Sal Island holidays

Could it be the white-as-sugar sands? Perhaps it's the aquamarine waters? Maybe it's because attitudes in Sal are so totally chilled...

Whatever it is, more and more holidaymakers are discovering the charms of this Atlantic Ocean beauty - so you would be wise to find Sal island holidays now to stake your place on the near-empty beaches and within the turquoise waters that gently ebb and flow from the stunning shoreline.

Cape Verde is a little over 1,000 miles south of the sun-kissed Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa. Despite the distance, the Spanish holiday isles share many similarities with Cape Verde in terms of climate, landscape and, of course, the volcanic origin of the islands. But while the Canaries have been basking in the surge of mass tourism for decades, Cape Verde has remained on the edge of the holiday radar.

In recent years, Sal has emerged as one of the more popular holiday getaways in Cape Verde, together with Boa Vista. While the infrastructure has been improved and resorts have sprung up around the island, you can still enjoy an authentic experience on this island, where music nourishes the hearts and minds of the locals and forms a wonderful holiday soundtrack. Scuba diving is popular on Sal, while the Atlantic breeze makes the island a mecca for windsurfers.

Santa Maria is the main hub of Cape Verdean culture, music, nightlife and food on Sal. It's here that many of the island's hotels sprawl along the long stretch of beach. You can book cheap Sal island holidays and stay in some excellent hotels, including many four- and five-star hotels that have taken luxury and comfort to a new level in Cape Verde.

It takes around six hours to fly to Sal from UK airports. Practise your Portuguese lingo or have a go at Cape Verdean Creole. It doesn't matter if you're not a confident linguist, as English is widely spoken on Sal.

TravelSupermarket has plenty of Sal island holiday deals to tempt you with. Simply use the search tool to compare prices and book your next sunshine break.