All Inclusive Sal Holidays

from £ 664 pp

With white sands, top-notch diving and surfing, and a saltwater crater, Sal holidays add that extra oomph to a fly and flop break.

Small, but mighty Sal

Sal is a case in point that size isn’t everything. It’s the third-smallest of the Cape Verde islands – behind beefier Santiago and Boa Vista – but also the most popular. And it’s no wonder when it’s got so much up for grabs. You can top and tail beach time with dolphin-spotting trips, floating in salt mines and drives through the desert. There are plenty of hotels to choose from, too.

Dishy beaches

There’s no forgetting this place is plonked off the west coast of Africa. Its white, sandy beaches pull in most of the punters. Santa Maria’s the peppiest town, with a whopper of a beach and an upper-crust club on the sands. But sunbathing’s second to watersports in the pecking order around here. Surf shops pile up behind the sands on nearby Kite Beach, and kitesurfers cartwheel over the waves.

Salt, sharks and shipwrecks

As one of the dinkiest islands, Sal’s a doddle to explore. You can zoom over the Mars-like landscape on quad bikes, ogle desert mirages, or wade out to lemon sharks in Parda Bay. You can even float in a salt lake, in Pedra de Lume, which is saltier than the Dead Sea. Or, if you time your trip right, there’s the chance to watch loggerhead turtles hatch on the beach.

At a glance

Go scuba diving in caves and shipwrecks
Learn to surf on Kite Beach
Float in the Pedra Lume Salt Crater

Destinations in Sal

PLACES TO STAY IN Sal

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Sandy Sal

Sal’s not short on the sandy stuff. In fact, most of the island’s covered in desert-like terrain. But most sun-seekers shuffle down south to Santa Maria. Here, the runway of sand’s on the mammoth size, and packed with facilities. But there are plenty of stripped-back stretches knocking about, too.
The big beach

Santa Maria Beach hogs Sal’s southern tip, sprawling out for eight kilometres. You won’t have to stray far from your sunbed for anything here. There’s a bumper of bars, hotels and restaurants behind the silky sands. And it’s a mecca for all things watersports. If you want a dose of tradition, head to the pier at the end of the day to watch the local fishermen haul in the day’s catch.
The secret beach

On the other side of the coin, you’ve got Ponta Preta, which translates as ‘black tip’. There’s nothing dark about the sand here, though. Technically, it’s an extension of Santa Maria’s supersized stretch of sand. But, the two are like chalk and cheese. This place is completely stripped back, with nothing but cream-coloured sands backed by dunes. You won’t find a sunbed or parasol in sight.

Bargain Buys

There’s a cluster of shops by Santa Maria’s harbour. They’re the type of places to pick up paintings, bongos and jewellery at cheap-and-cheerful prices. There’s a market, too, where the locals load up on their fruit and veg. The local ponch, or grogue, is a fun souvenir to bring back to Blighty. It’s a boozy drink made from sugar cane. If you’re lucky, you might get to try before you buy, too.
Mid-Range Buys

Santa Maria’s big on arts and crafts – lots of which are made locally on the island. You can scout out lots of quirky knick-knacks in its souvenir shops, which are stuffed with handicrafts, jewellery, paintings and bags of salt. You can even buy statues made from recycled beer cans, as well as bracelets crafted out of ring pulls and shoe laces.
Designer Buys

Mammoth malls aren’t Sal’s cup of tea. So the closest you’ll get to big designer brands here is the surfing kind. Santa Maria’s beach is backed by a bevy of surf shops, where you can grab the latest wave-ready clobber – think brands like Quiksilver. And, while you’re there, make sure to book yourself in for a lesson.

Laid-back evenings

You can easily spend AM to PM on Santa Maria’s beach. Luckily, the sunbeds are bolstered by a load of bars and restaurants. You can chill with a cocktail from a surf shack, relax on a Bali bed at a la-di-da beach club, or sway along to reggae at a rooftop bar.
Lively evenings

There are a tonne of themed bars and clubs pulsing away in Santa Maria. One puts on African dance performances, while another’s got Brazilian vibes. Plus, you can sweat it out in the pirate-themed nightclub ‘til the sun comes up. Dinnertimes can be lively, too, with live music and dance shows.

Cachupa

Sal’s national dish harks back to its Portuguese roots. It’s a hearty stew made with beans, veg, and fish or meat. If you’ve been to Portugal, picture a feijoada.
Bafas

Bafas is Sal’s rustic answer to fish fingers. Fish or octopus are bundled together with tomatoes, onion and peppers, then covered in breadcrumbs.
Bol de cus-cus

This pudding’s all kinds of naughty. It’s a sweet cake made with corn and sugar, but served with dollops of butter and goat’s cheese.
Doce de papaya

Guavas, mangos, papaya – these are just some of the exotic fruits that grow on the island. And it’s the latter that makes this simple, but tasty pud. It’s basically like a papaya-flavoured jelly.
Fogo coffee

Cape Verde doesn’t do Starbucks. Instead, the archipelago’s got its own powerhouse island, Fogo, which supplies the rest with locally grown coffee and wine.

SIMILAR DESTINATIONS

Where we go in Sal

Riu Palace Cabo Verde

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Melia Tortuga Beach Resort & Spa

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Melia Dunas Resort

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Melia Llana

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Sol Dunas Resort

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Account & Booking

All Inclusive Sal Holidays

Small, but mighty Sal

Dishy beaches

Salt, sharks and shipwrecks

At a glance

Destinations in Sal

PLACES TO STAY IN Sal

Top things to See and Do in Sal

Sandy Sal

The big beach

The secret beach

Bargain Buys

Mid-Range Buys

Designer Buys

Laid-back evenings

Lively evenings

Cachupa

Bafas

Bol de cus-cus

Doce de papaya

Fogo coffee

SIMILAR DESTINATIONS

Where we go in Sal

Riu Palace Cabo Verde

Melia Tortuga Beach Resort & Spa

Melia Dunas Resort

Melia Llana

Sol Dunas Resort

Popular holidays

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