Sal

Holidays to Sal are all about escapism. This little isle is part of the Cape Verde Islands, and is made up of little more than white-sand beaches and brightly-coloured villages.

Unique culture

Sal is part of Cape Verde, a group of 10 islands off the west coast of Africa. They’re relatively unknown in the mainstream market and, thanks to their location, they’re a unique melting pot of cultures. The islands were originally discovered by the Portuguese, and there’s a mixture of African, Brazilian and Portuguese influences. You’ll see it in the islands’ music, fashions and, perhaps most clearly, the food.

The African Caribbean

The travel guides like to refer to Cape Verde as the ‘African Caribbean’, and the country is deserving of the nickname. Sal, one of the most popular islands, has snow-white beaches and towns painted in rainbow colours, just like those you’d find in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

Santa Maria

Sal’s busiest town is Santa Maria, a Crayola-coloured hub filled with surf stores, craft shops, and restaurants serving local specialities like steaming catchupa stew. Most of the hotels on the island are lined up along the town’s beach – an 8-kilometre stretch of sand dotted with beach bars and windsurfing centres.