Sal, Cape Verde – No Stress! – Out of Office Explorers

For those of us heading into a cold and dark winter in Europe, a little early respite with some winter sun is what we start dreaming of. Towards the end of October, Asia is still having its monsoons and the Caribbean its hurricanes; but just 6 hrs from the Netherlands and 570km off the west coast of Africa is a small archipelago that is a perfect spot for a few days of relaxation and beautiful weather.

Cape Verde is made up of 10 volcanic islands, formally belonging to Portugal, this now independent island nation has the draw of the rocky heights of Boa Vista, the green valleys of San Antao and the long sweeping beaches of Sal. For us we chose the all inclusive paradise of Sal…where a stay follows the motto of these islands…’no stress’!

Where to Stay

Sal is just 30km long and 12 km wide, so easy to get around, with most of the resort accommodation in the south, near the town of Santa Maria.

Now, all-inclusive are not normally our target destination, as we like to hop around from location to location, but sometimes you really need a break away from it all and if that’s the case then, the Melia Llana is the perfect place for it.

As with all the resorts on Sal, they are put together very well, low rise buildings that don’t make a mess of the landscape, pools surrounded by palm trees, bars aplenty to keep topped up on Pina Colada’s and access straight onto beautiful beaches.

The Llana has a great few restaurants – buffet, Italian and Japanese; friendly, efficient staff; a relaxing spa and above all (for us) it is adults only so you really get a bit of peace and quiet and a chance for the adults to act like kids for a little while!

Santa Maria

To be clear, there are better stretches of beach and bluer waters closer to Santa Maria – such as the Hilton or the Riu Palace, but for us the quality and peacefulness of the Melia Llana were the winners for us.

From the hotel you can pick up a free shuttle into the the local town of Santa Maria – a colourful little town where you can pick up some local souvenirs,

a stroll along its iconic pier,

check out the catch of the day,

and take a wonderful walk back to the hotel along the golden sands,

taking a dip into the turquoise sea for a bit of a snorkel or to play in the crashing waves.

Island Day Trip

You can see all the key sites in just one day and there are multiple ways to do it – a cheap day trip by bus for just 25 eur pp, a ride in the back of a 4×4 pick-up for 40 Eur pp, tear around in your own beach buggy for 75 Eur pp or just hire your own 4×4 for just 55 Eur. We opted for our own car to take the day at our own ease.

First stop was up in the north west to the Blue Eye of Buracona – a bit of a tourist trap with more things on sale than sights to see, but a pretty lagoon surrounded by hexagonal basalt blocks and of course the Blue Eye, that is a small opening into the ground which is lit up by the midday sun to show the waters of an underground cave that links to the sea.

As you make your way across to the East of the island you will pass through the capital of this island – Espargos – a sleepy place that has rainbow coloured buildings and a pretty main square that is worth a quick stop.

On the eastern coast one of the highlights of the island is Shark Bay...exactly what it says it is, the nursery for a local school of baby Lemon Sharks where you can park up by the water and just wade out into the shallow warm waters and wait for these little sharks to start swimming between your legs.

They are quite social and curious so you’ll see many almost as soon as you get into the water. Just a bit further out you will also see the fins of the mummy sharks darting around the waters…but don’t be scared these sharks are mainly piscivorous. Take some waterproof shoes to protect your feet from the rocks or rent a pair from the locals for 2 Eur.

The last stop of the tour is at the nearby Salinas de Pedra de Lume (salt crater), 5 Eur to get in and great fun for an hour or two.

An expansive crater that is below sea level that was converted into a salt mine. As well as producing salt visitors also get to enjoy floating in one of the salt pools where you can experience that Dead Sea feeling and float around to your heart’s content.

Just like the dead sea you can give yourself a bit of a mud pack with the smelly mud from the bottom of the lake. Lyssa loved what it did for her skin, but Matt wasn’t so enamored with the stinky smell that lingered afterwards. Make sure you don’t get any mud or salt water in your eyes as you’ll be crying your eyes out to wash the mud or salt away as there’s no fresh water nearby.

You are free to walk and explore the rest of the crater, so take your time to enjoy all this salt.

Snorkeling & Diving

Another great activity to do whilst on Sal is a spot of snorkeling or scuba diving.

Right outside the Melia Llana is a protected bit of water around the Bikini Beach bar where the fish are plenty and the waters calm. You can also take a boat trip out for some offshore snorkeling and diving at multiple spots where you can find turtles, plenty of tropical fish and ship wrecks to explore.

One last activity that is very big on this island is Kite Surfing.

There is always a healthy wind blowing and the kites abound. We didn’t get out on the water this time, but if you have the opportunity, then it looks like a great spot to strap on the board and fly off.