Sal - Cape Verde

The island of Sal shares a similar climate to its neighbours on the same latitude on the African continent.

A very arid island, and volcanic in origin, the constant erosion throughout the centuries has made Sal surprisingly flat. The highest point is Monte Vermelho, with a height of 406m. From north to south, Sal is about 3Okm long but does not exceed more then 12km in width.

Until recently, Cape Verde's only International Airport was located on Sal, however a second major airport has now been completed on the island of Santiago. Nevertheless, the airport on Sal continues to serve as the main gateway to the whole archipelago.

Sal was discovered in 1640 and was first known as Llana or Plana meaning 'flat'. It was given its present name when a lagoon in a crater of an extinct volcano was discovered and in this place, after the rains, salt was produced - 'Sal'. This crater is now known as 'Pedra do Lume'.

Home to International Airport Amilcar Cabral, the island of Sal is therefore, the first point of entry in Cape Verde. Major efforts were pursued by the government to acquire FAA security certification following the events of September 11th, 2001 which enabled flights from Cape Verde to land in U.S. airports and the re-establishment of direct flights utilizing the country's flag carrier, Cabo Verde AirlinesOver the years, the island have been plagued by severe droughts causing most of its citizens to live abroad. Sal is constantly featured in songs about it's beautiful idyllic beaches and natural landscape. Tourism is a huge business for the Cape Verdeans and the residents of this tiny island are a very happy breed; something that is shown in their incredible hospitality towards those who visit their home.