Amílcar Cabral International Airport transfer

Amílcar Cabral International Airport was Cape Verde's first international airport and long served as a stopover for flights across the Atlantic. Today most holiday flights to Sal land here, many of them direct from Europe.

After passport control and baggage reclaim you walk out into the arrivals area, where your driver waits with a name sign. The local provider confirms the exact meeting point with you by phone or WhatsApp, so keep your phone on after landing. Entry formalities for Cape Verde can change, so check the current rules for your nationality before travelling.

Share your flight number when you book. The driver then follows your real landing time, and the agreed price stays the same if the flight is delayed.

Sal is one of the driest islands in Cape Verde: stony plains, low hills and sand with very little vegetation. Rain is rare in the main season from October to May, and it stays warm while Northern Europe is cold, so the island is busiest around Christmas, New Year and the February and spring school holidays.

Winter also brings the trade winds. Kite Beach on the east coast and Ponta Preta west of Santa Maria are well known among kitesurfers and windsurfers. Most hotels are all-inclusive, and many guests book excursions from there.

The island is named after its salt. The crater salt pans at Pedra de Lume, where visitors float in the brine, remain one of its most visited sights.

A standard car suits one to three passengers with normal suitcases. Families, small groups or travellers with bulky luggage are better off in a minivan for up to about seven people, usually around €40–55 to Santa Maria. Larger vehicles can be requested.

Kite bags, surfboards, diving equipment and golf bags must be declared when booking so that a vehicle with enough space is sent. Child seats can be requested at the same time.