According to Ehealthfacts, Sal is the most touristic and most visited island of Cape Verde. It is a relatively small island, slightly larger than 200 square kilometers in total. The capital of the island is the town of Espargos, but the most famous place is Santa Maria. The landscape of Sal consists mainly of dry desert-like plains with a hill here and there. These hills were created by volcanic activity. There is not much vegetation on the island except for a few trees and some dry shrubs. The island of Sal is named after the salt production that was carried out there in the nineteenth century. The remains of this can still be seen at the Pedra Luma salt crater. From the twentieth way, cheaper ways of winning salt were found, so that the salt mines on Sal were abandoned and the inhabitants lost their main form of income. This has changed with the arrival of tourists. Today, tourism is the main form of income and Cape Verde is becoming an increasingly popular holiday destination.
Top 10 places to visit in Sal
#1. Santa Maria
The fishing town of Santa Maria has become the most famous and most important holiday destination of the Cape Verde Islands in recent years. Most of the resorts and hotels are located in the immediate vicinity of Santa Maria. In many cases it is even possible to walk to this town. You will come across all kinds of cozy bars, terraces and tourist shops. In addition to tourism, most residents live from fishing. The beaches around Santa Maria are known as the most beautiful on the island of Sal.
#2. Murdeira
The village of Murdeira can be found in the central western part of Sal on the coast. Village is located on the highway that connects the capital Espargos and Santa Maria. Originally mainly fishermen and farmers lived in the village, but this changed quickly with the arrival of tourists to Sal. Most of the inhabitants of Murdeira today are employed in tourism. Most tourists stay in an annex of the village known as Aldeamento Turístico da Murdeira. Off the coast of Murdeira is a beautiful piece of coral where you can dive and snorkel wonderfully.
#3. Palmeira
Palmeira is a harbor and fishing village in the western part of Sal. The village is located in the less touristy part of the island, so you can still discover the real Cape Verde. You will find almost no tourist shops here, but local “supermarkets”, schools and an authentic fishing port. In this harbor the locals wait for the ships to come back from the sea in order to buy the best and freshest fish. This whole is a colorful spectacle.
#4. Buracona
Buracona is a small bay in the northwestern part of the island of Sal, about five kilometers from the town of Palmeira. The bay is located in a protected part of the island, so there are no hotels or resorts in the area. The bay is famous for the blue eye, a cave where if the light falls well you can see a beautiful blue eye. It is therefore very important to time your visit to Buracona well. When the sun is at its highest, the light is best for the blue eye.
#5. Caretta Caretta turtles
For large parts of the year, some beaches on Sal are off limits to tourists. During this period, the beaches are used by the Caretta Caretta turtles who lay their eggs there. In the evening and night the sea turtles come crawling onto the beach, dig a hole and lay their eggs, sometimes more than a hundred at a time. This is the only time a year that the sea turtles come ashore.
#6. Terra Boa
Terra boa is the most famous Fata Morgana of Cape Verde. In a desert a few kilometers from the town of Espargos you can see beautiful air reflections. Excursions are organized from various places on the island to this place where there is really nothing to see. However, the desert gives you the impression that you see something in the distance. What you see there depends entirely on your own imagination.
#7. Espargos
Espargos is the official capital of the island of Sal. The place can be found in the middle of the island just north of Sal airport. The name Espargos owes the city to the wild asparagus that grow in the vicinity of the city. Although the city is the center of the island and all roads on the island lead to Espargos, there is not much to do in the town. The main attraction is the church on the main square.
#8. Shark Bay
If you would like to see sharks up close and diving or snorkeling is not for you then Shark Bay is the place to visit. In this bay you can walk to the sharks. The lemon sharks that occur in large numbers here are absolutely harmless to humans, so you can walk up to a few meters from the sharks. By the way, you are only standing in the water up to your knees. Some tourists even try to touch and lift the sharks. Since they are wild animals, that is not very wise.
#9. Pedra Luma salt crater
The old salt mines of Sal Pedra Luma are today used as a tourist attraction. You can take a salt bath here. The amount of salt in these baths can be compared to that in the Dead Sea and you will therefore float on the water. Due to the large amount of salt in the water, it is almost impossible to swim in the water, but floating is fine. Strange sensation is that the water at the bottom is warmer than at the top.
#10. Praia de Santa Maria
Praia de Santa Maria is known as the most beautiful beach on the island of Sal. The snow-white beach is located in front of the town of Santa Maria and is therefore one of the most visited beaches on the island. You can enjoy the delicious Cape Verdean sun on the beach and occasionally cool off in the Atlantic Ocean. If you want to be a little more active, you can also enjoy beautiful surfing and kite surfing at the beach.
