Our Trip to Sal Island - Cape Verde

Hello friends. Today I’d like to tell you about my visit to an exotic country Cape Verde, which is locally known as Cabo Verde. The local people speak Creole, a language that is very similar to Portuguese. The country is a former Portuguese colony and gained its independence not so long ago, in 1975. We began our tour in Palmeira, the main port of Sal Island. Sal is the island most visited by tourists and Palmeira is its main gateway. Since the country has limited resources, most imports pass through this port. One of its most important resources is fish and it all goes through here. So Palmeira is essentially a fishing town.

We saw a phenomenal structure here: a fuel storage facility. There is no oil refinery in the country, so fuel arrives already refined and ready for use and it is stored in this facility before being distributed. The town has mostly single-story buildings, painted in bright colors and decorated with typical African graffiti art, giving it a true island vibe. It’s pleasing to see that the surroundings are quite clean. Even though many buildings look worn and weathered, there is no litter. The people are very kind. With its church and library, it is also a culturally rich settlement.

Every place has its hero. In this fishing town, the hero is Fisherman Teclao, who became famous for catching the largest tuna ever recorded with a fishing rod. The locals were so impressed by his achievement that they erected a monument in his memory.

Another stop in Palmeira was the Weeping Wall. We were curious about its name. It turns out that when you look out over the bay from here in the evening, the view is so breathtaking that people become emotional and shed tears while watching the sunset. The compassion shown to the stray dogs here is also remarkable. They are everywhere, no one chases them away and everyone feeds them. In exotic destinations sometimes tourist attractions are created from nothing. Here there is also a Shell cemetery. Shells collected especially from the beaches of Santa Maria have been piled up in this area over time, forming massive mounds.

Next we visited Buracona, also known as the Blue eye. The word Buracona means hole and the name Blue Eye refers to the deep blue color that appears when sunlight hits the water at a particular angle. There are thousands of similar places in Portugal that are free to visit, but here you pay three Euros and stand in line just to take a photo. It is quite an effective business model. On the island we encountered a mirage phenomenon called Fata Morgana. It looks as if there is water in the distance, but in reality it is an optical illusion created when layers of air at different temperatures bend the light. The name comes from the fairy Morgana in the legends of King Arthur.

Another place we visited was Terra Boa, which means Good land. It was the greenest spot on the island. When it rains, which happens very rarely, all the moisture collects in this area. For this reason, cows and goats graze here.

At Sharks Bay, we encountered lemon sharks. They are named after the yellowish tone of their fins. In the shallow waters, you can see juveniles that are two or three years old. They are not dangerous to humans unless someone accidentally steps on them. Many of them are tagged for monitoring, which almost makes them look like pets.

The Salt Pans located in the crater at Pedra de Lume are the most special place on the island. Sal Island gets its name from salt, since the word sal means salt. These salt pans are situated inside a volcanic crater a few meters below sea level. Ocean water filters through volcanic rocks into the crater and when it evaporates, salt remains behind. It is said that bathing in this water makes you feel ten years younger. Inhaling the salty vapor is also believed to be very beneficial for the respiratory system.

Our final stop was Kite Beach. It is considered one of the best places in the world to learn kitesurfing because the wind consistently blows from the ocean toward the land. This natural wind direction eliminates the risk of being dragged out to sea. In November, it is possible to see up to three hundred kites flying in the sky at the same time.

Sal Island is only thirty-two kilometers long from north to south. You can see everything in a single day and spend the rest of your time relaxing on the beach. The most beautiful thing here is the people and their philosophy of Morabeza. Morabeza represents the art of enjoying simple pleasures, watching the ocean and going for a peaceful walk.

That’s all for today. See you on the next journey.