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Pedra de Lume is a village in the eastern part of the island of Sal. The village is about 5 km east of Espargos and is linked with a road linking to the island capital as well as other villages on the island. Pedra de Lume has been famous for its salt mines which began around the 18th century and is the most ancient, and the home of the first salt workers. Today it is only a small village with very few inhabitants.
There is little vegetation within the village and around it, with the surrounding area featuring a few green spots in sporadic areas. Fruits and vegetables and meat are mainly imported from other parts of Cape Verde that have better climate. The area has no farmlands. There is a small beach, and the rest of the coastline are jagged.
The Pedra de Lume crater is around 500 m in radius and is an extinct volcano. The area features salt evaporation ponds built over a natural salt lake that formed through infiltration of water from the sea, since the base of the crater is below the sea level. There is a cable car which used to carry the salt to the factory which is located by the shoreline where it had been shipping to other parts of the world, mainly Africa. The salt extraction is currently inactive.
Some older houses are built with mud-brick and stone, the rest are concrete or sand with stone. Currently, more houses are built with brick and steel reinforced concrete. The population used to be a large percentage of miners, but currently is almost entirely made of fishermen, manufacturers and people working in the local tourism facilities. Part of the needed materials come from the island capital, the county capital and the diaspora. But other needs, electricity, communications and appliances are partially available in the area as well as phone lines since the mid to late-20th century.
By 1985 the salinas of Pedra de Lume ceased operations. But.in 1990 there were still 700 residents in Pedra de Lume. Unfortunately, the economy of the town only offers a handful of job opportunities so the rest had to migrate to other parts of Sal or abroad. The Italian Steffaninna has now bought the site to turn it into a resort.
There is now a small cafe inside the Caldera of the extinct volcano, where you can wash off the caked salt under a shower and have a cool drink. after a float . Service for food is dreadful when they have a coach-load of Italian trippers from one of the company owned holiday camps. Even if you speak Italian or Portuguese, you will simply be ignored. If not you have still less chance of getting served. Much better to drive down to the beach and eat in the larger restaurant, which also unfortunately caters for Italian coach-loads but has more staff to cope with them.
The swim in the salt pan with a maximum depth of 2 foot is an interesting experience and is completely free. Take submersible shoes for the salt crystals are like sharp gravel and can puncture the feet if you walk on them. There is a nice walk of around 3 miles around the perimeter or less than a mile across the centre.
You can watch the birds that live in the brackish water and watch the dump trucks driving around the rim of the crater in clouds of dust or just listen to the silence. Until the Italains arrive that is. It is best to avoid mid-day which is when it can be hot and most noisy. At other times it is sheer solitude as the clouds scud past over the crater rim.
There is little vegetation within the village and around it, with the surrounding area featuring a few green spots in sporadic areas. Fruits and vegetables and meat are mainly imported from other parts of Cape Verde that have better climate. The area has no farmlands. There is a small beach, and the rest of the coastline are jagged.
The Pedra de Lume crater is around 500 m in radius and is an extinct volcano. The area features salt evaporation ponds built over a natural salt lake that formed through infiltration of water from the sea, since the base of the crater is below the sea level. There is a cable car which used to carry the salt to the factory which is located by the shoreline where it had been shipping to other parts of the world, mainly Africa. The salt extraction is currently inactive.
Some older houses are built with mud-brick and stone, the rest are concrete or sand with stone. Currently, more houses are built with brick and steel reinforced concrete. The population used to be a large percentage of miners, but currently is almost entirely made of fishermen, manufacturers and people working in the local tourism facilities. Part of the needed materials come from the island capital, the county capital and the diaspora. But other needs, electricity, communications and appliances are partially available in the area as well as phone lines since the mid to late-20th century.
By 1985 the salinas of Pedra de Lume ceased operations. But.in 1990 there were still 700 residents in Pedra de Lume. Unfortunately, the economy of the town only offers a handful of job opportunities so the rest had to migrate to other parts of Sal or abroad. The Italian Steffaninna has now bought the site to turn it into a resort.
There is now a small cafe inside the Caldera of the extinct volcano, where you can wash off the caked salt under a shower and have a cool drink. after a float . Service for food is dreadful when they have a coach-load of Italian trippers from one of the company owned holiday camps. Even if you speak Italian or Portuguese, you will simply be ignored. If not you have still less chance of getting served. Much better to drive down to the beach and eat in the larger restaurant, which also unfortunately caters for Italian coach-loads but has more staff to cope with them.
The swim in the salt pan with a maximum depth of 2 foot is an interesting experience and is completely free. Take submersible shoes for the salt crystals are like sharp gravel and can puncture the feet if you walk on them. There is a nice walk of around 3 miles around the perimeter or less than a mile across the centre.
You can watch the birds that live in the brackish water and watch the dump trucks driving around the rim of the crater in clouds of dust or just listen to the silence. Until the Italains arrive that is. It is best to avoid mid-day which is when it can be hot and most noisy. At other times it is sheer solitude as the clouds scud past over the crater rim.
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