SPOT BABY TURTLES BY STARLIGHT
White sand beaches come to life as loggerhead turtles nest from July
through October — the Cape Verde islands host the third-largest
nesting population of loggerheads on earth. The endangered species
is rebounding with volunteer watchmen to monitor the babies’ slow
creep to the sea; scientists recorded 15,000 loggerhead nests during
the 2018 season, which is a four-fold increase from two years before.
The great migration peaks in August, making that the perfect time to
visit Sal’s loggerhead hatchery. Since it all happens after dark, that
means romantic, ranger-led walks under the stars.
LOUNGE IN A NATURAL SALT SPA
Tear yourself away from the beach to discover a landscape straight
from a fever dream. At the heart of Sal island, the barren crater of an
extinct volcano shelters the salt pans of Pedra de Lume. There, salt
blooms in colors from flamingo pink to snowy white, and the flooded
pans offer the chance for a hyper-saline swim. Since the water has a
salinity of up to 28 percent, you’ll be buoyed straight to the surface to
bask in the shallows and tropical sun. As at the Dead Sea, the mineral-
rich waters are reputed to heal a host of ailments, leaving your skin
hydrated and smooth.
LEARN TO CATCH THE WIND
Winds loft across Cape Verde beaches from the Sahara Desert, filling
the sails of mariners and creating a kitesurfing paradise. With a cluster
of kitesurfing schools, breezy Sal is the perfect place to learn the
gravity-defying sport, from basic kite control to launching off waves.
Make a home base in the laid-back beach town of Santa Maria, where
you can practice your moves all morning then sip the local beer,
Strela, in an ocean-side bar as the sun goes down.
Mosteiros, Cape Verde
Credit: Getty
FLYWASHINGTON.COM 30 WINTER 2019/20
TURN ANY WEEK INTO SHARK WEEK
Score a window seat on the flight to Sal island, and you might earn
your first wildlife sighting before you even touch the ground. Just a
few miles from Amílcar Cabral International Airport, lemon sharks
twist through the aptly named Shark Bay, where warm, shallow
waters ensure they’ll find plenty to eat. Visitors to Shark Bay wade
right into the sea, too. While lemon sharks can grow up to 11 feet in
length, they’re not aggressive towards humans.
For a closer look at Cape Verde’s toothiest residents, check out Sal’s
Choclasse scuba diving site — a maze of canary-colored polyp corals
on an undersea plateau. Hammerhead, whitetip reef, and nurse
sharks share the water here, but lucky divers spot sharks at many
of Sal’s majestic dive sites, which include underwater caves, pristine
shipwrecks, and brilliant reefs.
TAKE AN ISLAND-HOPPING EXCURSION
Sal is travelers’ first taste of Cape Verde, but the possibilities don’t
end there — the Atlantic archipelago encompasses 10 islands and
a sprinkling of islets. They range from Fogo’s simmering volcanic
landscape to the bright-green island of Brava, dubbed the “island of
flowers” for the lush vegetation that drops steeply to the sea. Many
of the islands are linked by short, domestic flights, and Sal’s closest
neighbor, Boa Vista, is just a 15-minute hop away. With a reputation
for Cape Verde’s most gorgeous coastline, it’s a feast for the eyes,
thanks to golden sand beaches, powdery dunes, and humpback
whales off shore.
GET THERE AND AROUND
Cabo Verde Airlines flies from Washington Dulles International Airport
(IAD) to Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID) on Sal Island, Cape
Verde. A one-way flight takes approximately seven hours. Cabo Verde
Airlines also provides service to Cape Verde’s other islands. Ferry
service is available between Sal and Boa Vista.