When I tell you I have absolutely lived my best life the past week, I don’t think you actually understand. So I’ll just try and show you…

Most days started with 3, (yes three, don’t judge), plates of breakfast before a long, hard day of sunbathing, pool dipping and frolocking in the sea.

On the Wednesday we spent the afternoon at Bikini Beach, which I guess is Sal’s version of Ocean Beach, but more family friendly and without the predator that is Wayne Lineker. We drank and danced all evening whilst the crystal blue waves of the Atlantic ocean crashed behind us. The following morning, we headed out on the Sodade catamaran. We sailed out to near Monte León, and on the way WE SAW DOLPHINS. We literally saw about 6 or 7, bounding up and out of the water. It was such a beautiful moment the image is saved in my memory forever. We eventually stopped to have a little swim before heading back to Palmeira.

That same night we ventured into Santa Maria, which is the main tourist town. Ocean Café had been recommended to us by so many people, so we headed down there. We were greeted with the warmth and enthusiasm that we’d experienced from everyone we’d encountered in Sal and were told we should get a drink before the dancing started. We drank and danced… and did not stop dancing. Everyone got involved, attempting to pick up the steps the staff were showing us and just having a proper good wiggle before it was time to move onto Kinta Loka. It literally means ‘Crazy Thursday’, and it was wild. Not only because it cost €3 with a drink included, but also because it was just such a great night. I swear to the good Lord, I have never had so much fun on a night out. The following morning, feeling slightly fragile, we had a couples massage in our hotel and spent the rest of the day on the beach.

The following morning we did a quick island tour. In terms of tourist attractions, there’s not a huge amount going on. We started our tour in Murdeira and then went up to the lookout point in Espargos which is the capital of Sal. It seemed crazy to me to look out and not see any lush greenery, but Sal is DRY. Due to the winds blowing the clouds away, it hardly ever rains, so the land is almost completely barren. Everything is imported as nothing grows on the land and even the locals drinking water is desalinated sea water. Tourism makes up 80% of the economy there but even with a high level of employment, the average income is only about €400 a month. (Our guide, Edileno, was very informative… and very fit, just like all the other men on Sal). From there, we moved onto the salinas in Pedra de Lume which are in the middle of a collapsed volcano. It was the weirdest experience, not being able to sink no matter how heavy we tried to make ourselves. Rinsing off we, and our super soft skin, got back into the 4×4 and off-roaded to Terra Boa seeing the mirage and onto Buracona lagoon to see another optical illusion of the Blue Eye. We finished the tour back in Palmeira where we learnt more about the 9 islands that make up Cape Verde.

On our final night, we went back to Ocean Cafe and had a final dance in paradise.

The people that we met on our holiday definitely made played a huge part in our week. Everyone is so friendly and would just come over and have a chat with us. I don’t think I’ve ever been somewhere that has captured my heart as much as Sal has. I’m still very much trying to find my place in this world and there are so many aspects of Sal that were such perfect for me, I feel like I’m closer to finding where I fit.

I feel like this is probably one of the most incoherent and rambly posts I’ve written, but this was honestly the best holiday of my life so it’s hard to articulate all my thoughts and feels. Either way, please believe, I will be going back. Who wants to join me?