The main holiday island is Sal, which has the main international airport and most of the hotels. Its capital Espargos is near the airport and has the offices of solicitors, architects and other professionals. Santa Maria at the southern tip is the only holiday centre, with all of the tourist hotels, the best beaches and most of the water sports facilities. Palmeira on the west coast is the port with an unreliable cargo and passenger service to other islands.

Principally a beach resort with long stretches of white sand and an abundance of watersports Sal is really an island for beach lovers as most of the island's sights and attractions can be seen in half a day.

By night, Santa Maria, the main tourist area in Sal boasts a lively atmosphere with a good choice of bars and restaurants.

A large percentage of visitors come to Sal for the watersports and it's hardly surprising. Sal's long sandy beaches and turquoise water make a wonderful playground for watersports enthusiasts. It is also the perfect place for relaxing in the sun and enjoying long walks along the coastline. Sal is considered to be amongst the world's top five windsurfing locations so it is not uncommon to see bright coloured sails dotted about the ocean. Kite surfing, diving and deep-sea fishing are also very big on Sal.