Pedra de Lume
A salt crater inside an extinct volcano, flooded and dense enough to float in. The industrial ruins around it explain what the island was for before tourism.
Gateway island
Sal
None of the sources checked here lists a public bus network on Sal, or a scheduled airport line. The airport company lists taxis on arrival and says informal shared vans run on every island; no source names their routes or fares. By sea, CV InterIlhas’ crossing table links Sal with every island it serves — Boa Vista, at 3 hours 5 minutes, is the nearest — and on 14 October 2026 its schedule had a sailing from Sal to São Nicolau.
By bus
Getting to Sal
None of the sources checked here lists a public bus network on Sal, or a scheduled airport line. The airport company lists taxis on arrival and says informal shared vans run on every island; no source names their routes or fares. By sea, CV InterIlhas’ crossing table links Sal with every island it serves — Boa Vista, at 3 hours 5 minutes, is the nearest — and on 14 October 2026 its schedule had a sailing from Sal to São Nicolau.
- No verified scheduled bus service anywhere on the island.
- Taxis and informal shared vans run on the island, the airport company says; agree the fare before setting off.
- Ferry to Boa Vista: 3 hours 5 minutes, 1,700 CVE national and 2,500 CVE non-national.
Source: Cabo Verde Airports: Public transportation at the airports · CV InterIlhas: Routes, schedules and island-to-island crossing times · CV InterIlhas: Passenger tariff (national and non-national) ()
Open the airport company’s transport pageBefore you go
Planned: these answers, offline
We are building an app meant to keep every answer on this site on your phone, offline, so a weak signal or a roaming bill never stands between you and the next leg. It is not in the stores yet.
Cape Verde Bus — app coming soon
Open the airport company’s transport page
Worth your time
What Sal does best
Most visitors to Cape Verde land on Sal, and many never leave it: Santa Maria’s eight kilometres of white sand and reliable wind have made it a package and kitesurf destination for British, German, Benelux and Polish visitors. The island itself is a flat salt pan with a town at each end — Espargos by the airport, Santa Maria at the point — and no verified public bus network joining them.
Santa Maria pier
The fish auction on the jetty each afternoon is the most authentic hour in a town otherwise built for visitors — and the departure point for the reef boats.
Wind and water
The trade winds that made Sal a kitesurf destination are at their best from November to May, by the tourism board’s reckoning — and the schools and rental shops are concentrated here and on Boa Vista.
Good to know
- Flying is the sensible way to reach Santiago or São Vicente from here; by ferry the operator’s crossing table gives 9 h 40 and 9 h 55.
- Euros are accepted in many places on Sal, the tourism board says, but it advises carrying escudos for small purchases.
- Airport transfers are arranged privately — there is no scheduled bus to meet a flight.
Optional experiences
Pairs well with the bus
Curated for this destination. The full list lives on the experiences page.
Booking through these links supports this free guide at no extra cost to you.
Island tour Sal · Santa Maria
Sal island experience with a local guide
A guided circuit of Sal covering Espargos, the salt pans at Pedra de Lume and the fishing village of Palmeira.
Getting there: Sal has no verified public bus network, so a guided circuit is the practical way to see the island without hiring a car.
Check availability Snorkelling Sal · Santa Maria
Santa Maria reef snorkelling
A guided snorkelling trip off Santa Maria over the Bolama wreck and the Farol reef, with rays and turtles on a good day.
Getting there: Boats leave from Santa Maria pier, walkable from the town — no transfer arrangement needed.
Check availabilityKeep exploring
More places the buses reach
Music island São Vicente Mindelo: the country’s cultural capital, its liveliest port, and its least documented bus network. Plan the ride 
Hiking island Santo Antão No airport, no bus network — a ferry, a mountain road, and the best walking in the Atlantic. Plan the ride 
Dune island Boa Vista Sahara dunes, nesting turtles and sand roads — three hours from Sal by sea and nothing scheduled on land. Plan the ride