Discover Sal holidays centred around Santa Maria's golden beaches, excellent hotel choice, restaurants, watersports and year-round sunshine.
Sal may be best known for its beaches, but there is plenty to do away from your hotel too. From exploring Santa Maria and the island's salt-producing past to desert scenery, watersports and organised island tours, Sal is easy to enjoy at your own pace.
Santa Maria is Sal's main holiday resort and a good place to start exploring the island. The town combines a long sandy beach with restaurants, cafés, bars and shops, making it easy to spend time outside your hotel without travelling far.
Head towards the pier to see local fishing boats returning with their catch, wander through the town or stop for a drink or meal close to the beachfront.
Discover some of our favourite restaurants in Santa Maria .
Santa Maria Beach is one of Sal's biggest attractions. Its long stretch of golden sand is ideal for relaxing, swimming, beach walks and watching the watersports taking place along the coast.
Many of Sal's hotels are close to the beach, while restaurants, bars and the centre of Santa Maria are also within easy reach.
Read our guide to Santa Maria Beach .
Sal takes its name from the salt that once played an important role in the island's economy. At Pedra de Lume, on the north-east of the island, you can explore the historic salt pans set inside an extinct volcanic crater and learn more about this part of Sal's past.
The salt flats are one of the island's most distinctive sights and are easily combined with a wider tour of Sal.
Read more about visiting Pedra de Lume .
On Sal's rocky north-west coast, Buracona is home to a natural pool and the famous Blue Eye. Under the right conditions, sunlight illuminates the water inside the volcanic rock formation, creating its distinctive bright-blue appearance.
It is a popular stop on island tours and a good contrast to the sandy scenery around Santa Maria.
Sal's dry interior looks very different from its southern beaches. At Terra Boa, heat and light can create the illusion of water sitting on the desert horizon, one of the island's best-known natural curiosities.
The surrounding landscape also gives you a sense of just how open and dramatic Sal becomes once you leave the main resort area.
Sal is one of Cape Verde's best-known islands for watersports. Around Santa Maria and the surrounding coast you will find opportunities for activities including windsurfing, kitesurfing, diving, sailing and surfing.
You do not need to be experienced to get involved, with local watersports centres offering equipment and instruction for different ability levels.
Explore watersports in Cape Verde .
One of the easiest ways to see more of Sal is on an organised excursion. A day away from Santa Maria can combine several of the island's highlights, including Pedra de Lume, desert scenery, coastal viewpoints and local towns.
Browse our Sal excursions and experiences .
Combine beach time with as much or as little sightseeing as you like. Browse our Sal holidays below, or speak to our Cape Verde specialists if you would like help choosing a hotel and planning what to do while you're there.
BROWSE SAL HOLIDAYS
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Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort
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Odjo d'Agua Hotel
Hotel Pontão
Dunas de Sal Hotel
Hotel Morabeza
Oasis Belorizonte
Hotel Da Luz
Oasis Salinas Sea