One of Sal's most memorable experiences is floating in the salt pans of Pedra de Lume, set inside the crater of an extinct volcano on the island's northeast coast.
Why it's special
These salt pans were once the island's economic engine — it's no coincidence that “Sal” means “salt”. Old wooden masts from the cable car that once carried salt to waiting boats still stand in the crater. Today the water is more than twenty times saltier than the sea, so you float effortlessly, much like in the Dead Sea, ringed by ochre-and-white crater walls.
Tips for visiting
Rinse off afterwards, as the salt dries on your skin, and avoid shaving beforehand — the salt stings any small cuts. It's an easy add-on to a quad or 4x4 island tour. Combine it with the Blue Eye at Buracona for a classic day out.
📍 Northeast Sal · 🕐 Daily 9:00–18:00 · 💰 Around €5 per person (subject to change).
The story of the salt crater
Pedra de Lume is the flooded crater of an extinct volcano whose floor sits below sea level. Seawater seeps through the porous rock and evaporates under the relentless sun, leaving salt so concentrated that the pans were mined commercially from 1804 until the twentieth century — at one point exporting tens of thousands of tonnes a year to Africa and Brazil. The rusting cableway towers you pass on the way in once carried salt buckets down to the pier.
Floating: how it works
The brine is roughly ten times saltier than the ocean — comparable to the Dead Sea — so you float effortlessly, knees and toes bobbing above the surface. Ease in slowly, keep the water out of your eyes and any cuts (it stings fiercely), and limit your soak to 15–20 minutes. Freshwater showers by the entrance rinse off the crust; use them, or you will itch all afternoon.
Visiting practicalities
- Entry is a few euros; simple changing rooms and a small bar on site.
- Go early morning or late afternoon — midday heat in the crater is brutal.
- About 25 minutes from Santa Maria; taxis, quads and every island tour come here.
- No shade to speak of: hat, water and sunscreen are non-negotiable.
- Pair it with Shark Bay on the same east-coast run.