Sal

The gateway to Cape Verde. Sal serves as the hub of all national and international flights and the tourist heartland of the country which has experienced and is still experiencing a construction boom unlike any of the nine other inhabited islands.

Especially the village of Santa Maria, located on the southern coast of the island, has developed within 15 years from a "godforsaken nest of fishermen and herdsmen" into a tourist agglomerate with more than 5000 hotel beds, numerous bars, restaurants and discos, where the night turns to day and the effervescent, Creole soul and lifestyle set a spell on all those who love the exotic.

Sun, wind, turquoise blue seawater and endless, secluded sand beaches entice sun-hungry visitors and windsurfers from many European nations in all four seasons of the year. Due to its extremely vibrant winds, Santa Maria is considered to be one of the best surfing areas on the planet.

The desert island, only 15 km long and 6 km wide, looks much like a brown moon surface, where drought and dryness scorch the earth while shrubs and trees rarely scuttle their way to the surface.

The island, discovered in the mid 14 hundreds by sailors serving the Portuguese throne, has earned its spot in history through its salt production. To this very day, the island has various, discontinued saltworks which will be used in the future for therapeutic purposes.