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izardWhen we were getting a visa on arrival from a local officer named Vladimir, he told us there are many Russians on the island, and they are very loud. We have not met any.
Sal island is a desert. The hotel we were staying in was built next to big sand dunes. All white sand was brought by wind from Sahara. There is some local black volcanic sand too. There is not enough Sahara sand to cover all the island, so most of it is a rocky desert.
All water on an island is desalinated, except for Bon Aqua bottles which are shipped from a Coca Cola factory located on another Cape Verde island.
There is an old lighthouse close to the hotel.
Some beach front land is still free. Surrounded by African style barbed wire.
Must be on sale.
Besides sand dunes and sea, there are two main attractions on the island: Buracona and Salinas. Buracona is more interesting for scuba divers so we did not go there. Instead we went to Salinas and loved it.
I been to a dead sea and Baskunchak lake and Salinas is better than both of them. Main reason: temperature gradient. Salinas lake sits on top of a volcano crater that is not entirely sleeping, so you can feel the water is being heated by the volcano. Amazing feeling, when combined with bathing in brine. To go there we hired a car with a local driver who spoke English. It costed us 40E. If we spent 90E, we could hire a car without a driver. And for 20-30E we could hire a car with a driver who only speaks Portugese and some African language:)
On the beach, those who were afraid of crossing a fierce surf, were offered a horse ride by locals.
When I write "locals" I mean people coming mostly from Senegal and some coming from other more inhabited islands of Cape Verde.
Flora on an island is not very diverse. When there is enough water provided, as at a major hotel's territory, they grow some tropical vegetation: coconut trees, pomegranate trees, papaya, bananas, etc.
On the beach, only this weed grows:
Asparagus :) ?
Here is my tripadvisor review of a hotel we were staying.
Sal island is a desert. The hotel we were staying in was built next to big sand dunes. All white sand was brought by wind from Sahara. There is some local black volcanic sand too. There is not enough Sahara sand to cover all the island, so most of it is a rocky desert.
All water on an island is desalinated, except for Bon Aqua bottles which are shipped from a Coca Cola factory located on another Cape Verde island.
There is an old lighthouse close to the hotel.
Some beach front land is still free. Surrounded by African style barbed wire.
Must be on sale.
Besides sand dunes and sea, there are two main attractions on the island: Buracona and Salinas. Buracona is more interesting for scuba divers so we did not go there. Instead we went to Salinas and loved it.
I been to a dead sea and Baskunchak lake and Salinas is better than both of them. Main reason: temperature gradient. Salinas lake sits on top of a volcano crater that is not entirely sleeping, so you can feel the water is being heated by the volcano. Amazing feeling, when combined with bathing in brine. To go there we hired a car with a local driver who spoke English. It costed us 40E. If we spent 90E, we could hire a car without a driver. And for 20-30E we could hire a car with a driver who only speaks Portugese and some African language:)
On the beach, those who were afraid of crossing a fierce surf, were offered a horse ride by locals.
When I write "locals" I mean people coming mostly from Senegal and some coming from other more inhabited islands of Cape Verde.
Flora on an island is not very diverse. When there is enough water provided, as at a major hotel's territory, they grow some tropical vegetation: coconut trees, pomegranate trees, papaya, bananas, etc.
On the beach, only this weed grows:
Asparagus :) ?
Here is my tripadvisor review of a hotel we were staying.
