When is the wind best for kitesurfing on Sal?

From about November to May the trade wind is at its strongest and steadiest, and you can expect to ride on most days. Summer wind is lighter and less predictable, though calmer days can suit a first lesson. Schools choose the spot each morning to match the forecast, so a light day often means a move along the coast rather than a lost session.

How long should I stay on Sal?

A week suits most people. Beginners usually need several sessions before they can ride on their own, and a spare day or two covers any lighter wind. Ten days lets you add a few nights on Boa Vista or a hiking trip to Santo Antão without rushing either island.

What else is there to do on Sal?

There's plenty to fill a calm day. You can float in the dense salt water of the Pedra de Lume crater, wade with young lemon sharks in the shallows at Shark Bay, or snorkel and dive along the sheltered coasts. Palmeira, the island's main harbour, is a good place to watch the fishing boats come in, and the Terra Boa plain inland is known for its desert mirages on hot afternoons.

How do I get from Sal to other islands?

Boa Vista is the easiest hop. A ferry links the two islands a couple of times a week and takes about three hours, or you can connect by domestic flight. For Santo Antão, fly to São Vicente and take the ferry from Mindelo to Porto Novo, which takes about an hour. Wind and swell can shift schedules, so keep a spare day before your flight home.

Things to do in Sal

Overview

Sal is the easiest island to reach, with more international flights than anywhere else in Cabo Verde. It's almost flat, a stony desert edged with pale beaches, and the north-east trade wind blows across it for much of the year. Santa Maria, on the southern tip, grew up around the salt trade and now spreads along a four-kilometre beach either side of a wooden pier, where fishing boats unload in the morning. The airport is near Espargos, the island's main town, about 20 minutes' drive north, so you can land in the afternoon and watch the sunset from the beach.

Kite beaches and rest days

Most kitesurfing lessons happen at Kite Beach, a wide bay a short drive up the east coast, where the onshore wind carries you back towards the sand. Improvers move on to the flatter water at Ponta Leme, just east of Santa Maria, and windsurfers sail the same south coast. Ponta Preta, off the south-west tip, is a fast reef wave for experienced riders and surfers when winter swells arrive. On calmer mornings, dive boats and snorkelling trips head along the sheltered south and west coasts. A drive around the island makes a good rest day. You can float in the brine of the Pedra de Lume salt crater, wade among young lemon sharks at Shark Bay and see the Blue Eye pool at Buracona light up when the midday sun hits it.

Getting there and how long to stay

International flights land at Amílcar Cabral airport, and most people stay in Santa Maria for the whole trip, since the schools, dive centres and restaurants are all within walking distance of the beach. A week gives a beginner time to learn and still leaves room for a lighter day. Sal also pairs well with a second island. A ferry reaches Boa Vista in about three hours, and a flight to São Vicente puts the trails of Santo Antão one ferry ride away.

Booking on adventuro

Kite and windsurf lessons are run by local centres around Santa Maria and Kite Beach, along with dives and island trips. Use the Book here tab to see live dates and prices.

Overview

Kite beaches and rest days

Getting there and how long to stay

Booking on adventuro

Kite and windsurf lessons are run by local centres around Santa Maria and Kite Beach, along with dives and island trips. Use the Book here tab to see live dates and prices.