kitesurfing on Cape Verde, Sal

 

General Info:
The location and the Village

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Sal (Portuguese for “salt” — from the mines at Pedra de Lume) is an island in Cape Verde. It belongs to the northern group of islands, called Barlavento. The island is composed by a single administrative division, the Sal municipality.

The island is home to Amílcar Cabral International Airport, the main airport of Cape Verde.The island is 30 km long by 12 km wide. It is one of the three sandy eastern islands (Sal, Boa Vista and Maio) of the archipelago, with white sandy beaches and fairly flat. The highest elevation of 406 m at Monte Grande. Serra Negra has a height of 92m.



The seasons and Hotel info

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The main kitesurfing season runs from October to May but the wind blows on Sal all year long. Because the summer offers ligther conditions for the intermediate kitesurfer the months November till April are the best.

Sal has a great range of accommodation, restaurants and bar choises for any budget. There are plenty of cheap appartments also available if you want to stay for a longer time.


Possibilities besides kiting

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You can do allot of things other than kiting:

-Scuba diving
-Deep sea fishing
-African art shops
-Enjoy some local rum
-Explore the famous salt mines of Sal


Climate

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Sal Island has 350 days of sunshine. Winds mainly blow from the northeast. However, many days do also have cloud, but it tends to be broken and seldom brings rain. The 'rainy season' is from August to mid-October, although rainfall is still low.


Spot conditions:
The beach

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The Santa Maria Bay stretches for 3km. It offers perfect conditions for beginners, inermediate and pro's.

To ensure a higher safety level, the beach of Santa Maria has been subdivided into two zones: one for kitesurfers, and one for windsurfers. The windsurfing zone is one minute on foot to the start of the kitesurfing zone, which is slightly upwind. Here kiters of all levels will find a sandy, deserted beach, ideally suited to safe kite launching and landing. This is also the spot where courses are held.



The water conditions

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The water never really gets cold here due to the proximity of the equator, averaging 23C in the winter and 26C in the summer.


The wind conditions

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The wind blows on Sal all year long. The trades blow the whole year from the north, northeast and east, but are srongest in winter. With an average of 20 knots in the winter and 15 knots in the summer Sal is a really good place to kite. In the summer the water is more flat, the wind is lighter and the shore-break is more managable.

The wind at the main spot is cross/cross-onshore from the right.


Facilities

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There are schools on Sal, with showers and toilets.


Downwinder and trip possibilites

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You can visit the worlds best wave riding spot Punta Preta or jump in one of the pickups from locas drivers who take you to the spots away from the main bay.

Advanced and expert kite surfers will have lots of fun at two further spots. One of them is Punta Leme Bedje, which is only one kilometers upwind and is famous for its crystal-clear, turquoise water and constant wind. The other spot, Kitebeach, which is on the eastern shore of island, can be reached in 10 minutes by pick-up.


Links

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http://www.municipiodosal.cv
http://www.archipelagocapeverde.com/holiday/1/2/introduction-to-kite-surfing.html
http://www.travelguide2capeverde.co.uk/salisland.html

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