Bars on this street

Chill Out-Laid back and popular in the evenings. Open every day

Calema- This is a bar/stroke club. This place normally kicks off at around midnight and will suck you in and spit you back out in the early hours of the morning. Although my Calema days are over, it is quite the experience with its mix of people, both high and low.  Open every day.

Habela- Now I have to admit my opinion is biased here, as it is managed by a very good friend. Having said that it is a brilliant place and it s location on top of the building adds to its unique ambiance. There is normally live music and entertaining people. It is open Thursday to Saturday.

Restaurants on 1^st Main Street.

Mediterranean Restaurant: Good Italian Food

Cultural Cafe: Located in the main square, offers a range of dishes, local and foreign.

Compad: Never been but everyone says it is great

Padaria: At the end of this street there is a tasty bakery for all your bread needs as well a restaurant.  It is not a great looking place, but the food is good and so is the price

If you go one street North, you are on the 2^nd main street in Santa Maria. Between these two streets there is a restaurant called

Cultural cafe-Very good for sea and local food.

Restaurants and Stores on 2^nd Main Street

Relax Restaurant: The food is great here, but do not go when you are starving, as the food takes awhile (hence the name Relax).

2 Grocery Stores on opposite corners: There are the most popular (but not the only) grocery stores  in Santa Maria. I recommend you buy bottled water from grocery stores, rather than from your  hotel.

Chinese Store:  Behind the grocery store and beside it are Chinese stores. This is good for things like flip flops, umbrellas, cream toothpaste etc.

Other Restaurants and Things.

As you are entering Santa Maria there is a large yellow building on your right and a restaurant called .......Turi Fogo or The Fisherman (sorry cannot remember the whole name). Clients who love fish, love this restaurant. I have never been, but have never heard a bad thing about it.

In that same building there is a pharmacy should you require one.

In the next building over, beside the main gas/petrol station there is another restaurant: Baracuda and Qui Pizza (both Italian)

There are 2 great Ice Cream places in Santa Maria one near the pier and one in the back streets.

Do not be afraid to venture down the back streets, there are lots of nice little bars and restaurants there as well.  Actually if you have partied all night and are hungry at 4 in the morning, go to a place called Nelsons. You may have to wait until the owner has finished playing the guitar before you get served, but the place is a local experience.

Angelas is one street back from the main streets and is a great restaurant! On Fridays they always have a street BBQ, which is super delicious.

Grijinha Beach Bar Super Kul beach bar located in the desert, love it! Great place for a beer or 12. Hard to describe on how to get there. Go to www.aboutsal.com/about/places-to-see/tourist-guide-sal-grijinha/  for more information.  Once again I am biased here, as it is owned by a very good friend.

www.aboutsal.com is also a useful guide to sal.

RIU HOTEL Windsurfers.

If you are doing our 2 schools windsurf deal, but are not staying in the riu hotel, there is great restaurant just over the sand dune (4min walk). It is located in front of PUNTA PRETA, the world famous wave location. Great for everything!

Things to do when there is NO WIND and YOU CAN NOT SURF, and only then.

· Swim

· Take a quad tour with Cabo Quad or rent your own for a day (it is loads of fun)

· Maybe take a trip to the Salinas (the local salt mine, if you like to float in salt spa)

· Some people like the half day trip around the island, though really there is not much to see on this island. Sal is more a place for water sports and stunning beaches. Note biased opinion

· Drink grog (local drink made from sugar cane juice) on the beach until you fall over and hope there is wind the next day. Or off course play with your children and build some sand castles

-When the season is right it is worth taking a boat trip out to see pilot whales and humpbacks. Ask me which boat, I prefer not to mention good and bad ones on this site (because there are some very bad ones, in that they have no care at all for the local marine life).

-Lastly if you are thinking of visiting another island go to http://www.capeverde.com/. This is a very good guide to the islands with lots of useful information.

I am sure I have forgotten some things or some places will fall out of favour with me, so this page will remain a work in progress.  It is a safe place; this is the only country I have ever felt completely safe in, as a woman, both during the day and at night. Like anywhere in the world, you need to just be a little smart and cautious when you are out, and you will be fine. For example do not go home with the first crazy that walks by and showers you with compliments, do not engage in conversation with lunatics, and do not go out with loads of big diamonds hanging off you.