Sal Island, November 2022
This was my first time visiting Sal Island despite having flown there many times before, while on duty. It was also my first time spending holidays in an all inclusive resort. And I must confess, I got addicted to that concept! Sal is a perfect match for me because I don't have to cross the whole Atlantic ocean and there's only one time zone difference. For several years I used to have holidays in "discoverer mode" and I truly enjoyed it. But as years progress, I tend to feel more tired with work and in need of "true holidays" to get rested and not even more tired! And for those like me flying on staff tickets, there are daily flights to Sal out of Lisbon.
While waiting for our boarding time I spotted this Hi Fly A330 flying for TAAG Angola Airlines.
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Santa Maria
We stayed in Oasis Belorizonte, in Santa Maria. This first year staying in Sal, I was happy with the resort conditions and with the food. But in 2023 it was another story: the service declined and food variety was not satisfactory. From 2023 onwards we opted for Riu Funana and we are still happy with it.
During the first half of November the air and water temperatures were just perfect for me. And I am very difficult to please particularly in water temperature.
We reserved one of the days of our stay for a tour around the island. Sal has not much to see since it is an arid volcanic island. But there are a few things worth to explore.
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Baía dos Tubarões
The shark bay experience is where you can walk in shallow water and interact with lots of baby sharks (lemon sharks) around. Don't be afraid - they don't bite!
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Salinas de
Pedra de Lume
The next stop was Salinas de Pedra de Lume - a crater of an old volcano, where you can float in muddy waters with a high concentration of salt. You pay a small fee to get inside. Don't forget to bring the swim shorts or swimsuits you like the least!
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Buracona
Buracona is a small bay in the northwest of the island, featuring a natural swimming pool. It is also known for an opening on the top of a cave where the light enters and creates a magical reflection on the water, called the "Blue Eye". The "Blue Eye" effect is not always visible. It depends pretty much if you have a cloudy or a clear sky.
And... we were lucky!...
Close to the natural pool you can see a map of the Cabo Verde archipelago shaped on the soil. I took a photo of the representation of Sal Island:
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Porto da Palmeira
Our last stop of the tour was Palmeira, a small fishing village where we had lunch in a proper restaurant.