when leaving Sal;
– Stockholm on Sunclass Airlines which flies about once a week and;
– Zürich on Edelweiss Air which flies once a week.

Last updated: February 2022

Within the country, BestFly offers air connections with:
– Santiago everyday and;
– Frequent flights with São Vicente (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays only in the direction VXE – SID).

You can also travel by ferry with CVInterilhas to the island of Boa Vista within reasonable times:
– The ferry to Boa Vista goes twice a week with a duration of around 3h.

GETTING AROUND THE ISLAND

From the airport to the city center, you can take a taxi for CVE 1,500 (Є14). Alternatively, your accommodation might provide or be able to organize an airport transfer, something more comfortable if this is what you seek.

To get around Santa Maria, you can easily walk and if your hotel is not located in the heart of the city, walking is still reasonable as there is a boardwalk from Santa Maria and going as far as the Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort. Taxis are also always available, which I would recommend turning to during the hotter months.  

If you are going to explore the rest of the island, definitely rent a car for the most flexibility. I used the company Caetano during my stay, and it is very affordable and they were able to bring the car to my accommodation.

WHAT TO SEE + DO

Buracona

A natural pool sitting among the rocks of volcanic origin. Here you will also find the Blue Eye, an underwater cave with a depth of about 24m that is connected to the ocean. When the sun is out, it shines in and brings out a beautiful shimmering turquoise color, which is where it gets its name from. Diving tours can also organized to enter the Blue Eye.

Here you will also find a restaurant, a viewpoint and a natural swimming pool when the weather conditions permit it. When I visited, it was a very windy day and from my perspective, I could not even tell where it was possible to swim given how rough the ways were that day.

Likkle advice: when getting around Sal, I highly recommend using Waze. It is much more up to date than Google Maps or other navigation applications. If you are driving and it is your first time venturing out of your accommodation, I recommend going over Palmeira to reach Buracona for the most straightforward route.

Entrance fee: CVE 330 (Є3)

Terra Boa

After visiting Buracona, drive across the northern part of the island, passing Monte Leste, to reach what you might be seeking: the Mirage. Also known as a Fata Morgana, it is an optical phenomenon that will create the illusion that a desert lake is in the distance. Again, using Waze will help you reach the point where you will see it when facing north of the island. Having a screenshot of it at hand will help you make sure you have spotted it. When my dad said he wanted to see the mirage, I was very confused at first because from what I knew of a mirage, why would you be chasing it if after all, it is an illusion. Nevertheless, it was nice to be able to see it but more so to drive through the barren land of Sal.

Salinas de Pedra Lume

After driving through Terra Boa, drive back to Espargos, the capital of Sal and head over to the east coast of the island towards Pedra Lume. Here, you will find the spot that gives Sal its name.

The salt pans sit inside an old volcanic crater and offers a beautiful combination of colors. You can also take a dip in the salt water. There is an entrance fee which, among the sites of Sal, it is the one with the highest price tag. Personally, I even think it is overpriced for what it is especially because if you do take a dip and want to rinse off before you got, you have to pay an additional CVE 110 for using the showers on the grounds.

Entrance fee: CVE 550 (Є5)

Shark Bay

In the east coast, you can also find Shark Bay. As the name suggests, you can spot lemon sharks swimming along the shallow waters. After Pedra Lume, the path to Shark Bay is not very obvious and again, Waze will take you right to it. You will find a couple of shacks and people who can help you see them as an indication that you have reached Shark Bay. The people here can take you to the sharks for CVE 300 (Є3) to rent water shoes as it is dangerous waddling over there in anything else.

Santa Maria

Your day is most likely going to start and end with Santa Maria. But if you are staying in a resort outside of Santa Maria, definitely come into town at least once as it is the heart of Sal. It is filled with numerous restaurants, little shops and nightlife. Santa Maria is also the place to try all kind of water sports like diving and kitesurfing:

Boat excursions:

Among the many water activities to choose form, you can also do a boat excursion. Some companies to start you off with include:
– Cape Verde Sailing
– Cuba Libre Sailing Trips, which can be contacted on Instagram at @cubalibresailing

Whale watching is also a possibility during the peak months of March and April where you can mainly spot humpback whales, but pilot and sperm whales have also been spotted in Cape Verdean waters.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sal is an island catered to tourism. The island is quite barren, and you will see this right away when you land on the island. The majority of life and activities are concentrated in Santa Maria so when you visit Sal, I would recommend staying in Santa Maria unless your intended vacation style is to stay in a resort the whole time. In that case, the hotel you choose should be your focus. During my stay on the island, I did a little island tour as well and to be honest, it was simply alright. The day that I went was unfortunately very cloudy and windy, so I did not end up getting into any body of water (including at the Salinas). What draws me to Sal however, and the reason I plan on going back is very much life below the surface. A large part of Cabo Verde’s territory includes the ocean and in Sal, there are many exciting things to do in the water. One of the things I enjoy is diving and experiencing the underwater world, and Sal is a great place to do interesting dives when you are starting to build your diving experience.

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