Santa Maria travel guide

Santa Maria Tourism | Santa Maria Guide

You're Going to Love Santa Maria

With a population of 17.231, Santa Maria is the largest city in Sal, Cape Verde by the number of inhabitants. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country. We recommend you stay at least 7 days in order to fully appreciate everything Santa Maria has to offer.

When to visit Santa Maria

Santa Maria in July
Estimated flight+hotel price
£304
2 travellers
Flight to Santa Maria
3 nights at hotel
Santa Maria in July
Estimated flight+hotel price
£304
2 travellers
Flight to Santa Maria
3 nights at hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Santa Maria in August, when the average temperature is 26 °C, and the highest can go up to 28 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 18 °C, with an average temperature of 21 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in September, when precipitation is around 30 mm. In contrast, January is usually the driest month of the year in Santa Maria, with an average rainfall of 0 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Santa Maria

Plane

When flying to Santa Maria, you’ll arrive at Amílcar Cabral Airport (SID), which is located 17 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Santa Maria from the United Kingdom departs from London and takes around 9h 55m.

Plane

When flying to Santa Maria, you’ll arrive at Amílcar Cabral Airport (SID), which is located 17 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Santa Maria from the United Kingdom departs from London and takes around 9h 55m.

Airlines serving Santa Maria

Lufthansa
Good (7,186 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,644 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,873 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,552 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,670 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,235 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,908 reviews)
easyJet
Good (1,968 reviews)
Transavia France
Good (338 reviews)
Luxair
Excellent (60 reviews)
Binter Canarias
Excellent (48 reviews)
TUI Fly Belgium
Good (40 reviews)
Air Senegal
Good (69 reviews)
Neos Air
Excellent (40 reviews)
TUI Nederland
Excellent (1 reviews)
TUI fly
Good (24 reviews)
Cabo Verde Airlines
Excellent (6 reviews)
Edelweiss Air
Good (44 reviews)
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Where to stay in Santa Maria

Average rates range from around £56 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £169 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of Santa Maria

Most booked hotels in Santa Maria

Hotel Morabeza
4 stars
Excellent (8.7, Excellent reviews)
£113+
Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort
5 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
£200+
Hotel Livvo Budha Beach
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
£102+
Hotel Central Santa Maria
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
£45+
Hotel Da Luz
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
£54+
Agua Hotels Sal Vila Verde
4 stars
Good (7.9, Good reviews)
£42+

Hiring a car in Santa Maria

Expect to pay £0.95 per litre in Santa Maria (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £11.37 and £15.15. The most frequently booked car type in Santa Maria is Economy (Class Economy Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Class Compact SUV or similar) is, on average, 8% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Expect to pay £0.95 per litre in Santa Maria (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £11.37 and £15.15. The most frequently booked car type in Santa Maria is Economy (Class Economy Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Class Compact SUV or similar) is, on average, 8% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.