Santa Maria · Pedra de Lume · Palmeira · Espargos · Murdeira
3 days in Sal: salt-crater floats, lemon sharks & Blue Eye
Photo by Bruno Martins on Unsplash
Float in a volcanic salt crater, wade with baby lemon sharks and catch Buracona's Blue Eye at noon on Cape Verde's sunniest island.
38 playbooks shared · added to 0 trips
- Day 110:30 am – 9:30 pm · 5 stops
- 10:30 am 1Fishermen unloading at Santa Maria PierSanta Maria
The daily landing of tuna, wahoo and the odd shark is the island's best free show. Geeky Explorer (visited 2024) says it peaks around 11:00, and Flashpacking Family watched restaurants wheel whole tuna away by barrow. Stand clear of the cleaning tables.
6 min walk · 450 m - 12 pm 2Cachupa lunch at Café CrioloSanta Maria
An affordable local favourite for cachupa, Cape Verde's slow-cooked corn and bean stew. Paulina on the Road singled out its cachupa, and a 2026 Santa Maria restaurant guide recommends the fried cachupa refogada with an egg on top. Order a grogue or ponche to finish.
8 min by train or taxi · 1.7 km - 1:30 pm 3Afternoon on Santa Maria beachSanta Maria
Long golden sand with turquoise water, and every trip report puts it first. Geeky Explorer notes the water is calmest close to town, with stronger wind and waves further out. November to June is the dry, warm season, with highs in the mid-20s C.
8 min by train or taxi · 1.9 km - 5:15 pm 4Sunset at Ponta PretaSanta Maria
The wilder Atlantic-facing beach west of town, where winter brings the big surf. Geeky Explorer and Passaporte no Bolso both pick it for sunset. It is windy and the waves are strong, so watch rather than swim.
8 min by train or taxi · 2.5 km - 7:30 pm 5Dinner at Chez PastisSanta Maria
A tiny open-air courtyard under a grape vine, evenings only, with around 16 seats. Guides from capeverde.co.uk and Holiday Hypermarket both say to book ahead. Fish carpaccio, tuna steak and lobster feature, but pink lobster is in closed season until 30 November.
- Day 29 am – 9:30 pm · 6 stops
- 9 am 6Float in the Pedra de Lume salt craterPedra de Lume
Salt pans inside an extinct volcanic crater, so salty you float like in the Dead Sea. Entry is 660 CVE (about EUR 6), cash, per 2026 visitor reviews; showers cost EUR 1 extra. Open daily from 09:00. Arrive at opening to beat tour groups, bring water shoes and old swimwear, and keep brine out of your eyes.
8 min by train or taxi · 3.9 km - 10:40 am 7Wade with baby lemon sharks at Shark BayPedra de Lume
Juvenile lemon sharks circle in knee-deep water a couple of km south of Pedra de Lume. Geeky Explorer, Flashpacking Family and Paulina on the Road all went. Wear water shoes (rentable at the shack, which can be closed early), the entry is rocky. Don't touch or feed the sharks; kids over about 4 can wade.
12 min by train or taxi · 12 km - 11:55 am 8Buracona and the Blue Eye at middayPalmeira
Black lava pools on the north-west coast, plus the Olho Azul cave where sunlight turns the water electric blue. The light works best around 11:00 to 12:00, per Geeky Explorer and Flashpacking Family. Entry about EUR 3 (2024 to 2025 reports). Geeky Explorer found the eye itself underwhelming but liked the desert-meets-sea coast. Swimming in the pools is risky on windy days.
8 min by train or taxi · 4.8 km - 1 pm 9Seafood lunch at Gata Fish in PalmeiraPalmeira
Same-day fish in Sal's sleepy, colourful port village. Geeky Explorer recommends the tuna or grouper, and recent reviewers praise the big portions and local búzios and limpets. Sit indoors if flies from the fish market bother you, and check prices first, as some reviewers found them high.
- 2:50 pm 10Coffee on the square in EspargosEspargos
The island's capital, where locals rather than resorts set the pace. Paulina on the Road suggests coffee on the main square and the hilltop viewpoint over the island; Passaporte no Bolso notes the souvenir shops. Shared aluguer minibuses back to Santa Maria leave when full.
- 7:30 pm 11Dinner at Le PrivéSanta Maria
A French-leaning restaurant in a jungle-style garden, rated high-end in a 2026 Santa Maria guide. Holiday Hypermarket points to dishes like sea urchin gnocchi and mango tuna, with live music some nights. Check the schedule and book.
- Day 39 am – 11 pm · 6 stops
- 9 am 12Kitesurfers at Kite BeachSanta Maria
The east-coast beach where Sal's steady trade winds draw kiters, best in the windy winter months. Paulina on the Road, Passaporte no Bolso and Flashpacking Family all point here. Watch from the sand or book a lesson with one of the schools.
11 min by train or taxi · 7.0 km - 11 am 13Snorkel and swim at Murdeira bayMurdeira
A small sheltered bay between Santa Maria and Espargos with calmer water than the south. Flashpacking Family snorkelled an empty beach here and say to bring your own gear; Passaporte no Bolso recommends it for a relaxed swim.
16 min by train or taxi · 9.7 km - 1:30 pm 14Smoothies and light lunch at Cape FruitSanta Maria
Relaxed café with hammocks and booths for fresh juices, smoothie bowls and prawn salads; no meat. Named by Paulina on the Road and recommended in two 2026 Santa Maria food guides.
8 min by train or taxi · 1.8 km - 3 pm 15Back to Santa Maria beachSanta Maria
Last swim on the calm stretch near town, or a sailing or snorkel boat trip from the beach, which Paulina on the Road recommends for the best snorkel spots.
18 min walk · 1.4 km - 6 pm 16Sunset dinner at BarracudaSanta Maria
Beachfront Cape Verdean cooking, named by Paulina on the Road, capeverde.co.uk and two newer guides. Known for grilled fish, tuna steak and tender pork; vegetarian options are limited. Arrive early for a sea-view table at sunset.
- 8:45 pm 17Creole music in Santa Maria's streetsSanta Maria
Evenings bring morna and funaná, street dancing and bars, liveliest on Saturday nights per Flashpacking Family and Paulina on the Road. Try grogue, the 40% sugarcane spirit, or the sweeter ponche.