Things to do in Cape Verde

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 centre of the island, where you can see more of the local life, finish your tour with a transfer back to your hotel or airbnb.

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.

We'll pick you up from your hotel by minibus at 9am. We'll start the route by travelling along the south of Sal Island, where we'll see the pontoon and the salt pans of Santa Maria. We'll then head towards Murdeira Bay. After swimming in its refreshing waters, we'll head to the fishing village of Palmeira. From there, we'll go to the Buracona lagoon, a beautiful natural pool. We'll continue the tour through the Terra Boa desert, whose landscapes will surprise us with a curious mirage. We'll make our next stop in the island's administrative capital: Espargos, where you'll have an hour of free time to have lunch on your own. With our energy recharged, we'll climb up to a famous viewpoint to contemplate the views of the island. The tour continues towards the shores of Parda Bay, famous for being the natural habitat of lemon sharks. Very close by are the Pedra de Luma salt pans. Next to them is a series of lagoons where, like in the Dead Sea, you can float in their waters. A perfect opportunity to tone your skin naturally! Then we'll start the journey back to your hotel on Sal Island. Arrival is scheduled for 5pm.

Experience the beautiful underwater world of Sal on this guided snorkeling tour in Santa Maria. Explore the reefs around the Bolama Wreck 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. Explore the Bay of Santa Maria which has great underwater visibility. At the end of the reef, there is a shallow shipwreck, the Bolama. Schools of soldier fish and snappers like to swim around it and are regularly found here in addition to parrot fish, trumpet fish, and many others. Return to the dive center following the tour and enjoy the rest of your day.

Avoid the hassle of navigating a foreign public transportation system or the expense of a taxi and enjoy a clean, safe, and reliable transfer between your hotel or airbnb in Santa Maria and Amilcar Cabral International Airport (SID). All transfers are available 24/7. Save time by booking your pickup service according to your flight times. Your driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall with a sign with Sal Experience written on it. Relax and kick off your holiday in style, knowing that you are traveling in the company of a fully licensed and insured driver who will be happy to help you with your luggage or any other issues. So sit back, relax and let your driver take care of you.

Get picked up at your hotel in Praia, then depart toward the interior of the island. Make your first stop at Mrs. Luisa's house. There, sample cuscuz (a traditional cake made from corn flour) and fidjós (fried banana), the typical meal for Cape Verdean families. After that, continue to the city of Assomada. Visit its famous market, and admire the vibrant colors of the local fruits and vegetables. Move on to the Serra Malagueta natural park and marvel at the incredible views from 1000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level. Next, discover Santiago's most beautiful beach at Tarrafal, known for its white sand and crystal clear waters. Take a break for lunch (at your own expense), then return along the east coast of the island. Enjoy photographic stops at the majestic volcanic slopes of Calheta and the magnificent Valley of a Thousand Palms in Santa Cruz. The tour concludes with drop-off at your hotel in Praia.

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.

We will pick you up from your hotel in Santa Maria, Murdeira or Espargos, and drive to our first destination of the day, the eastern part of the island to visit Shark Bay and see its famous lemon sharks up close. Here you will enjoy 30 minutes watching the lemon sharks swimming around you, an amazing experience that you will write about on your way back home. Afterwards we will visit the village of Pedra de Lume, which was the first settlement on the island of Sal. Here we'll see its ancient dwellings and learn about the importance of the salt industry for the development of the island through objects and instruments used to extract the salt. We will visit the cable car that was once used to transport the salt extracted from Salinas. The highlight of the tour is a visit to the Salinas salt lake, the only salt lake in the world located in the caldera of a dormant volcano. You will be impressed by the variety of colours of the landscape. Salinas serves to forget the stress of everyday life, not having to leave the island without bathing in the saline thermal water, where Spas, whirlpool and relaxation are available to all. The medicinal action of its salty waters is recognised for its healing, detoxifying and metabolic-stimulating power due to the mineral substances contained there. In the popular knowledge there is an even greater healing power in this water. The place has a fascinating lake where anyone can bathe and float even without knowing how to swim. Finally, we will be back at your hotel in Santa Maria at 5 pm.

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.

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.