What to do in Sal Island in Cape Verde
December 19, 2019learn what to do in Sal Island in Cape Verde, in Africa here in our Blog TurMundial, We went to Sal Island to escape the winter in Europe that year came early, plus dark early… even we who live in Barcelona, where the cold is milder feel, We imagine the people in Northern Europe.
A Sal Island It is one of 10 islands that make up the country, these 10 Islands, 9 they are inhabited, the main island is Santiago, where the capital is Praia, but Sal is the best known by Europeans for being an island with many wonderful beaches, sun and heat all year, several resorts, in addition to the first airport in the country, then others were built, at the airport of Sal Island (Amilcar Cabral airport) It has many flights to European cities and even very cheap flights to Brazil.
Many European couples spend their honeymoon on Sal Island or New Year's Eve when they want to go somewhere warm.
As we are always looking for new countries and different places to visit this beautiful country found that few people know that there is. Cape Verde It is one of the most developed countries in Africa, safe, joyful, its inhabitants are many friendly and accomodating.
We went there in early December and spent over a week in Island, we go out of Barcelona (where we live) We made a connection in Lisbon, Portugal, We take the opportunity to stay one night there and visit a friend of ours, for the next day we went to Sal. But it has several places of Europe flights leaving there: England, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and the Americas: United States and Brazil.
Tip important to go to Cape Verde visa required and vaccine against yellow fever
For Brazilians can get in Cape Verde need a visa, but it can be done at the same airport (pretty fast) It is also mandatory to have the international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever (although they have not asked me, I Pri, I was with him), Chris entered the Spanish passport, Visa costs for Brazilian 56 euros and the entrance fee to Spanish costs 31 euros (I believe it is the same for all citizens of the European Union, but I'm not sure, so it's good to take a researched and not well know whether to Spanish and other citizenship if you must have the vaccination certificate against yellow fever, but Chris also led it to ensure) the visa and the fee can be paid in cash (we pay in even euro) or credit card, to the immigration staff is smiling and friendly.
A little history about Cape Verde and Sal Island
Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony 1462 up until 1974, the first inhabited island was the island of Santiago, Sal Island began to be populated only 1833, this because the island is a desert, nowadays all drinking water comes from the sea through desalination, the town grew due to a Portuguese Salina find the Pedra de Lume which for many years was the main export.
During the time of the colony, Cape Verde has been a center of slaves who were shipped to the Americas, and also for the production of sugar cane.
Sal Island became known as a tourist destination after a Dutch couple built a summer house there, tourism raised long after the construction of the international airport of Sal Island (Amílcar Cabral), and there are 15 years began building hotels, resorts, Restaurants and bars, today is still a place little known and can maintain their cultural identity, but growth is very fast, maybe in a few 10 years is already a mass tourism destination, then the time to go there is now.
What to do in Sal Island in Cape Verde?
Sal Island is pure wonder for those who enjoy pristine beaches, but also has many other tourist attractions, so we divide the post for days, to make it easier to tell what to do on the Island.
1first day, we night at Lisbon's coming Sal Island with the airline Cape Verde Airlines median company, but with the very kind crew, arriving at the airport of Sal did the visa procedures, then we took a shuttle to our hotel booked with the hotel Obelongs Julia, we pay 15 euros to go to the hotel, the airport is in the capital of the island, Asparagus and in the hotel and is in Santa Maria, the city where the most beautiful beaches on the island.
Speaking of prices and the country's currency, despite the currency being the Shield cable Verde, Euro is accepted by all trades, taxis, restaurants and hotels, it ended up leaving the Sal with slightly higher values to compare with the other islands, there we can say it's kind “Eurizado”. Another thing, if you pay in Euro conversion will be more expensive, of 1 for euro 100 shields, be exchanged in exchange offices will be 1 for 110 and pay on credit card (for those who live in Europe in the eurozone) the conversion will also be a good, but beware of the Brazilian credit cards, because the conversion rates are high off the IOF, as have Spain's card was worth much worth paying things with it.
Going back to the first day, arrived at the hotel left our bags and went around the city, the hotel Ouril Julia is on the main street (Rua Amilcar Cabral) trade, restaurants and bars besides being the only 150 meters from the beach of Santa Maria.
We left the hotel to have dinner and we were in the hotel restaurant Nha Terra, the food was delicious and despite the rice being a little unsalted, but as it is on the main street of Santa Maria the price is more expensive, almost all the restaurants of the street and the waterfront are expensive, discovered the other day to eat lunch and dinner on parallel street is much cheaper and the food is wonderful.
2first day, We woke up early to have breakfast in the morning at our hotel that day and wanted to take advantage, Santa Maria beach a most beautiful of the island and perhaps the whole Cape Verde, the beach of Santa Maria is divided into two parts by the pier pontoon of Santa Maria, this place come the local fishing boats, and own pier they sell to residents, tourists, restaurants and hotels is fine craft, sellers clean the fish right there, very interesting.
After seeing the arrival of the fishing boats and sales we enjoy the beach day, this beach paradise with a very fine sand, white and the sea of various shades of blue and green.
At lunch time we did not want to stay off the beach and had lunch at Morabeza Beach Club, We eat delicious food, especially my dish that was a pretty cool grilled tuna that had just arrived from the pier with a sensational sauce, the dish of the Pri was a pasta with vegetables was tasty, but could not compare with my dish, but the restaurant is a bit expensive, Europe price, but we knew that because we were one foot in the sand and watching the sea.
After the afternoon we were on the beach on the left side of the pier, and later we went up at the pier and watched the sunset from there.
In the evening, as the first two days had gone expensive restaurants, We seek more and went on Restaurante COMPAD, there the price is already much cheaper and the food was delicious.
Just like the first day, after dinner we were in the bars of Main Street, the first we stayed at Pub Calema and the second in Buddy bar this second bar has live music and Brazilian music often, They play much there.
3first day we made a ride around the island of Sal, com wait;, we tell in more detail in the post about the tour, to not be so great this post, the tour are by 10 fantastic tourist attractions of the island.
In the evening we dined at another restaurant good and cheap, two parallel streets of the main street street , the street has no name, but the restaurant is Chamber-chamber Schwarma, this restaurant is very cheap and worth much worth knowing.
After dinner we were again in Buddy Bar, which had one of the bands only played Brazilian music and we were listening to miss, it was great.
4first day in the morning we take to make a catamaran ride with the staff of Odissée IV, the coast of the Island, the wonderful waters of Sal Island with the idea of maybe see whales, turtles and flying fish, these last two we saw, check out more in the post about the tour.
In the afternoon we take over once the beach of Santa Maria.
At night we were in a restaurant well known for there, O Silva´s at night have food a la carte and buffet during the day is, very cheap and excellent food, better to go at lunchtime, plus good food is the cheapest we were.
5first day we walk along the beach of Santa Maria to the Point Bell, which has a beautiful beach too, afternoon we changed hotel and went to the Resort Meliá Llana , this trip because we wanted to rest, in almost all the trips made in the year, We were returning tired, because we always want to take advantage of everything on this trip and we wanted something more relax, and 7 nights on Sal Island, 4 we stayed at hotel Ouril Julia and the others 3 do not resort Meliá Llana.
The Resort Meliá Llana is located in another beach, the resort has several pools, restaurants and attractions to do during the day and night, besides being in front of the beach.
Ali took advantage of the afternoon to stay in the hotel pool and have a few drinks (since we were all inclusive package).
In front of the hotel has Beach Club Bikini, We went in the evening to meet and was pretty empty, they said that the move was mainly during the day Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
6And 7 th day enjoy and rest in Resort, We stayed there enjoying the pool upside down by taking a drink, we walk a bit along the beach and eat a lot lol.
8first day time to go and get homesick for Sal Island, what a wonderful place, It is a place that we recommend it highly, we love all, besides being a destination in general did well cheap.
