Sal is the most touristic of all the Cape Verde islands. It is quite a barren island and is the flattest of all the Cape Verde islands. What Sal does have is excellent beaches making it a mecca for water sports. Sal takes it's name from the now inactive salt mines. Sal is the only island to currently have an international airport.

Developers are already exploiting the opportunities here by opening up new beaches for development. Because of Sal's tourists, there is no lack of places to eat and drink. There are plenty of bars and restaurants - some hosting live local music.

Sal is flat, dry and relatively small, with only two major settlements: the capital Espargos and the tourist resort Santa Maria. The island is perhaps most famous for its international airport, making it the gateway to Cape Verde for most travellers. In terms of attractions, there is little more than the beaches (which are splendid) and the tourist facilities themselves, which - at least until recently - have been lacking in most other islands. The tourist industry has attracted large numbers of migrants from Santiago, São Vicente and São Nicolau, and the island's population has nearly doubled during the last decade.

The island of Sal, in view of its close proximity to the African continent, has a climate very similar to other zones with the same latitude. It is a very arid island, and although volcanic in origin, constant erosion throughout its history has made it almost flat. The highest point is MONTE VERMELHO, with a height of 406 m.

From north to south, it is about 3O km long but does not exceed more then 12 km in width. The overall surface area is 216 km2.

The International Airport of Sal is the main gateway to the whole Archipelago.