{"id":3324,"date":"2023-08-31T00:00:22","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T22:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.envidiaviajeradelamala.com\/?p=3324"},"modified":"2026-05-27T07:52:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T05:52:04","slug":"isla-de-sal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/envidiaviajeradelamala.com\/en\/isla-de-sal\/","title":{"rendered":"Sal Island (31Aug \u2013 7Sep23):"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sal Island (Aug 31 - Sep 7, 2023):<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Neither yes nor no, it's not worth it<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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History of Sal Island in a few lines:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>

Origins:<\/strong><\/h3>

Discovered by Portuguese explorers, such as Diogo Gomes and Ant\u00f3nio da Noli, around 1460, the island was uninhabited before their arrival. Originally called "Lhana" (flat), its name changed to "Sal" (salt) due to its large natural salt deposits.\u00a0<\/p>

18th and 19th centuries:<\/strong><\/h3>

The island's significant development began in the 18th century with the large-scale commercial exploitation of the Pedra de Lume salt flats. This led to the growth of settlements as salt became the foundation of the local economy, with exports primarily to Brazil and mainland Africa.\u00a0<\/p>

20th Century:<\/strong><\/h3>

Under Portuguese rule, the island remained focused on salt production until the mid-20th century. Following Cape Verde's independence in 1975, the salt industry declined, and the economy slowly began to shift towards fishing and, later, tourism. The island's international airport became a key hub for tourism development.\u00a0<\/p>

Present:<\/strong><\/h3>

Today, Sal Island is Cape Verde's premier tourist destination, renowned for its white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, and status as a world-class hub for water sports like kitesurfing and windsurfing. The town of Santa Maria is the island's vibrant tourist heart, blending its salt-making heritage with modern hotel infrastructure and a relaxed atmosphere.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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<\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/path><\/svg><\/span>General conclusions \u2726\u2726<\/span><\/path><\/svg><\/div>

What can I say?... it's great for beaches and diving.<\/p>

But for hotels and tourist attractions on the island, it's not worth it. It's expensive for what it offers.<\/p>

We stayed on Sal Island and were given a very cute bungalow at the very end of the resort, so we enjoyed peace and quiet. The hotel is very close to the town and the pier, which is the most iconic spot and appears in all the photos (and is packed with locals), easily accessible on foot. We loved the beaches; they are clean, with white sand, crystal-clear Caribbean-like water, no jellyfish, and lots of schools of fish, plus it's warm.<\/p>

The hotel itself was fine, but at night cockroaches came out everywhere (which makes sense since it's an island, even though they fumigated). One night, I started feeling something crawling quickly up my legs. I went to swat it, and a cockroach flew out. It was disgusting and horrible. We caught it with a glass, and the next morning, we reported it to reception, and they immediately came to fumigate the area. The rest of the nights, we slept with a light on. The buffet had a variety of food, and they covered the plates with mosquito nets to keep flies and other insects away.<\/p>