Santa Maria Beach
Southern tip of Sal, at the town of Santa Maria
A long resort beach with a working fishing pier at one end and empty dunes at the other
Coastline
Open Atlantic
Sand & Water
pale gold, clear blue, warm, with surf and current
Length
8 km
Best For
Kitesurfing and windsurfing, Long beach walks
Santa Maria is the beach that built Cape Verdean tourism. Eight kilometres of pale sand run west from a working fishing pier at the southern tip of Sal, backed at the eastern end by resorts and at the western end by nothing at all. The water is a clear mid-blue and warm enough to swim in year-round, but this is open Atlantic rather than a sheltered lagoon, so there is surf and there is current. The same trade winds that make swimming lively in the afternoon have turned the bay into one of the best kitesurfing and windsurfing venues in the Atlantic.
Best Time to Visit Santa Maria Beach
Warm and swimmable all year. November to June brings the strongest and most reliable wind, which is what the kite and windsurf crowd come for; July to October is calmer and hotter, with the warmest sea of the year in September and October.
Best Months to Swim
Months to Avoid
Things to Do at Santa Maria Beach
Kitesurfing and windsurfing
Cross-onshore trade winds blow reliably from November to June, with flat water inside the reef at Kite Beach just up the coast and waves outside it. Several schools run beginner courses and rent gear by the day.
Watching the boats land
Fishermen bring wahoo, tuna and moray onto the pier each afternoon and clean them on the concrete while gulls and stray dogs wait. It is the best free spectacle on the island.
Diving
Operators in town run daily trips to wrecks and volcanic reef nearby, with visibility that is usually excellent and a good chance of turtles and rays.
Beach walking
The sand runs unbroken for kilometres west of the resorts and empties out completely within twenty minutes of walking.
Turtle nesting walks
Loggerheads nest on quieter stretches of Sal between June and October. Go with a licensed conservation guide, never a beach tout.
Where to Stay near Santa Maria Beach
Santa Maria has the densest accommodation in Cape Verde, from all-inclusive resorts along the eastern beach to small guesthouses in the town grid a few streets back. Staying in town rather than at a resort puts you within walking distance of independent restaurants and costs considerably less.
All-inclusive resort
Large beachfront properties at the eastern end, most with direct sand access and their own watersports centres.
Town guesthouse
Small family-run places in the Santa Maria grid, a few minutes from the beach and the restaurants.
Apartment rental
Self-catering apartments popular with kitesurfers staying several weeks.
Getting to Santa Maria Beach
Santa Maria sits eighteen kilometres south of Amilcar Cabral International Airport, which is the busiest airport in Cape Verde and takes direct flights from across Europe. Transfers take about twenty-five minutes.
| From | Method | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 25 minutes | ||
| 35 minutes | ||
| 25 minutes |
Food & Drink
The good eating is a street or two back from the sand, where small restaurants grill whatever came off the pier that afternoon for a third of the resort price. Wahoo and tuna dominate, usually served whole with rice and beans. Pastel com diabo dentro, the fried sweet potato pastry with spicy tuna inside, is sold from cafe counters all morning and costs under a dollar.
Safety & Practical Tips
Santa Maria is a safe, easygoing town where the sea deserves more caution than the people. The current off the open beach runs west and is strong enough to carry swimmers away from where they entered; there are no lifeguards. Petty theft from sun loungers happens, and beach sellers are persistent without being threatening.
- •Swim near others and check where you entered the water; the westward current is strong
- •There are no lifeguards on any part of this beach
- •Leave valuables in the room rather than on a lounger
- •A firm, friendly no ends most conversations with beach sellers
- •The afternoon wind picks up sharply, so swim in the morning if you want calm water
Nearby Attractions
Kite Beach
Beach
A wide bay two kilometres northeast and the centre of Sal's kitesurfing, with flat water inside the reef.
Pedra de Lume
Natural landmark
A flooded salt crater on the east coast, dense enough to float in without effort.
Buracona
Natural landmark
A collapsed lava tube on the northwest coast whose pool glows electric blue around midday.
Shark Bay
Wildlife
A shallow east coast lagoon where juvenile lemon sharks feed on the rising tide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Maria beach good for swimming?
Yes, but it is open Atlantic rather than a sheltered lagoon. The water is warm year-round and clear, with surf and a westward current that is strong enough to matter. Mornings are calmer than afternoons, when the trade wind builds. There are no lifeguards anywhere on the beach.
When is the best time to kitesurf at Santa Maria?
November to June, when the cross-onshore trade winds are strongest and most consistent. February and March are the windiest months of all. July to October is much lighter and better suited to swimming and diving than to kiting.
How far is Santa Maria from the airport?
Eighteen kilometres, about twenty-five minutes by taxi from Amilcar Cabral International Airport. Shared aluguer minibuses do the same run via Espargos for a couple of dollars and take around thirty-five minutes.
Do you need to pay to use Santa Maria beach?
No. The whole beach is public, including the stretches in front of the resorts, and the pier is free to walk out on. Sun loungers belonging to hotels and beach clubs are chargeable if you are not a guest.
Can you see turtles at Santa Maria?
Loggerheads nest on quieter parts of Sal between June and October, though not usually on the busiest stretch of Santa Maria itself. Book an evening walk through a licensed conservation operator, and never use white light or flash near nesting females or hatchlings.