This has cropped up on the radar as somewhere we may consider for a fortnight, over next Christmas.

Does anyone have any experiences, good or bad?

Ta

I’ve been to Sal a couple of times for the windsurfing. Stayed in the town in Santa Maria and enjoyed the bustle of the place. Lots of good places for eats drinks and music. Local people were lovely and we always felt safe and at home.
Most people seem to stop at the big wristband places and don’t venture outside much. We hired bikes a couple of times and dropped into the big complexes for a beer. Different lifestyle so couldn’t comment. Apart from the beaches, which have big waves and strong winds keeping the heat comfortable all year the place is featureless. A massive flat sandy desert. If you hire a bike make sure you ride out into the wind and get a tailwind back. Very hard getting home if you do it the other way round.
The people who stay at the large hotels and only venture into Santa Maria once or twice seem to find the town a bit scary. Wierd, but maybe they are told scary stories to keep them in the all inclusive. Or maybe the locals spot the wristband and put on an act!
You get hassled all the time in town which is part of the colour when you’re staying local. After the first time you promise to go to their bazaar to buy your bottle of water you just smile, say hello, shake hands and you have a new friend! Then you just do what you want to do, smiling, saying hello and promising you’ll go to everybody’s stall before you leave and you’ll buy all your carvings there.
I guess it can feel intimidating if it’s your only excursion and so you tend only to see the independent travellers having the fun times in the bars in the evening, even though the taxis are cheap and plentiful.

we went to the other part (boa vista?), big all inclusive Riu hotel that looks like a big sandcastle. a weeks worth of cocktails and food whenever you want it may sound good (and it was), but dont think id go back.
as bigjohn says, its just featureless desert really. lovely white sand but you could only go in the sea 50% of the time as the red flags were out the rest of the time due to the large waves/currents.

wifes always badgering to go back as its further south than canaries (6hr flight rather than 4), so hotter late into the season, but id just be bored if i went back.

and yes, we went for an hours walk along the beach to the nearest ‘town’ and were badgered and almost locked in a shop until we bought something.

if you just want sun, hotel swimming pools, and eating and drinking as much as you like tho, go for it.

EDIT: jusr re-read OP, i think a fortnight would do my nut in 🙂 OTOH, a mate of mine goes for the wind/kite surfing or whatever it is, so its good if youre into that due to the rougher sea.

The Islands motto is no stress. We love it and have been for the last 6 years at xmas / new year. Yoga for the wife, Kitesurfing for me and pool and beach for the kids. Hot, sunny and loads of fish to eat for the family. But as others have said it is a windy, desert with not a lot else to see or do.

Doesn’t sound like it’s for us. Cheers all

Sounds like we went to the same as @Sadexpunk.
Lovely complex with a great atmosphere in the evening, like being in a huge town square but so isolated. The nearest town that you drive though on the way was a real eye opener to the poverty

My neighbours went for the windsurfing , stayed in a dedicated hotel complex with private beach and guards etc

Went for a walk one evening along te beach out of the private area and got mugged at knife point by a group of 3 guys. Watches , wallets , phones etc all taken
They won’t go back ever

I’ve been quite a few times due to work on extended stays and am heading back there this month on holiday.

Agree with what’s said above, however there’s good wind and kitesurfing and that’s what we’re going for. Staying in Santa Maria as I can’t stand the all inclusive hotels. Good surf spots too.

Not heard any problems with muggings, but I guess it’s a poor place and that can happen, but it’s not common at all.

They won’t go back ever

That’s fair enough, being mugged is no fun. But that sort of thing is possible in a lot of places.

if you want the same sort of weather but a bit more culture, senegal/the gambia are lovely, safe places with lots to see

Me and my girlfriend spent a week in the Riu Touareg on Boa Vista and we had a great time. The first time we’ve done an all inclusive holiday and didnt think it would be our thing but had a real laugh.

We spent one day drinking by the pool but also hired a bloke with a Hilux to take us round the island (small so can do most of it in a day), went on a boat trip out from the harbour to a small island and did some snorkeling etc, fished off the beach, went for a 9 mile walk along the beach without seeing anyone else, and spent a fair bit of time just using the hotel sports facilities.

Good winter getwaway and no time difference so that helps get ‘straight on’ with the holiday.

I’m not in any rush to go again in the near future just because its small so we saw the sights and have other places on the list to visit, but we centrainly look back on the week as a great time!

Went for a week. Wouldn’t go back.

Windy.

Locals on Boa Vista will hassle you and practically lock you in their shop until you buy something while standing menacing at the door.

Did stop off at a couple of friendly beach bars.

Bit of a featureless place, I did a few 10km runs to look around but it was a bit dull.

And windy.

if you want the same sort of weather but a bit more culture, senegal/the gambia are lovely, safe places with lots to see

how much further south are they? just thinking bout flight times….

Same latitude. Sometimes the flight back stops in Gambia or Senegal to swap crew.