The island of Sal would have been discovered in 1460 by the Portuguese, like the other eastern islands, lacking its population for a definite date. But it is said that before the Portuguese, the island was already frequented by the Moors due to the salt flats, from where its name comes from.

It is known, however, that the first inhabitants came from the islands of Boa Vista and São Nicolau, which were mainly dedicated to fishing and cattle raising.

The effective settlement of the island took place at the end of the 18th century, by Manuel António Martins who remained on the island as an administrator. Thus, he later began to explore and export salt.

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    Get to know the important stages of the island's history:

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• 1804

Manuel António Martins visits Pedra de Lume and has the tunnel that leads to the salt pans built ;

 

• 1805

Construction of the port of Pedra de Lume;

 

• 1830

Foundation of the village of Santa Maria as an alternative center for the extraction of salt;

 

• 1845

Death of Manuel António Martins, with the island being managed by his wife Maria Josefa Martins;

• 1887

Beginning of the decline in the salt trade due to restrictive measures imposed by Brazil, the main importer of this raw material;

 

• 1920

Reactivation of the salt trade with the installation of the Companhia Fomento de Cabo Verde, substantially marking the physical and human landscape of the island; construction of the 1,100 meter long cable car, transforming 25 tons of salt per hour from the salt flats to the departure pier;

 

• 1935

Ascension of Santa Maria to the category of Village;

 

• 1939

Construction of Sal Airport and development of the village of Espargos;

 

• 1963

Arrival of the Belgian couple Gaspard Vynckier and Marguerite Massart who decide to build a holiday home in the village of Santa Maria which, after a few years, would become the first hotel unit in Santa Maria later named Hotel Morabeza, considered by many to be the birthplace of tourism Cape Verde;

 

• 1980-1985

The island underwent important transformations in all its physical, urban and human tissue;

 

• nineteen ninety

Beginning of the tourist activity, but it was in the mid-90s and the beginning of the millennium, that tourism came to have a big boom, thus developing sun and beach tourism and real estate, mainly, becoming today the main economic activity island and country.

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