cavingliz non-cave albums: Salt from Sal, Cape Verde

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Salt from Sal, Cape Verde

Sal is one of nine inhabited islands that make up Cape Verde. They lie off the west coast of Africa, off Senegal and The Gambia. Sal was discovered by the Portuguese in 1460, who named it Llana, which means ‘flat’ as the island is mostly dead flat and desert like. However the name was later changed to Sal, meaning ‘salt’, when salt was found at the lake at Pedra de Lume. Pedra de Lume is the oldest village on Sal and is on the east coast. The 19th century chapel is still there.

The demand for salt grew, and much was exported to Brazil. The most famous salt 'mine' is Pedra de Lume where a massive salt lake lies in an extinct volcano. Today it is a popular tourist attraction, the lake or saline is surrounded by the crater of the old volcano.

There is an entry fee of €5. An artificial tunnel through the hill leads to a path down to the lake -

People are allowed to float in the lake which is many times more salty than the sea. I didn't try it.

The salt looks like a frozen ice lake -

The salt was taken out and down to the port by a cable system, the old pylons remain-

An information board -

There are also salt fields outside the town of Santa Maria in the very south of the island. These are no longer worked commercially, but individuals still go and take salt to sell.