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Map›Cape Verde›Santa Maria, SalCape Verde
Santa Maria, Sal
External renown — how known this place is in the kite world. Not a quality rating.
What it offers
Read moreShow less
What it's not
The scene
The short answers
The essentials before the detail
When to come
Nov to Apr
Every spot here is in season then
Number = how many of the 5 spots are in season that month.
Windiest modelled month
February · 15.3 kt · Murdeira
The month the wind model rates highest; the season above is when riders and schools go.
modelled
the month's average wind in February at Murdeira, the strongest month any spot here models
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. What it holds here is the month's average wind, month by month; it does not count how many days carry a three-hour window at 12 kt.
What it costs
mid-range
domestic draft beer (0.5L) ~295-450 Esc / ~€2.70-4 (2025)
Schools
11
in the directory
Permits & rules
5 spots
with rules of their own for permits, zoning or the bathing season, on the spot cards
Good to know before you go 5
- Beach theft (bag-snatching, pickpocketing) is a real, reported risk on Sal - don't leave phones/wallets unattended on the sand while out on the water.
- Euro/escudo dual pricing at resorts makes it easy to lose track of spending, and change from euro payments often comes back in escudos - carry small escudo notes for taxis and street vendors.
- Malaria warnings in older guidebooks are outdated - the country reports national eradication as of 2024, but double-check current health advisories before you fly.
- It's a genuinely arid, low-vegetation, salt-pan island - don't expect lush 'tropical paradise' scenery away from the beach itself.
- The ~€30 on-arrival entry fee (per person) is easy to forget when budgeting a family trip - pre-registering via the EASE system saves queueing time at the airport.
The spots
Kite Beach (Santa Maria)
Kite Beach is Sal's windward kite hub on the Costa da Fragata, a short taxi or shuttle from Santa Maria rather than the town beach itself.
Murdeira
Murdeira is the west side of Sal, the bay between Espargos and Santa Maria, and the first thing to sort out is which beach people mean: Canoa inside Baia da Murdeira, or Calheta Funda just south of it.
Ponta Leme
Ponta Leme is the eastern end of Santa Maria Bay on Sal, and it also goes by Ponta Leme Bedje, Ponta do Leme Velho and Ponta Este.
Ponta Preta
The wave sits on an exposed Atlantic reef and point about 2 km west of Santa Maria, on the southwest coast of Sal, right beside the Ponta do Sino nature-reserve and tourism zone.
Ponta Sino
Ponta do Sino is the southernmost headland of Sal, about 2 km southwest of Santa Maria, and the kite spot sits at the western end of Santa Maria bay where the coast starts to open toward Ponta Preta.
More on the riding
Lesson pricing is remarkably consistent across the three main centres, which makes it a reliable planning number: roughly EUR 350-365 for a full 10-11 hour beginner course in a max-2 group (Angulo EUR 350/10 h, KBC EUR 365/11 h, Sick Dog from EUR 280/10 h), and EUR 530 for 10 hours private at KBC.
- Lesson pricing is remarkably consistent across the three main centres, which makes it a reliable planning number: roughly EUR 350-365 for a full 10-11 hour beginner course in a max-2 group (Angulo EUR 350/10 h, KBC EUR 365/11 h, Sick Dog from EUR 280/10 h), and EUR 530 for 10 hours private at KBC.
Editor's brief
Read the full brief · 3 minSeason · Town layout · Tide · Getting around · Where to stay · Gear and lessons · When to go · Important details
Season
Town layout
Tide
Getting around
Where to stay
- Morabeza if you want the kite centre on the property and five bars without leaving;
- Odjo d'Agua for the town-beach room with the camp package built around it (breakfast in, half board EUR 25 pp/night);
- Sick Dog if you want everything - transfers, spot shuttles, beach support, live music - bundled at EUR 100/night;
- Santa Maria Kite School's Leme Bedje apartments (EUR 650/week with lessons after the online discount, kite EUR 65/day) if you want to self-cater 50 m from the Angulo centre;
- and KBC's partner list - Ponta Preta, Porto Antigo, Dunas de Sal, Pousada da Luz - as a vetted shortlist if you book independently.
Gear and lessons
When to go
Important details
In detail on this page:Getting therePracticalBefore you book
Schools
11 in the directory
ION CLUB Sal
IKO
Doeslessons · rental · storage · wingfoil · accommodation · foil
RidesKite Beach (Santa Maria) · Ponta Leme · Ponta Preta · Safaga · Anse La Raie · Cap Malheureux · La Sarga
SpeaksEnglish · German · Croatian · French · Portuguese · Spanish
ion-club.net
Island Kite School
Doeslessons · freestyle coaching · wingfoil · surf lessons
RidesPonta Preta
SpeaksEnglish · German
islandkiteschool.com
Kite Beach Cabo Verde Water Sports Center
IKO
Doeslessons · rental · storage · wingfoil · surf lessons · kitecamps
RidesKite Beach (Santa Maria) · Ponta Preta · Ponta Leme
SpeaksEnglish · Italian · Portuguese
kitebeachcaboverde.com
Santa Kite
IKO
Doeslessons · rental · downwinders · wing · accommodation
RidesPonta Leme · Ponta Preta · Ponta Sino · Kite Beach (Santa Maria)
SpeaksGerman · English
santakitecaboverde.com
Kite Beach Cabo Verde Water Sports Center (Mitu & Djo)
IKO
Doeslessons · rental · storage · wing · foil
RidesKite Beach (Santa Maria) · Ponta Preta · Ponta Sino
Surf Hub Cabo Verde
IKO
Doeslessons · rental · camp · wing
RidesKite Beach (Santa Maria)
SpeaksEnglish · Cape Verdean Creole
surfhubcapeverde.com
Kite & Tonic
Doeslessons · rental · downwinders
RidesPonta Preta
SpeaksDutch · French · English · German · Spanish
kitetonic.com
100 Feet Kite School (100 Piedi)
IKO
Doeslessons · rental · downwinders · storage
RidesKite Beach (Santa Maria) · Ponta Leme
SpeaksItalian · English · Portuguese
100piedikiteschool.com
Show all 11 schools
Angulo Cabo Verde Surf Center
Doeslessons · rental · accommodation
RidesPonta Leme
angulocaboverde.com
Titik Kitesurf School
Doeslessons · rental
RidesKite Beach (Santa Maria)
titikkitesurf.com
Best Kites Cape Verde
Doeslessons · rental
RidesKite Beach (Santa Maria) · Ponta Preta
SpeaksEnglish · Czech
kitesurfingcapeverde.com
Getting there & around
Nearest airports
- SID Amílcar Cabral International Airport (Espargos, Sal) · ~16 km / roughly 15-25 min to Santa Maria; airport taxis reported around €12-15 to Santa Maria (vs ~€1-2 to nearby Espargos)
Car
More on car5 facts · Car needed · Why
Transfers
More on transfers5 routes
Kite-camp/hotel shuttle (360 Kite Travel, Odjo d'Agua package): EUR 30 return for 1-4 people, plus EUR 10 supplement for a board bag. Booked with the camp package, not on arrival.
Airport taxi SID -> Santa Maria: EUR 12-15 (roughly 1,300-1,650 CVE) for the ~16 km, 15-25 min run; the same rank charges only EUR 1-2 for the short hop to Espargos. Agree the fare before loading boards.
Aluguer (shared minivan) SID/Espargos -> Santa Maria: around EUR 1 per person, no timetable, leaves when full. Cheapest option but awkward with a board bag.
Sick Dog Surf House's EUR 100/night kiter rate already includes airport transfers AND daily transport to the kite spots - i.e. a full-board camp removes the transfer and car question entirely.
Distance benchmark from a school in Leme Bedje: 17.6 km from Amilcar Cabral International, about 20 minutes door to door.
Kite bag rules for your airline
Type the carrier you are flying: what it charges for a kite bag, and the year of the policy that says so.
Checked so far for Cape Verde:Cabo Verde Airlines (TACV)TAP Air Portugal
Every carrier, with limits and what riders report at the counter →
Practical
Cash & cards
More on cash & cards5 facts · ATM in town · Nearest ATM
- taxis
- aluguer shared minivans
- street vendors
- small guesthouses/residencials
- restaurants outside the main resort strip
Internet & working
More on internet & working7 facts · ISPs & fibre · Starlink
- Alou/CV Telecom - repeatedly recommended over Unitel by riders for better signal and lower cost on Sal
- Unitel T+
Health & safety
More on health & safety7 facts · Nearest hospital · Trauma centre
Gear
5 facts · Monthly rental · Rental, per day
- Angulo Cabo Verde Surf Center - Santa Maria bay; kite, windsurf, SUP and surf lessons and rental on Core kites / Carved boards; beginner kite course EUR 350 (10 h, max 2 per instructor), refresher EUR 200 (5 h). Tel +238 242 1580. Has an on-site food bar ('Gu'd Snacks') and its own accommodation, The Angulo House.
- Mitu & Djo Water Sport Center - operates inside Hotel Morabeza on the Santa Maria beachfront (the hotel describes itself as hosting it). This is the local heavyweight centre, tied to Cape Verdean rider Mitu Monteiro.
- KBC (Kiteboarding Club) Sal - 100 m from the water's edge on the eastern kite beach; open 08:00-18:30; tel +238 5955794. Rental, storage, lessons and launch assistance.
Power
3 facts · Outages · Published figures
Also on the ground
9 facts · Cape Verde's electricity distribution was restructured on 1 July 2024: EDEC SA is now the concessionaire for distribution and retail supply nationwide, with about 160,000 customers, 24 shops and 22 agents. Any outage statistic attributed to 'Electra' predates this.
- Cape Verde's electricity distribution was restructured on 1 July 2024: EDEC SA is now the concessionaire for distribution and retail supply nationwide, with about 160,000 customers, 24 shops and 22 agents. Any outage statistic attributed to 'Electra' predates this.
- Ambulance emergency number in Cape Verde is 130. FCDO rates national healthcare as 'very basic and limited' and treats evacuation cover as essential; GHIC/EHIC cards are not accepted.
- FCDO names Sal explicitly in its crime advice - pickpocketing, bag snatching, burglary and muggings, alongside Praia and Boa Vista. It also warns that tides and currents around the islands are very strong with unpredictable waves and a strong undertow.
- Beach-gear economics at Santa Maria are fully published by KBC: full-kit rental EUR 70/day or EUR 275/week, storage box EUR 15/day or EUR 85/week, launch-and-landing assistance EUR 15-20 per session or EUR 75/week. Solo riders can buy help off the beach rather than needing a buddy.
- Hertz Cabo Verde lists both a Sal airport desk and a Santa Maria location, but publishes no rates online. UK-style photocard licences are valid for up to 6 months' driving.
- GoHub Sal is the island's dedicated coworking space (advertised 60 Mbps fibre, backup power); Ocean Cafe runs a cafe-coworking hybrid at around EUR 10/day. Starlink has been operational in Cabo Verde since late 2024 (kit ~CVE 39,000, plans from ~CVE 5,000/month).
- Hotel Morabeza - Santa Maria's original 1967 hotel - hosts the Mitu & Djo Water Sport Center on the property, has 88 rooms plus 33 suites all facing the sea, self-catering Annex Bazamore T1/T2 apartments, and five bars/restaurants. It is the only reviewed stay where the kite centre is on site.
- KBC Sal has no accommodation of its own; it books guests into partner hotels - Ponta Preta (100 m from the beach), Porto Antigo (beachfront), Dunas de Sal and Morabeza, with Santa Maria Beach and Pousada da Luz as budget options. That is a usable shortlist of vetted addresses even if you book independently.
- EASE pre-registration must be completed at least 5 days before arrival; from 1 July 2026 arriving without it doubles the Airport Security Tax payable at the border. Under-1s are exempt.
Before you book
Questions we answered
2 questions
settled
Which mobile operator to buy, and whether the CV Movel/Alou/CV Telecom names refer to the same thing
Two operators only: CV Telecom, whose mobile brand is now Alou (the old CV Movel), and Unitel T+. Both run 4G LTE across the inhabited islands; there is no third network. Speed variability on Sal is a last-mile fixed-line problem, not a mobile-coverage one - which is why hotel wifi is the unreliable half and a local 4G SIM is the dependable half.
settled
Malaria warnings in older guidebooks vs current status
Current FCDO health advice for Cape Verde does not flag malaria at all, which is consistent with the reported national eradication. What it does flag is dengue - and only for Santiago, Fogo and Brava, where the government raised civil-protection warnings. Sal is not named. Arid, low-rainfall Sal remains the low-risk island.
Still unreconciled on the ground
1 item
The only outage statistic found (Rio Times, 53% drop to 51h in 2022) is national-level, not Sal/Santa Maria specific - do not present as a local figure
What riders say
18 recurring claims
The tag says how far the riders who mention it agree; the figure is how many mention it.
Nobody rents a car for this: a taxi from Santa Maria to Kite Beach ran about 5 euros each way in 2021-2023, and riders share the ride once they know a few faces.
consensus4 riders
Kite Beach (just south of Santa Maria, aka Shark Bay) is the main Sal/Cape Verde spot
strong2 riders
Steady NE trade winds, best November to mid-June, typically 3-5 Beaufort and rarely above 6
strong2 riders
Wind is side-offshore, producing flat/smooth water suited to experienced riders
strong1 rider
This is a spot to progress at, not to start at: the water is chop plus real waves at high tide, and riders who have kited it say plainly it is not for learning.
majority3 riders
Show all 18 claims
The beach empties out from about half past three in the afternoon; riders who work mornings say the late slot is far quieter, though it is also when the wind starts easing.
majority2 riders
November is a shoulder month, not the wind season proper — people who have been there say so bluntly to anyone booking then, and the ones who went anyway describe it as a gamble that sometimes pays.
majority2 riders
From late May to the end of September the wind mostly goes away; the people who go every winter treat the season as roughly October to May.
majority2 riders
Ponta Preta is treated as a different sport: offshore wind, big fast waves, and riders warn each other not to go and try wave riding there for the first time.
majority2 riders
Turtles surface in the riding area often enough that foilers ask about it before they come; riders with several seasons there say they have never actually hit one.
majority2 riders
Medical help/rescue infrastructure is limited on the islands — caution advised
mixed1 rider
Winter brings stronger currents than the rest of the year
mixed1 rider
The kite centres shut around five, so riders who want an evening session carry their own gear rather than relying on the storage.
single account1 rider
The bay in front of the town reads much lighter and gustier than Kite Beach a headland away, and at least one rider wrote off days as unkiteable in town while everyone was blasting fifteen minutes down the road.
single account1 rider
There is reef in the middle of Kite Beach, buoyed in yellow, and less confident riders are told to stay downwind of it.
single account1 rider
Operator-sourced, flagged as such: Kite Beach is repeatedly described as the safe, all-levels bay ('the safest place to kitesurf', 'flat water-start area'), with Ponta Preta and the outer points reserved for intermediates and advanced riders. Every camp reviewed structures its week the same way - learn and session in the bay, get driven out to the points on the good days.
Kite Beach does get busy in the January-February peak, but the complaint riders actually make is about riders passing close and not giving way, not about the headcount; others answer that the beach is long enough to walk north and find space.
contested4 riders
The beach itself is bare — one shack, no toilets — although the kite centre on it has a restaurant and seating that everyone can use whether or not they store gear there.
contested2 riders
The trade-off
- Compact, self-contained resort town — no need to base elsewhere for a season
- Exceptionally steady/reliable wind by global standards
- Flat, clean water
- Side-offshore wind means real blow-out/downwind-drift risk, only recommended for experienced riders
- Limited medical/rescue infrastructure
Wind micro-knowledge
3 facts · Through the season · Tide and wind
More from riders
Kite Beach is a ~2 km bay whose character flips with the tide - lake-flat at low water, steep short waves good for jumping at high water. Wind arrives diagonally onshore from the northeast.
- Kite Beach is a ~2 km bay whose character flips with the tide - lake-flat at low water, steep short waves good for jumping at high water. Wind arrives diagonally onshore from the northeast.
Scene & life
- Cachupa - the national dish, a slow stew of hominy/maize, beans, and whatever meat or fish is on hand
- Fresh grilled fish, lobster and octopus
- Cape Verdean sweet couscous (bean-flour couscous steamed into a cake, eaten at breakfast with butter and coffee)
- Strela - Cape Verde's own beer, now the top seller ahead of imported Portuguese brands
- Grogue and ponche - sugarcane rum from Santo Antão/Santiago, ponche sweetened with condensed milk
- Swim in the Pedra de Lume salt crater - salt pans inside an extinct volcanic crater near Espargos, in production since 1796
- Buracona ('Blue Eye') natural rock pool, part of the protected Buracona-Ragona coastal landscape between Palmeira and Ponta Preta
- Turtle-watching - Sal holds one of the largest loggerhead sea turtle rookeries in the Atlantic, with nesting July-September
- Diving/snorkeling out of Palmeira village and port
- Desert/dune buggy or ATV tours inland
- Pedra de Lume salt crater
- Buracona / Blue Eye
- Palmeira fishing village and port
- Espargos (island capital, airport, some banking/shopping)
Events
GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Cape Verde
GKA Kite-Surf World Cup Cape Verde
competitionFebprorecurring
GKA Tour wave-riding stop held annually since 2018 at Ponta Preta and/or Kite Beach, Santa Maria, Sal (venue chosen by conditions). 2026 edition ran 16-21 Feb as the season opener.
History & trivia
5 items
- Santa Maria began in 1830 as a salt-export port, shipping up to 30,000 tons of salt a year until Brazil's 1887 import tax collapsed the trade; production limped on (with a Portuguese-led revival from 1920) until finally ending in 1984.
- Tourism dates to 1967 with the opening of the Morabeza hotel, but growth was slow until the mid-1980s - the town had just 1,343 residents in 1990, growing to 6,258 by 2010 as resort development took off.
- 'Cape Verde-type hurricane' is an actual meteorological term for Atlantic hurricanes that spin up from tropical waves passing near these islands - some of the Atlantic's biggest storms (Ivan, Allen, Dean, Irma among them) trace their origin to this stretch of ocean, even though the islands themselves are rarely struck.
- Sal ('salt' in Portuguese) is named for its salt pans - both the Pedra de Lume crater and the historic Santa Maria salinas.
- Sal's loggerhead turtle rookery is one of the most significant nesting sites in the entire Atlantic and the only major one on the ocean's eastern side.
Itinerary idea
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Santa Maria?
The strongest, steadiest trade winds run roughly November to July, though crowds and prices peak separately around Christmas/New Year and the July-August European summer holidays.
Is Santa Maria suitable for beginners?
Yes - Kite Beach's NNE-NE trades usually blow cross-onshore, making it safer for lessons and upwind progression than Sal's more offshore-exposed spots.
Do I need a car?
No for staying in Santa Maria itself, since town, Kite Beach and restaurants are walkable, but yes for independently reaching Ponta Preta, Ponta Sino or other points.
Where should I base myself?
Santa Maria town/beachfront is the default base, walking distance to Kite Beach and restaurants; Ponta Preta on the western edge suits wave riders wanting to be closer to the break.
What does food and drink cost?
An inexpensive restaurant meal runs about €5 and a mid-range dinner for two about €40-48, per 2025 pricing.
How this place scores
Scores out of 10, compared with other places. The data figure under each label is how much of this record that score had to work from, so a high score on thin data is a thin score.
- Off the waterdata 100%10.0
- Kite communitydata 75%9.3
- Beginner friendlydata 93%8.6
- Wavesdata 100%8.2
- Ease of accessdata 27%7.6
- Affordabilitydata 100%7.1
- Wind reliabilitydata 10%6.1
- Flat waterdata 100%6.1
- Long staydata 75%6.1
- Safetydata 93%5.9
- Familydata 100%5.6
- Room on the waterdata 77%5.4
A paler bar was scored from less than half of the record.
Scores by trip type
- Learning to ridedata 100%7.4
- Family tripdata 100%7.1
- Kite and workdata 100%6.9
- Wavesdata 100%6.8
- Freestyle and flat waterdata 100%6.1
Still open
Things we could not verify. If you have ridden here, you can help.
Show the 12 open questions
- What time of day does the wind actually fill in at Kite Beach in the Nov-Apr peak - is it a trade wind that blows from breakfast, or does it need midday heating? Roughly what hours are the sessionable window, and does it drop before sunset?
- What kite sizes do riders of ~75-85 kg actually rig at Kite Beach in January versus in October? A one-line 'most people are on 9-12 m in peak season' from a local would settle it - no operator publishes sizes.
- Is there a formally designated kite zone at Santa Maria, and where exactly does it start and end relative to the pier, the swimming area in front of the hotels, and the town beach? Is launching in front of the resorts prohibited by the camara municipal or just by custom?
- What is the current Airport Security Tax (TSA) amount in escudos and euros as paid through EASE? The official portal and FCDO both omit the figure.
- What are the current rules for flying a drone on Sal - does the AAC require registration or a permit for a visiting tourist, and is filming over the beach or near the airport approach prohibited? The AAC site blocks automated access and FCDO does not cover it.
- What are the 2026 entrance fees for the Pedra de Lume salt crater and for Buracona / Blue Eye, and are they per person, cash-only, and in escudos or euros?
- How often does the power actually go out in Santa Maria in a typical week, and for how long? EDEC publishes nothing island-level. A local who has lived through a season is the only source.
- Which pharmacies in Santa Maria are open, where are they, and what are their hours including Sundays? Is there a duty-pharmacy rota?
- What is the per-transaction withdrawal limit and the fee at the Vinti4 ATMs in Santa Maria, and do the machines reliably have cash at the end of a busy weekend?
- What does a small hire car cost per day on Sal in high season from a local operator, and is a deposit blocked on a credit card?
- Does the Santa Maria public hospital have an X-ray and a doctor on call at night, or does even a broken ankle mean waiting for a flight to Praia?
- How crowded does Kite Beach get at midday in the Nov-Mar peak in the 2025-26 season - is it a queue at the launch or still comfortable?
When to go and nearby places
Last updated: 2 September 2026