Sal is the north-easternmost island in the Cape Verde archipelago. The name means "salt" in Portuguese and bears witness to Sal's past: The island used to be a major producer of sea salt. Economically not viable nowadays, the remaining salt pans are one of the tourist attractions of the island. A must-see is the historic salt mine inside an old volcano crater near Pedra de Lume.

Another important income source on the island is of course fishing. Well worth visiting is the pontão ("pier") in Santa Maria when the fishermen land their catch here and the well-fed fishwives sell fish so fresh they still move.

On weekends, the pier becomes a hangout for the locals where the bravest enjoy jumping from the platform into the turquoise sea.

The ocean and the beautiful white beaches are probably what brings most tourists to Sal in the first place. With about 350 days of sunshine per year, spending your holidays on Sal is a guarantor for an enviable tan.

However, if you rather indulge in your favourite water sports - Sal is the place for you, too. The often strong winds make for excellent sailing, surfing, kite surfing and wind surfing, and on calmer days SUPing and of course diving are choice alternatives.

Other activities include fishing trips, whale watching, a trip to see wild lemon sharks and bird watching. During the summer months, loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) lay their nests on Sal's beaches and can be observed on one of the night-time turtle walks we offer.

Whatever your plans for your stay on Sal are, they should at least include an island tour which will take you to the famous Blue Eye and the old salt mine at Pedra de Lume.