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SANTA MARIA

Santa Maria, Cape Verde - ORIGIN Magazine

This is your guide to the lighthouse city of Cape Verde

Words: Emily Georgieva

Photography: Krizstian Tabori

24 February 2019

The south-coast city of Santa Maria is a one that speaks loudly for the historical development and the culture of Cape Verde. The city gained its status of importance because of the amounts of salt discovered there. The city was founded in 1830 and about 30 000 toes of salt have been shipped from the coast of Santa Maria each year, mostly to Brazil.

The pier in Santa Maria plays a vital role at the process of export and trading. It was built in Ponta de Vera Cruz and the locals used to carry the salt to the pier. Today, standing strong and being impossible to ignore, the pier attracts the attention of travellers and nomads, visiting the area for the first time. You can make a stop at the Santa Maria Saltpans, which have been declared a protected landscape.

A bit quiet during the day, Santa Maria is worth exploring at night. Open bars with sky view and cosy restaurants will make you want to carry on the night with a drink elsewhere so that you can taste all of Santa Maria. During the day the most preferred place to be is the beach where people sunbathe and windsurf. The island is not overly crowded like some of the European destinations, which allows visitors to take advantage of the time they have there to learn more about the history and culture of the place. Walk around the little corners and pay attention to the preserved wildness of the place.

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