Cruise port
Cruise to Sal (Cape Verde)
Sal combines the long beaches of Santa Maria with the salt history of Pedra de Lume and the lava pool at Buracona. The island is mostly flat and lies in the Atlantic Ocean.
Sal is a dry, mostly flat island in the Cape Verde Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It covers 215 square kilometres; Monte Grande is its highest point at 406 metres. In the south, dunes and bright beaches shape the landscape. Santa Maria and Ponta Preta are among its well-known coastal areas. Espargos, the capital near the airport, offers a different starting point from the tourist-oriented southern coast.
Sal: between coastline and salt history
Salt production at Pedra de Lume shaped the island’s development: mining began there in 1804. The island’s volcanic origins made it possible to use the salt pans. This historic site adds an economic story, linked to settlement in the 19th century, to the image of Sal as a beach destination.
Santa Maria and other island destinations
With its long sandy beach, Santa Maria is ideal for a stay on the southern coast. To the west lies Buracona, with a lava pool along the rocky shore. Sunlight creates a blue glow there, known as the “Blue Eye”; this effect is especially visible around midday. The destinations offer contrasting experiences: the beach at Santa Maria, the volcanic coastline at Buracona, and the history of salt at Pedra de Lume.
On SĂŁo Vicente, Mindelo is another cruise port in the archipelago.
