The Sal City Guides answer what every visitor asks once the sunbed gets boring: where to eat tuna and lobster without paying resort prices, how to float in the salt crater at Pedra de Lume, where children can wade among small lemon sharks and which bar on Rua 1 de Junho has the best live band tonight. Each guide is a short, honest list that tells you why a place is worth it, what to order or see and one useful tip, and it opens in your browser as soon as you have paid.
About the Sal City Guides
- 119 places
- 5 guides
- 7 languages
- Works offline
- Print or PDF
- Instant access
- Free updates
The five Sal guides
Food guide
25 places
The best tables in Santa Maria, beach bars for sunset, fresh fish in Palmeira, Espargos and Pedra de Lume, then breakfast, bakeries and ice cream.
Things to do guide
24 places
The Pedra de Lume salt crater, Shark Bay and Espargos, the Blue Eye at Buracona, Santa Maria’s beaches and pier, then kitesurfing, diving and snorkelling.
Family guide
25 places
Calm beaches around Santa Maria, a day out to the salt pans, the sharks and the Blue Eye, turtles and boat trips, plus easy food and ice cream.
Nightlife guide
21 places
Sunset drinks on the sand, live bands on the main street, the island’s only craft beer bar, hotel terraces, a local night in Espargos and late food.
Budget guide
24 places
Free beaches and the pier, island sights for a few euros each, the market and local kitchens of Espargos, then cheap eats and self-catering in Santa Maria.
Why an interactive guide beats a list
Tick places off
Mark each place as done and watch your progress, so you always know what is left.
Your own notes
Write notes on any place and add your own finds. They stay on your phone.
One tap to Maps
Every place opens in Google Maps, and the day route puts your picks in a sensible order.
Open now, near me
Filter by what is open right now or what is closest to you.
Works offline
Open the guide once with a connection and it keeps working without data.
Print it or save as PDF
On a computer, print any guide or save it as a PDF to take with you.
Three places from the guides
Esplanada Rotterdam
Harbour, Palmeira
Locals eat here, on a terrace by the fishing harbour, with no long menu to study: what comes to the table is what the boats brought in. One tuna steak is often enough for two, and fish costs about €10 to €15, far less than in Santa Maria. From the food guide.
Baía da Murdeira
Murdeira, west coast, 15 min by car from Santa Maria
A broad, sheltered bay inside a marine reserve, far calmer and emptier than the beaches in town. Swim out from the shore over rocky patches to find reef fish, mind the sea urchins, and with luck a turtle drifts by. From the things to do guide.
Shark Bay
Parda, east coast, 20 min north of Santa Maria
Wade in up to your knees and young lemon sharks circle round your legs. The few euros at the gate cover rubber shoes and a local guide; settle the price before you go in, as visitors are sometimes quoted more. From the budget guide.
Plan your days on Sal
Day one: stay in Santa Maria. Swim in the calm bay by the pier, be there when the fishing boats come in, take a drink on the sand at sunset and then follow the live music along Rua 1 de Junho. Day two: take a taxi round the island. Reach the Pedra de Lume salt crater early, wade with the lemon sharks at Shark Bay, look over the whole island from Curral Mountain in Espargos, see the Blue Eye at Buracona around midday and eat grilled fish by the quay in Palmeira. For a slow or windy day, snorkel in Murdeira bay, hunt for shells east of town, join the turtle project in season and finish with a house beer at the island’s only craft brewery.
Questions about the Sal guides
What do the Sal City Guides include?
Five guides covering 119 places: food, things to do, family, nightlife and budget. Each entry explains why it is worth going, where it is, practical notes and one tip you can use.
How do I receive the guides once I have paid?
The links show up on your order confirmation page and in the email that follows. They open in the browser of any phone, tablet or laptop, with no app to install and no account to create.
Can I use the Sal guides without internet?
Yes. Load each guide once while connected and it will work offline from then on, ticks and notes included. Opening a place in maps needs mobile data.
Which languages are the Sal guides available in?
The guides open in English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese and Polish. You can switch the language inside the guide at any time.
How much do the guides cost?
One guide is €4.99, two are €8.99, four are €15.99 and all five are €19.99.
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