Full-Day Sal Island Tour: 10 stops from Santa Maria

The Blue Eye appears for a few hours a day, and timing puts you there when the sun hits it.

A full-day guided tour of Sal island departing from Santa Maria, visiting ten landmarks across the island's north, east and west coasts (fishing villages, natural pools, salt lakes and shark bays) with a local guide, air-conditioned transport and hotel pickup included. The seven-hour itinerary leaves the afternoon free if you arrive early or depart late the same day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day island exploration

• Introduction at Ponta Preta
• Snorkeling at Murdeira Bay
• Tour Espargos city and belvedere
• Visit fishing village of Palmeira
• See Buracona's Blue Eye natural pool
• Observe mirage at Terra Boa desert
• Lunch break at Spot restaurant in Espargos
• Shark watching at Parda Bay
• Bath in therapeutic waters at Pedra de Lume salt pans

The experience

You start at Ponta Preta with a briefing on Cape Verdean history, then head to Murdeira Bay at the island's centre, where the water sits clear enough to see the corals and the volcanic peak of Monte Leão rising from the coast. The guide takes you north to Espargos, the capital, for a local tour and a view from the belvedere, then down to Palmeira, the fishing village where the island's only port sits. From there, the route swings east to Buracona, where the "Blue Eye" (a natural pool inside a twenty-metre cave) fills with sunlight between 11 am and 1:30 pm, turning the water an electric blue.

After lunch at a local restaurant in Espargos (your own cost), you move west across Terra Boa to see the mirage effect in the desert, then pass through the island's social institutions on the way back. Around 4 pm, you reach Parda Bay to spot baby lemon sharks in the shallows. Wear closed shoes for the rocky approach. The final stop is Pedra de Lume, an extinct volcanic crater now home to salt pans where you can float in the therapeutic waters. The guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and one additional language, and the air-conditioned vehicle handles the full route, with pickup and drop-off at your hotel or port included.

What’s included

• Local guide fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and one additional language.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the full route.
• hotel or port pickup and drop-off.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:15

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (13 to 60 years) · Child (7 to 12 years) · Infant (under 7)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 21 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Spot Travel Tours

Is this one for you?Seven hours is long enough to cover the whole island but short enough to fit alongside an early arrival or late departure, so you can see Sal's main landmarks without losing a full day elsewhere in Cape Verde.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (7 to 12 years); Infant (under 7).

What is the Blue Eye at Buracona and when can you actually see it?

The Blue Eye is a natural pool inside a cave twenty metres deep on Buracona's rocky volcanic coast. Sunlight enters the cave between 11 am and 1:30 pm, illuminating the water so it glows bright blue. The tour times the stop to catch this window.

Can you swim or wade in the salt lakes at Pedra de Lume?

Yes, you can bathe in the salt pans at Pedra de Lume, which sit inside an extinct volcano crater. The water is therapeutic and buoyant enough to float in, though you'll want to rinse off afterward.

Is lunch included, and where do you eat?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. You eat at a local restaurant in Espargos called the Spot, where you can order a typical Cape Verdean dish or pizza. You pay separately for your meal.

How close do you get to the sharks at Parda Bay?

You observe baby lemon sharks in the shallows at Parda Bay around 4 pm. The guide reminds you to wear appropriate closed shoes because the approach crosses rocky ground, but you stay at a safe viewing distance from the water.

Does the tour leave time for anything else on your arrival or departure day?

The tour runs seven hours, so if you arrive early in the morning or depart late in the evening, you have time for other activities in Santa Maria before or after the full-day route.