Sal Island: The salt marshes

Pedra Lume The Pedra Lume salt beds are THE tourist attraction in Sal, and the Italian owners have certainly cottoned-on to this fact, charging a generous entrance fee of around £4.30. © Patrice Hauser

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Located at Pedra de Lume to the north of Santa Maria, the salt marshes are a strange and mysterious site brushed with pink tones, recalling the Pink Lake in Senegal. The history of the salt marshes is interesting; when Captain Manuel Martins began to exploit the salt, he then settled nearby. France then became the owner, and the 'Salins du Midi' managed the operation until Cape Verde became independent in 1975. So this was a French territory, with its own borders and local currency. The town of Pedra de Lume had a hospital. The huts built by the workmen were called Casa Farou after the name of the person who built them. You can still see them today, together with the poles and their pulleys, railways and the tunnel to access the salt marshes built in 1804. When Cape Verde became independent, production slowed down, and today the salt marshes produce salt just for the islands' consumption. So you will see some workers, but the site is deserted and looks more like a no man's land. However, it is still easy to feel and imagine the bustling life that unravelled here. You can swim in the ponds if you like, which recalls the Dead Sea.