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Salinas Pedra de Lume: All You Need to Know about Salt Mines
Nestled within the crater of a dormant volcano on Sal Island, Cape Verde, the Salinas de Pedra de Lume weave a story of nature, ingenuity and transformation. It is a rare landscape. Four hectares of shimmering salt pans, mysteriously pink and crystalline white, cradled nearly 40 metres below the surrounding terrain. It’s where seawater slowly seeps through volcanic rock, leaving behind a bewitching, otherworldly scene.
Salinas of Pedra de Lume
Pedra de Lume is a town situated on the northeastern coast of Sal Island, overlooking the sea, with a beach that seamlessly integrates into a landscape of remarkable beauty. In its surroundings, in the crater of an ancient volcano, are Salinas. It’s the salt of Pedra de Lume that gives the island of Sal its name. A significant portion of the salt produced on the island originates from the factory in Pedra de Lume.
Salinas is an exceptional site located in the crater of an extinct volcano, situated 39 meters above sea level. The area was once in contact with the sea through natural channels, which allowed water to infiltrate it, leaving a deposit of rock salt (estimated at more than fifty million tons!). The old salt mine receives a lot of tourists annually. Most of them come to enjoy the popular “floating” baths and spa treatments in the salty pools.
Since 2004, it’s been on the Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage.
Google Maps: Salinas de Pedra de Lume
Tripadvisor: Pedra de Lume Salt Crater
Address: Q493+8C3, Pedra Lume, Sal, Cape Verde
Opening Hours: 9 AM–5:45 PM (Mon-Sun)
Tel: +238 951 32 83
Island of salt – history of the Salinas
Salt mining was a major factor in the population and urbanisation of the island.
Around 1796, a wealthy merchant Manuel António Martins began settlement and mining work. He sailed to Sal and settled in the town of Pedra de Lume together with families from Boavista and slaves from the west coast. From then on, ships from various countries (mainly Brazil) began to visit the island to stock up on “white gold” mined here in large quantities.
This golden period, in which the export of salt reached a figure of 30 thousand tons per year, was soon interrupted. It was when Brazil taxed foreign salt as prohibitive duties in 1887. However, after this pause and due to a new situation of African markets and capital availability, the salt industry experienced a new leverage advocated by Salins du Cap Vert. The man who changed the structure of mining and left an indelible mark on the local landscape.
Natural, Historical & Cultural Heritage of Cabo Verde
The landscape of Salinas de Pedra de Lume is known for its exceptional beauty. The polychromatic mosaic of the crater ranges from various shades of white, red, orange, and green (from the plants) to even blue and purple, which is a result of the unique chemical composition of the local soil.
Because of its historical, cultural, natural and visual values, the area of Salinas was classified as a protected landscape in 2003. The objective is to preserve the elements related to the historical existence of local salt exploitation that fit into a landscape of singular beauty and eco-cultural value. Later on, in 2012, the place was also classified as a natural, historical and cultural heritage of Cabo Verde.
Most popular activities in Salinas
Floating in the water
Due to the salt saturation of the water when swimming in the Salinas lakes, the body is naturally pushed upwards so that no movement (at all!) is required to stay afloat. This feeling of floating is a relaxing and fascinating experience. In addition, the salty volcanic water also nourishes the skin giving a pleasant rejuvenating sensation.
Salt and mud spa
The precious minerals in the mud and sea salt in the salt lakes have a beneficial effect on the skin – bringing relaxation, deep cleansing and improving blood circulation. Bathing in Salinas restores the skin’s health and gives it a fresh appearance. It is popularly said that people look 10 years younger after leaving the water. In addition to the baths, various treatments and massages are possible in the small relaxation spa in the salt mine area.
Trekking
It is quite popular to take walks around the crater, during which we can enjoy the stunning, cosmic-like landscape of Salinas. The route is not very long, about 4-5 km, but it’s good to have decent shoes and some water (and a camera!). It is also possible to walk to the fishing village of Pedra de Lume, just 1 km from the salt mine.
Life, Salt, and the Crater Today
Now largely dormant, the salinas serve tourists more than traders. Visitors descend a cobbled path from the old crater rim, passing a modest chapel painted in white and blue (erected in 1853), and two stone piers of the once-bustling cable-lift. At the crater floor, saunas of sun and wind coax the brine into dazzling salt flats.
Floaters in the central lake experience near‑magical buoyancy. Salt concentration here is often between 27% and 30%, approximately 26 times stronger than ocean water. Many believe the mineral-rich mud to have therapeutic effects and swear by the slow glide along its edges. Though, a gentle word of caution: the water is harsh on the eyes.
Emerging from this saline capsule, visitors rinse under a freshwater shower (€1), following a ritual that parallels the layers of history—volcanic birth, colonial enterprise, industrial boom, and restorative leisure.
Preservation, Ecology, and Heritage
The site, along with adjacent Monte Cagarral, covers some 8.02 km² and holds protected status. This safeguards its unique geology, endemic flora and the specialised extremophile microbial life that thrives in its hypersaline waters — a subject of recent microbial ecology studies.
Pedra de Lume is not only a geological marvel, but a capsule of Cape Verde’s journey — from isolation to global trade, and now to tourism and conservation.
Practical tips
The price of admission to the crater is around €5. It includes swimming in the salt pan but does not include showers (about €2) or the local spa (treatments and massages).
Be careful that water does not get into your eyes when swimming in the salt pan. If this happens, do not rub your eyes. Instead, try to rinse them with clean water.
The view and colour palette of the salt pans is most beautiful on clear, sunny days.
Bibliography
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Silva, C., Torres, P.C., Macedo, J.R., Mendes, M.H., Serralheiro, A., Gomes, A.M., Geology of Pedra Lume Crater and Salt Basin, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO);
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Feng Zhao, Sabrine Filker, Microbial Life in Hypersaline Environments, Sal Island, Characterisation of protistan plankton diversity in ancient salt evaporation ponds located in a volcanic crater on the island Sal, Cape Verde;
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The view and colour palette of the salt pans is most beautiful on clear, sunny days.
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Cape Verde Guide – Pedra de Lume Salt History and Travel Notes;
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Wikipedia – Pedra de Lume & Salinas Overview;
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Sal Island Cultural Archive – Salt Trade, Cable Transport, and Village History;
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Alamy Stock Photos – Salt Pans and Crater Geography, Sal, Cape Verde;
Great place, I highly recommend it! I was there with my family last summer. The feeling of floating in that water is amazing!