Do you know Cape Verde and its Morabeza*?

Here, the wind remains constant until April, so it's a great opportunity to enjoy the excellent conditions and spend time learning or progressing with our ION CLUB Sal team on the water! Our two centres are a perfect meeting point to go riding in different spots. ION CLUB Santa Maria centre is located on the beautiful beach of the fishing town. It’s the ideal place to go kitesurfing if you have an advanced level. Its unlimited water and soft sand offer perfect conditions to surf the Santa Maria vibe. If you have beginner or intermediate levels, you will love kiting at Kite Beach, 5 – 6 min by car from our centre .

The spot in front of the ION CLUB Santa Maria is offshore wind from the left, only adapted for experienced kitesurfers. Cape Verde is one of the best destinations for waves. The whole coast offers the best spots in the world for waves, and there are some for all levels. It will be your next playground for sure!

2023 starts with a new member of the ION CLUB family, Matchu Lopes – kitesurfing world champion 2016 and vice world champion 2022. He is a native of the country, and we are very proud to have him as our ION CLUB Sal Ambassador. You might see him on and around the spots until the end of the season.

(*motto from Cape Verde, it's a lifestyle that combines a sense of welcome, a gentle way of life, happiness, laughter and freedom of the heart and mind.)

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THE LOWDOWN

Cape Verde has many spots to offer kiters. You’ll find large sandy beaches, flat water, small and big waves, and a lifestyle that combines a sense of welcome, a sweetness of life, and a freedom of mind. Cape Verde is one of the best destinations in the world for waves, and there are some for all levels. It will be your next playground for sure! 2023 starts with a new member of the ION CLUB family: Matchu Lopes, kitesurfing world champion 2016 and vice world champion 2022. He is a native of the country and we are very proud to have him as our ION CLUB Sal Ambassador. You might see him on and around the spots until the end of the season. We have two centers on Sal: ION CLUB Santa Maria (kite and wingfoil center) and ION CLUB Ponta Leme (windsurf and wingfoil center).

KITING SET UP

ION CLUB Santa Maria is located on the beautiful beach of the main town. The spot in front of the center is side offshore wind from the left, so is only for experienced kiters, but its large area and soft sand offer perfect conditions to surf the Santa Maria vibe. If you are a beginner or intermediate, you will love kiting at Kite Beach, a few minutes by car from our center. We go to Kite Beach every day for lessons and take our guests who are renting gear; it is a perfect place to learn with a huge area and constant wind.

WHEN IS BEST TO GO?

The Sal season is from October to April. The best time is between November and March, when you can find steady wind between 15 and 30 knots, blue sky, waves, and an incredible feeling of freedom.

NO WIND?

If there is no wind, there is a lot to do in Sal. Waves are a-plenty so you can enjoy a surf session in Santa Maria or a SUP ride. We organize snorkeling tours as well in case of no wind. You can also immerse yourself in the culture and visit Palmeira, a town located in the northwest of the island. If you are a fish lover, it will be heaven for you. Pedra de Lume is interesting to visit. It is famous for its salinas – salt evaporation ponds – and is situated in the crater of an extinct volcano, a protected landscape.

Getting There

You’ll land at Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID) and will follow the single road from the airport to Santa Maria. Depending on where you stay, you can probably walk to Santa Maria beach, or take a taxi, giving ION CLUB Santa Maria or Atlantis restaurant as your destination.

Kite Options

You can rent a full range of Duotone kites from us, from 5 to 15m, in Neo, Neo SLS, Dice and Mono models.

Which Wetsuit?

3/2 if you get cold quickly. A long wetsuit in waves is always recommended. Otherwise pack a shorty but you might get away with just boardies and bikinis

Beer

Around 3 to 4 euros.

Typical Dinner

There are endless options for restaurants. You can eat the local dish, cachupa, in the morning or enjoy locally caught grilled fish at night.

Late Night

Santa Maria is well known for its active nightlife. We recommend Buddy Bar on the main street.

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