Beaches of Sal

Sal’s beaches range from lively Santa Maria to secluded bays and surf spots, offering space, sun, and quiet movement along the island’s low, open coast.
Santa Maria Beach: Soft Sand and the Beautiful Ocean

Santa Maria Beach: Soft Sand and the Beautiful Ocean

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Beaches of the Black and White Sand

Sal Island’s beaches are its most visible and visited features — long, open stretches of white sand bordered by shallow turquoise waters and cooled by steady Atlantic trade winds. The most famous is Santa Maria Beach, a broad, eight-kilometre sweep lined with cafés, fishing boats, and sunbathers, where locals and tourists share the shore without much ceremony. But beyond Santa Maria, Sal’s coast is varied.

Kite Beach to the east is a world-renowned spot for wind and kite surfing. Ponta Preta, to the southwest, draws professional wave riders. And Ponta Sino offers calm, uncrowded sand for quieter afternoons. Murdeira Bay, in contrast, is part of a marine reserve, protected by a natural reef and framed by the volcanic outline of Monte Leão. Each beach has its rhythm, whether it’s the morning catch in Palmeira, the tidal pools in Buracona, or the empty dunes around Algodoeiro. What they share is space, salt air, and a kind of casual welcome.

Shark Bay: Shallow Coastline Full of Baby Lemon Sharks

Shark Bay: Shallow Coastline Full of Baby Lemon Sharks

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A short drive east from Santa Maria leads to Shark Bay, a shallow, rocky coastline where juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) gather — it’s one of Sal’s most fascinating natural curiosities. Tranquil, otherworldly, yet alive with movement, it’s a reminder that Cape Verde’s marine life often thrives just beyond the tourist trails.

Spanish Shipwreck on The Beach of Boa Vista Island

Spanish Shipwreck on The Beach of Boa Vista Island

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Praia de Atalanta is a beach on the north coast of the island of Boa Vista, approximately 6 km northeast of the island capital of Sal Rei and 3 km west of Vigía. On its sandy beach stands the old, dark and corroded shipwreck. It’s a Spanish cargo ship named Cabo Santa Maria, which ran aground on September 1, 1968. Salty water and winds of the Atlantic took over that steel giant, slowly eroding and breaking it down.

The shipwreck’s corroded body became the icon of Praia da Atalanta, inspiring painters and writers.