Adventure is out there and there's no better place to start than Sal, Cape Verde! Discover this island off the coast of West Africa for a private tour experience like no other with a local tour guide.

Bask in the beauty of the island with its picturesque beaches in Santa Maria where you can truly relax. Scratch beneath the surface of Sal where you can unlock hidden gems from the "The Blue Eye" of Buracona Lagoon to the volcanic crater at Pedra Lume.

Get a true taste of life in Sal by sampling some local cuisine starting with the national dish of cachupa, a stew packed with flavour.

A flexible schedule and itinerary, your local guide will give you an all round authentic experience. Your ToursByLocals guide can customize an itinerary to make it a truly tailored tour.

Sal-Cape-Verde

Sal Island Tour: 6-Hour Private Island Experience

Discover the highlights of Sal on this "No Stress" tour with included lunch and hotel transfers. Float in the world's second-saltiest water inside a volcano crater and watch lemon sharks up close.

Come with us to explore the most tourist-friendly island in Cape Verde.

VIP Sal Island's Gems Tour - Off the Beaten Track Experience

I offer you 4 experiences in one in this tour! This will be the highlight of your holiday with the maximum comfort and safety and the best quality/price. We will start with a WALKING TOUR (with the comfort of the car to move between spots), SNORKELL at the most beautiful reef of the island (Murdeira natural park), watch BABY TURTLES when in season, observe SHARKS in their natural environment and finish with a SUNSET COCKTAIL in one of the most beautiful beaches of Sal. During the ISLAND TOUR you will see SAL SECRET GEMS :Buracona the blue eye coral, the natural pools and the geological museum as well as the amazing landscape of the north of the island with its optical illusion; the Salinas of Pedra deLume (the birth place of the island) where you can see history in loco and also bathe in the medicinal waters and relax at the most energetic point of the island! Passing through Espargos we will see how locals live and experience local culture. Palmeira colorful village is a where we will have our lunch break.

sunset drink/ cocktail during sunset in a special beach 


Buracona : 3 euros
Salinas de pedra de Lume : 5 euros



Santa Maria beach and Pontao Santa Maria (fishing pier)

Blue Eye - the miracle of nature in Sal Island

Pedra de Lume ship wrecks that used to transport salt to Europe

Floating in the seawater of the saltpands inside of a volcano crater

Sunset at Ponta preta - view from bar/restaurant

4 experiences in one: full day island tour- culture, secret gems, snorkelling, sharks and sunset cocktail

Sal island: Santa Maria City Tour & Tasting of Local Food

Embark on a guided tour of Santa Maria with pickup from Santa Maria, Murdeira, or Espargos.

Explore city highlights with a local guide - including the beach and pier, the emblematic Pontão, once used for the export of salt and today the port of arrival of artisanal boats with fresh fish. You will see the movement of fish sales, locals jumping off the bridge on their daily tasks.

Also you will be able to taste Cape Verdean products with drinks and admire the crystal clear turquoise water and the sandy beach of Santa Maria, one of the seven wonders of Cape Verde and one of the most beautiful beaches in Africa.

Orientation Tour with Cape Verde Flavours

Sal Sunset and Night Tour with Dinner - VIP Experience (Fresh seafood, meat or veggies)

Our Sunset and night tour is an ideal choice. We will go off the beaten track and explore the best stops for drinks tapas and dinners in the island. We will start at the best caipirinha and natural juices place of the island, observing the end of the day with the locals. Before the sun sets down we'll head for some nibbles and another drink at Ponta Preta where you will enjoy the best sunset colours.

After sun goes down we drive through Espargos and can pass through the best preserved secret of the island where you can taste the best conch bafa (local tapas) along with the locals. Lastly we head to the most typical village, where you can enjoy the stunning night views and the pier of Palmeira, have the best meal (vegetarian options available) and delight yourself with the local pace. If you are onto festivities please schedule the tour on sunday so you can observe the only weekly traditional festivity of the island. This tour will definitely be the highlight of your trip.

 1 Cocktail and entrance fee at Palmeira 

Dinner at Palmeira (starter, fish, meat or seafood, one drink included, desert)

Best sunset of the island, cocktail, local tapas, dinner and music at the most typical and traditional seaside village in Sal

Sal Island: Salt Lake, Blue eye & Shark Shore Excursion

Join in me in this tour and I will take you to discover the island from the point of a true local who was born here! Let's have fun and mix tourist spots with local life, history and culture so by the end of the day, you get to know the island very well.

We will visit the salt flats, a natural spa, that according to local belief is the best place to recharge with good energy. Let's float and keep our skin 10 years younger in the shark bay, which has always been a mystery - why the sharks are there? We will feel them subtly touching our legs!

I will also take you to the mirage, passing through good land that is a very fertile agricultural area where you'll find melons and watermelons produce, corn and beans. We will enjoy the mirage and then bathe in the nice natural pools around the Buracona, my customers' favorite spot for a picnic and great dives.

one of seven must beautiful places of Cape Verde

Enjoy a half-day island tour with a local guide

Hidden secrets of Santa Maria: Walking Tour with Sunset Cocktail and Barbecue at the Beach

Get to know Santa Maria in the most beautiful way: by foot.

Enjoy with safety the street art, the local shacks, the markets, trying our corn-based dishes wish tell the story of my country that fought through colonization, drought and poverty. We will experience local home made liqueurs and juices/teas, having cuscus (made with corn flower, cinnamon, honey and sugar) with coffee from Fogo island and local tea at a local's house.

We will then head to a quiet beach and set up for sunset! After a home made local cocktail you will try the food variety of the island: pasteis (fried local snacks with tuna), cheese from Santo Antao, and local liquers (grogue and ponche). To finalize at dinner you will savour our cachupa, a stew made with leftovers, corn and beans or you can choose to have a private fish /meat or vegetable barbecue at the beach with local live music.

Meal, food tasting and drinks plus life music and barbecue

Walking tour detail - Our diva Cesaria Evora

Walking tour back streets street art - get to know Miss Mercedes story and role in Santa Maria society

Santa Maria street art in the back streets - Learn the most beautiful Criolo word and its meaning

Made with love- dinner and barbecue at the beach

Hidden spots of our walking tour - do you want to know where this homage to morabezza and music is?

Sal Museum - a taste of Sal island history

Walking tour starting point ! our pier and Santa Maria beach

One of the best instagramable pic of the island 

Street art beauty and creativity in santa maria walls

Handmade paintings in the streets of santa maria

Walking tour, local culture, exquisite food and liquers, sunset cocktail and beach dinner with live music

Sal island: Espargos Tour & Local life with Cape Verde Flavours

Discover Espargos and the relaxed way of life of the capital of Sal island.

I would love to show you my city, our people and our lifestyle. Together we will go through the streets where I grew up, and you will see the beautiful street art that so clearly reflects our culture so you get to know the history behind them. I was born here so I know every corner of the city!

Let's go up to the viewpoint to see the whole north of the island. I used to go up barefoot with my friends to Monte Cural to play with the tin carts that we made by hand, although here we grew up fascinated with the movement of planes because aviation was and continues to be very important for the island.

Come and experience our hospitality and history from a local perspective and let's enjoy a typical Cape Verde snack with a drink.

painting representing the Cape Verde woman

Avenida Celso Estrela, Old drinking water filter

Sal Island: Shark Bay Experience with Private Transportation

Since I was a child, I used to go with my grandmother to collect firewood near Parda, where I heard old stories about sharks in that area. Sometimes I would go with friends, and we would leave our work aside and go swimming in those areas. The older people used to say it was not advised because that was the sharks' natural habitat, but as children and young people that we were, we loved the sea. From an early age, we learnt to respect the animals of the sea, these sharks are harmless to humans as long as you respect their space. For over 12 years I have been taking visitors to have this incredible experience of seeing lemon sharks up close.

The lemon shark is a medium to large shark and is not a threat to people, but can be a danger to other animals in the ocean. Its scientific name is Negaprion Brevirostris. We enter the water and see baby sharks swimming around, sometime we can see the biggest ones about 2. 5m from us, but close to us only the baby sharks.

Espargos tours

Explore with 8 tours and 3 guides.

Admilson G.

$ 229 (USD)

Carlos C.

$ 275 (USD)

Chan

$ 183 (USD)

Carlos C.

$ 246 (USD)

Chan

$ 331 (USD)

Carlos C.

$ 229 (USD)

Chan

$ 206 (USD)

Chan

$ 206 (USD)

Meet your local guides in Espargos

Customize your tour