Things to do in Sal

After being picked up from your accommodation, make your way to Santa Maria. Once there, get to know the history of this city, which has transformed from the extraction of its salt to the biggest tourist city in Cape Verde. Next, make your way to Kite Beach, which is one of the best places in the world to practice kite surfing (from October to April) and is usually chosen to hold the world kite surfing championships.  Then visit Porto Palmeira, which is a simple place where people take their sustenance from fishing and working in the port. See the arrival of the crafts, as well as all the activity around the sale of fish. Take a walk among the colorful colonial houses and check out the beautiful street art. Next up, go to Pedra de Lume Beach, Pedra de Lume, and Ilha do Sal.  There, visit the first village on Sal island, which was founded in 1804, to learn about the history and development of the local economy based on the export of salt. Continue to Miragem, where you will see the effects of Fata Morgana water illusions in the desert. Travel then to Buracona, where you will see the Blue Eye, one of the 7 wonders of the island. Swim in its natural pool if the conditions are ideal for bathing. Following the pool, explore the Pedra Lume Salt Crater, where you will learn all about the nourishing benefits this salt center has for the locals. Make a stop to experience floating in this thermal water which is inside an inactive volcanic caldera. Discover Shark Bay, where you will have the experience to see lemon sharks in their natural environment up close. Travel to the village of Murdeira that lies in a natural reserve in the bay. Finally, visit Espargos, the economic center of the city.

Get out for an adventurous sightseeing tour that is perfect for discovering the desert and, the hidden treasures of this popular and most deserted destination. This trip will take you to Salt Lake Salinas of Pedra de Lume, the second saltiest water in the world after the Dead Sea, an incredible lake where you can lie down and float, even if you can't swim, and you will be left with smooth skin as if you had a natural scrub. Next, you will travel to Buracona, where you will see the "Blue Eye", one of the 7 wonders of the island and its natural pool, where you will have time to swim in its crystal clear waters if the conditions are ideal for bathing. Then you will move on to Miragem, where you will see the fata morgana effect of water illusions in the desert. Admire the natural reserve of Murdeira Bay and enjoy the beautiful view of Lion mountain. At the end, you will visit Shark Bay, where you will experience lemon sharks in their natural habitat up close. Enjoy a half-day island tour and visit places like Blue Eye, Miragem, Salinas Salt lake and Shark Bay. Swim in the salt lake and Buracona natural pool with your group, before heading out to sea to see some lemon sharks.

Hop aboard the luxurious Lounge Catamaran Sodade and be whisked away for half a day to unwind. Cruise down the western coast of Sal on the spacious boat, and enjoy a different view of the island's rocky shores. Take the children with you for a fun day out at sea, or select the adults-only tour option to enjoy a kid-free experience. Sip on unlimited beer and soft drinks throughout your trip. After pickup at your hotel, board the catamaran for your half-day trip. The catamaran has a capacity for 90 people but numbers are limited to 60 people per trip to ensure plenty of space for everyone. On the sunlit deck, relax on the comfortable lounge beds while bobbing along with the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, and relish a refreshing cocktail, a nice glass of (sparkling) wine, or a cold beer. Halfway through the trip, freshen up with a cool dive into the ocean to swim and snorkel, try some local fishing with the crew, or simply relax on board while a delicious snack is prepared. A private inflatable pool provides a safe opportunity for the smallest guests to enjoy time in the water too. On the way back to the harbor, the ambiance is awakened with African vibes of local music, drums, and dance. Long story short: With a fresh breeze, a combination of soothing and uplifting music, and all-inclusive food and drinks, this catamaran trip makes the perfect getaway.

Experience the beautiful underwater world of Sal on this guided snorkeling tour in Santa Maria. Explore the reefs around the Bolama Wreck, and spot aquatic life around Dunas Bikini and Farol with a guide who knows the area well. Keep an eye out for creatures like tropical fish, rays, turtles, and moray eels. Meet the guides at the dive center, be fitted with snorkeling equipment, and fill out all of the necessary paperwork before setting out on tour. Receive a safety and rules briefing and learn some basic snorkeling knowledge and some instruction on how to use the equipment. Be dropped off in the water off the reef by boat, and begin exploring underwater. Immerse yourself in a new and exciting underwater world, and try to spot some of the area's many marine species. Look for fish, eels, rays, and turtles, while exploring the different reefs on this approximately two-hour tour. Discover three different snorkeling sites available depending on the sea conditions, and the best sites depending on weather and conditions will be chosen by the guide. Marvel at Bolama, a shallow shipwreck turned reef, where many marine species make their homes. Explore Dunas, a series of shallow reefs interlaced with sand dunes ideal as a refuge for many fish species and turtles, or Bikini further to the north, a shallow reef where you can see corals, invertebrates such as morays and lobsters, and shallow areas that work as fish nurseries. Return to the dive center following the tour and enjoy the rest of your day.

Visit the east part of the island on the beach with a natural lemon shark rookery, which is a light-brown colored shark, or sand-colored when in its natural environment. Choose to stay on the beach and watch the sharks with binoculars or get in the water and watch them from up close.  The lemon shark is medium to large shark and is not a threat to people, but can be a danger to other ocean animals. Its scientific name is Negaprion Brevirostris. The average length of a lemon shark is about 2.5 to 3 meters. Some of the largest lemon sharks measured about 3.4 meters. These sharks grow about 0.50 centimeters per year. After spending 60 minutes with sharks swimming around you and learning about the sharks you will be taken back to your lodge or hotel where you were picked up.

Get picked up from your accommodation and depart toward Santa Maria salt pans. There, find out about the local history and see how the locals extract salt, the activity that determined the island's name. Continue to the village of Murdeira, where you will have a short visit to its nature reserve and enjoy the views of Lion Mountain. Then, meet the locals in the fishing village of Palmeira before traveling to Buracona to see "Blue Eye" and, weather permitting, swim in its beautiful natural pool. Move on towards Miragem, grab some pictures of the effects of water illusions in the desert and take a well-deserved lunch break. Enjoy the local cuisine and discover the Cape Verdean gastronomy. Next, drive to Espargos and get to know its street arts that portray the Cape Verdean woman, her Morabeza, and history. After that, head to Shark Bay, a must-see when visiting Sal. Put on your water shoes, enter the ocean, and get close to the docile lemon sharks in their natural environment. Finally, visit Pedra de Lume, a salt farm located below sea level. Cross its cave, get into its extinct volcano crater and reach the lagoons from which the salt is extracted. Enjoy floating in the world's second saltiest thermal water, an unforgettable experience. The tour concludes with a drop-off at your accommodation.

Begin the tour with pickup from your hotel in Santa Maria. Transfer to the local partner's main office where you will be required to show your driver's license. Get kitted out and board your 4x4 to begin your adventure.  On the two-hour tour, discover the salt flats of Santa Maria, surrounded by beautiful sand dunes. Zip past Kite Beach, the favorite beach of kite surfers, before cruising along to Serra Negra, Sal's natural reserve. Stop at the viewpoint here, where you'll be rewarded with an amazing panorama of the entire south part of the island and out to Boavista Island (weather permitting) Buzz across the desert and then stop at the Palha Verde Oasis. Finally, end the tour with a stop at Ponta Preta, the most beautiful beach on the island. Return to the main office and then to your hotel in Santa Maria.

Get your adrenaline pumping with a 2-hour quad bike adventure on Sal with a professional local guide. Begin your tour with pickup at your hotel in Santa Maria, then drive to the local partner's office. Once there, show your driving license and get your gear for your adventure. Then, embark on your 2-hour quad discovery tour. Ride first to the salt flats of Santa Maria and admire the beautiful sand dunes. Head on to Kite Beach, the favorite beach of kite-surfers, then make your way to Serra Negra, Sal's natural reserve. Stop at the Serra Negra viewpoint and enjoy an amazing panorama of all of the south part of the island. If the weather permits, you can also see Boa Vista island. From there, cross the desert to make your next stop at the Palha Verde oasis. Finally, visit Ponta Preta, the most beautiful on Sal, before returning to the local partner's office. You'll then be dropped off at your hotel in Santa Maria to conclude the tour.

Meeting at the front desk of your hotel at 9:15 AM, then make your way to the first destination, Ponta Preta (Black Edge). Witness a contrast between white natural sand dunes and dark-colored volcanic rocks entering the sea. This amazing combination creates huge and beautiful waves, making this location the stage for world-famous water sports competitions like surfing and windsurfing. While in Ponta Preta, you'll be introduced to the itinerary and provided with a brief history of Cape Verde. Next, head to Murdeira, located at the center of the island. Snorkel in the bay's crystal clear, coral-filled waters, and catch a glimpse of Monte Leão, one of the island's most prominent landmarks. From Murdeira, go north to the capital of the island, Espargos. Enjoy a local tour of the city ending in a panoramic view through the belvedere. Make your next stop at the fishing village of Palmeira, the only port on the island and an industrialized zone extremely important to the local economy. To the east of Palmeira, spot Buracona, a place with natural pools and an incredible rocky landscape of volcanic origin. This combination creates a wonderful phenomenon called "Blue Eye". From 10:30 AM–1 PM, the sun shines inside a 25-meter (82-foot) deep cave, allowing you to glimpse the image of a shiny blue eye staring at the majestic sky. More to the west of the island is Terra Boa, the only land for growing crops where you can enjoy another spectacle of nature, a mirage in the middle of the desert. On the way back to Espargos, pass the peripheral area of the island and visit some social institutions, such as kindergartens and schools. In Espargos, take a break for lunch in a local restaurant and taste a typical dish or savor one of the best pizzas in town. After lunch, continue to Pedra de Lume, where the famous Salinas (salt pans) are found inside of an extinct volcano crater. Bathe in the therapeutic waters before heading to the Baia de Parda around 4 PM to catch sight of lemon sharks. You'll return to your hotel around 5 PM.

We'll pick you up at your hotel in Santa Maria between 4 pm and 4:30 pm to drive to Espargos, the capital of Sal island. On the way to our destination, we'll stop at the Amilcar Cabral airport, located south of Espargos. Here we'll take the opportunity to learn about the importance of its construction for the development of the city. Next, .we'll visit the historic centre of Espargos, walking through its streets and admiring the colourful works of street art that we'll find on its walls, a reflection of the culture and daily life of its inhabitants During this walk, we'll stop at a local eatery where we'll enjoy an aperitif with typical Cape Verdean drinks. After this break, we'll walk back to a viewpoint from where we'll enjoy a splendid panoramic view of the town. From here, we'll move to the suburbs, where we'll experience the morabeza (Cape Verdean hospitality) and stress-free way of life of the locals. Finally, we'll return to Santa Maria and drop you off at your hotel two and a half hours after pickup.