Day 1 in Sal Island

Welcome to Sal Island! Upon arrival at the airport, you will go through customs and immigration. Should you opt to purchase a transfer to your hotel; a representative will be waiting for you as you exit immigration. Arrive at your hotel, check in, and do not give in to jet lag! There is so much for you to see and do!

We recommend you get acquainted with the island and visit the quaint fishing village of Santa Maria where locals gather and fisherman bring in their catch of the day. Grab some lunch at one of the local restaurants or cafes found in the main town of Santa Maria, after lunch wander around town and absorb the relaxed atmosphere and the beautiful pastel-colored houses that decorate the town.

Check out some of the iconic buildings on the island such as the beautiful Paróquia de Nossa Senhora das Dores Catholic Church located in downtown Santa Maria. The church boasts lovely colonial-style architecture with a white stone exterior and a sky blue trim.

Manuel Antonio Martins was a Portuguese businessman and the colonial governor of Cape Verde said to have been the richest man in the country and nicknamed Napoleon of Cape Verde when he arrived on the island in 1792. Martins began the exploration of the island`s famous salt ponds of Pedra de Lume and he founded the town of Santa Maria and his old mansion is located here.

Stroll along the beautiful serene beach and soak up the sun, sand, and seas. Relax and do some sunbathing, read a book, bask in the beautiful waters and take in the island lifestyle. Visit Funana Casa da Cultura boasting restaurants, music, dancing, and an interactive museum set on the beachfront. Take a guided tour of the museum and then dine on delicious Cape Verdean cuisine, stop by the gift shop on-site to pick up some authentic souvenirs. Dining at the restaurants here is an amazing experience featuring authentic food and dancing. Enjoy drinks at the beachfront bar and watch a spectacular sunset.

Day 2 in Sal Island

Start your day with a visit to one of the beautiful beaches on the island, Kite Beach is great for water sport enthusiasts, situated on the southeast coast with great wind conditions for all things surf related. Mitu and Djo Kite School are located here where you can take lessons and rent equipment.

Head to Buracona `Blue Eye` one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island. This natural pool is made up of volcanic rock over the turquoise sea waters, during a certain time of the day the light from the sun projects through the hole and it looks like a bright blue eye. The deep blue underground pool can be explored by experienced divers, the tunnel runs down 25 feet and comes out into the sea.

Palmeira town is about 2 ½ miles away from Buracona, take a stroll around the sleepy town filled with cobblestone streets and colorful houses and stop into one of the local restaurants for a delicious seafood lunch and check out the quaint authentic shops.

The next stop is Pedra de Lume, the most popular attraction on Sal Island, famous for its salt evaporation pools. The exploitation of the salt ponds began in the 18th century, an old extraction machine here dates back to 1805. The lunar-like crater measures over a mile in width where seawater transforms into salt beds. Visitors can walk around the crater and marvel at the pink waters, float on the surface of the medicinal saltwater pools (with salt content as high as the dead sea), and enjoy salt massages, scrubs, and mud treatments at the Salinas Relax spa. You can also enjoy the food at the on-site restaurant.

Visit `Shark Bay` situated not too far from Salinas where you can hire a local guide to show you baby lemon sharks, the bay is training grounds for the sharks before heading into the open waters. Cape Verde is also the third most important nesting area in the world for loggerhead turtles. From May to October visitors may have an opportunity to see turtles nesting and laying their eggs, or baby turtles hatching.

Take a sailing tour in Sal and soak up the spectacular scenic coastal views, many tours offer food and drinks. Watch a stunning sunset from the seas and soak in the soothing waters around Sal Island.

Enjoy cocktails on the beach when you return to the island and be sure to try the islands famous drink, `grougue or ponche` both after-dinner drinks. Grougue is considered the national drink of Cape Verde and can be compared to rum, distilled with sugar cane banging a 40% alcohol rate.

Additional Days in Sal Island

If you are able to spend additional days in Sal Island, attend some of the island`s festivals such as the Santa Maria Festival held annually in September, a music festival featuring various live acts, lots of delicious food and drinks held on Santa Maria beach in the resort area.

Do some island hopping and head over to Boa Vista, the other neighboring island of Cape Verde. The beach island is famous for the Viana Desert, you can take day trips from Sal to Boa Vista via a quick 10-minute plane ride.

Your Last Day in Sal Island

Depart from your hotel to the airport for your return flight home. We recommend that you purchase a private transfer to the airport if so the representative will meet you at your hotel with plenty of time to get you to the airport for your flight out.