In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of Senegal, there is a beautiful group of islands called Cape Verde. Even though it may seem small in the vast ocean, it holds great value, not just for those of us who love water sports. Sal has two centres on Cape Verde: one on the lovely Santa Maria beach, a quaint fishing village; and the other a 15-minute walk away in Ponta Leme, within the same village.
These locations are strategically chosen and are perfect spots for people to enjoy windsurfing, kitesurfing, wingfoil, and stand-up paddleboarding based on their skill levels, all while spending the entire day on the water.
For experienced windsurfers and wingfoilers, the centre at Ponta Leme is a great choice. It benefits from ideal wind conditions right in front of it and provides a wide selection of rental equipment from Fanatic and Duotone. The Ponta Leme school also offers courses for advanced wingfoiling and windsurfing levels.
The centre at Santa Maria beach is where kitesurfers gather in the mornings before heading to Kite Beach, just a 5-minute car ride away. Of course, you can also choose to ride right in front of the Santa Maria center. They offer beginner kitesurfing courses here, as well as courses for those new to windsurfing and wingfoiling.
Our partner windsurf centre at Ponta Leme is situated on the east coast of the island of Sal and is about 15-20 minutes walk from the main station at Santa Maria. For water start level and above this is an amazing windsurf spot and for those that like flat water blasting, plus some easy glassy rolling waves, this spot is awesome! The launch is on a small area with some small rocks and cross offer shore wind, so can be a bit gusty. However, after just a few meters the wind become super clean and the water like glass.
There is a very nice cafe/restaurant for between sessions or for non-windsurfing partners/families to spend a little time.