Affordable luxury winter sun holiday Sal - Cape Verde

Start October 2025 I visited Sal for the first time, one of the 10 islands of Cape Verde, located off the coast of West Africa, ideal for an affordable luxury winter sun holiday. This lesser-known, yet also interesting sunny winter destination really surprised me with its desert-like landscapes that are in big contrast with Sal’s white beaches and turquoise coastal waters.

Fun fact: Sal was uninhabited until the 15th century, discovered by Portuguese explorers who mistook its salt flats for a mirage. Today, with about 40,000 residents, Sal still feels like a hidden gem, as it has many desolate and quiet spots, while it’s also a popular holiday destination. And it’s the gateway to Cape Verde's inter-island ferries and flights.

I experienced our week on Sal as the perfect autumn escape with temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius and mainly sunny days.

We stayed at a 5* all-inclusive resort in a great location, that offered everything we needed to fully relax and enjoy the wide beaches near Santa Maria.

But we also booked several excursions during our stay to explore the island and really experience its authentic vibe and unique nature sites, about which you can read more in my next Sal travel guide. But first:

How to get to Sal - Cape Verde?

Many flights to Cape Verde go via Portugal and require a stopover or 2. And although direct flights to Sal and other islands of Cabo Verde are limited from Amsterdam, this is now made easy by Corendon Airlines. From Oct.28 they will fly to Sal again from Schiphol Airport via Gambia in under 8 hours. This includes a direct flight of 6 hours on the way back, with usually 2 departures per week until April.

We booked this holiday in an affordable luxury package via Corendon.nl, in which a 3-5-star hotel or resort of your choice is combined with a return flight for a very competitive price!

Corendon offers 12 different hotels on Sal, look for the best package for your ultimate Sal holiday on: Corendon/Kaapverdie.

Upon arrival, clear customs swiftly, a €31 airport tax p.p. is required which can be paid online in advance, latest 5 days prior to your trip to speed up the process via Ease.gov.cv.

Then hop a 20-25-minute taxi to Santa Maria (depending on the exact location) for about €25 or book your transfers in advance via Corendon to skip the taxi lines.

Affordable luxury winter sun holiday Sal - Cape Verde

For a base that combines luxury with brand new facilities, directly facing the beach in a quiet location near Santa Maria, I can recommend to stay at the Royal Horizon Ponta Sino.

This new 5* all-inclusive resort opened in June 2025 with 572 different rooms and suites to choose from. It’s located on the more touristic south coast of Sal, in a tranquil beach area called Ponta Sino.

As the first Dutch guest, I experienced this 5* all-inclusive gem before Corendon resumes flights from Amsterdam on Oct 28 with this hotel being the newest addition to their Sal offering.

This resort offers everything you need to fully relax, with modern rooms and different room types, like the swim-up room with sea view, which we enjoyed for a full week.

This room has a semi-private pool, shared with 3 other rooms, a private terrace with chairs and 2 sun loungers and unobstructed views upon the quiet beach, as well as the untamed and brightly colored sea.

Unique features Royal Horizon Ponta Sino

• This 5-star resort has 3 big pools, of which a stunning 3500 m² lagoon pool, an extensive Olympic pool and an adults pool, but also a kids’ pool and a kids’ club.

• It offers a Spa with a big range of massages and affordable treatments and from 2026 several indoor pools and saunas are added.

• Royal Horizon Ponta Sino has no less than 6 bars serving cocktails by the pools or beach.

• The resort has a gym with brand new equipment, several shops and even a hairdresser

• and 4 different restaurants, with a big international buffet serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. As well as 3 à la carte restaurants for dinner all included in your package. This includes 1 European bistro, 1 Japanese restaurant and a beach club, serving international à la carte cuisine and an extended afternoon buffet.

• The brand new rooms are modern and max 2 stories high, with a choice of deluxe rooms, junior suites and swim-up rooms, all quite spacious with everything you need, get an impression through my own pictures:
  

• Daily activities like yoga, games and watersports are offered and excursions are bookable via the resort too.

• And there’s evening entertainment like live music, performances and a magical fountain show! Ideal if you don’t want to leave the resort for a night out.

Highlights of this all-inclusive resort to me were: its direct beach access, modern rooms with good a/c, comfort of our swim-up room with private terrace, abundance of facilities, diverse dining options, good cocktails included, friendly staff, as well as the atmospheric beach club.

And although I read quite some negative reviews online about this resort prior to our trip, I found out that many of these complaints had to do with start-up problems, as they had to open too fast in June. Luckily they corrected most of these now and are really doing their best to improve.

I found the resort proper and good value for money. It was clean, the rooms were up to standard with good amenities and facilities working well, the staff friendly and hard-working, and the food good, with much prepared fresh, right in front of you and very internationally oriented with a big variety.

This was actually more than I was used to in other (West-) African countries, like Gambia for example.

Read all about my Gambia trip here, which was also a great trip and the perfect winter sun destination, just a short flight away.

At the Royal Horizon Ponta Sino resort luxury meets affordability, with all the comfort and serenity you can wish for, while still being close to Santa Maria’s lively scene. The perfect winter sun escape without breaking the bank! 

See even more of the resort's charm in this gallery:

From the resort you can walk to Santa Maria’s vibrant market and restaurants over the beach in about 25 minutes or take a taxi to get to the center in about 5 minutes.

Look for your ultimate holiday in Sal, while staying at this affordable luxury resort for the best rates, starting from €1,141 p.p. all-in for 7 nights in November or December, via: Corendon/Royal Horizon Ponta Sino resort.

Hidden gem Sal - Cape Verde

I can highly recommend visiting Sal now, while it’s still lesser-known to most, a true hidden gem.

And when combined with a luxurious stay at a resort like the Royal Horizon Ponta Sino, your winter sun vacation will also become extra comfortable and luxurious, with everything you need to fully relax.

Check out my next Sal travel guide & sightseeing blog for unique activities and travel tips for this West African island gem in Cape Verde, to get the most out of your holiday too! Or go to my Africa page to find even more unique destinations on this beautiful continent.

*While I wrote this blog in collaboration with Corendon, my opinions and findings are always authentic! I hope this blog will help you find a relaxing, yet adventurous winter sun holiday with comfort and luxury. While also keeping it affordable through the combination packages of Corendon.nl.