An incredible base for dx adventure, the ham friendly Oasis Belorizonte Hotel, on Santa Maria Beach, is located on picturesque Sal Island in the central Atlantic Ocean.

Situated in the Republic of Cape Verde (205 Division), 560 km off the west coast of Africa, Sal (Portuguese for “salt”) is an ideal DXstination for ham and 11m DXpeditioners wanting to get their teeth into some serious IOTA DX action.

With white sandy beaches and over 350 days of sunshine a year, Sal is one of five islands in the Windward Islands IOTA Group, referenced as AF-086 in accordance with the World IOTA Program.

Others in the archipelago include: Boa Vista, Santa Luzia, Santo Antao, Sao Nicolau and Sao Vicente.

HAM FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATION

The 431 bungalows of Oasis Belorizonte Hotel are built on the beach, directly alongside the Atlantic Ocean.

Recon provided by friends of the DA-RC indicate that bungalow 251, in the front row at the beach, is the best with uninterrupted pathways and yagi take offs to Europe.

Locals are said to be kind enough to assist with building and dismantling the antennas.

Room Facilities include double or twin beds, a shower room, air-conditioning, small fridge, television, telephone, hairdryer, safe (payable locally), wi-Fi, balcony or terrace.

Oasis Belorizonte’s recently refurbished superior beach bungalows all come with a terrace, air-conditioning, satellite TV and mini-bar.

Each room is light, fresh and airy with vibrant splashes of African colour.

A laundry service is available.

The only drawback is that you must take your own radio equipment!

DX DOWNTIME

For the dx tourist looking to escape the monstrous pile ups that will go hand in hand with such a trip, the island’s white sand beaches and turquoise seas offer an abundance of activities. 

Water sports such as kiteboarding, swimming, snorkelling, diving and deep sea fishing are options.

Coupled with walks along the beach and bars and restaurants and live music at Santa Maria, the main tourist area and a beautiful fishing village, a large reserve of Caretta turtles which hatch from July to September, are a must see.

Alternatively, dx adventurists can relax in one of the hotel’s three outdoor swimming pools before flopping on a sunlounger, or challenge one another to a game of beach football, volleyball, bowls or a round of tennis in the hotel’s tennis courts.

MEALS

The hotel’s four restaurants and five bars give the opportunity to treat yourself to an array of exciting tastes and flavours.

All-inclusive meals can be enjoyed in the Santa Maria buffet restaurant, which offers barbeque, Cape Verdean and Latin nights with themed menus to match.

The Beach Bar is also a popular place to relax.

SUMMARY

• ACCOMMODATION NAME:  Oasis Belorizonte
• LOCATION:  Sal Island, Cape Verde
• IOTA Reference: AF-086
• IOTA GROUP: Windward Islands (aka Barlavento)
• 11M DIVISION: 205
• HAM PREFIX:  D44
• COST:  Approximately $150 US per night
• TELEPHONE:  +351 21 7524100
• EMAIL:  info@oasisatlantico.com
• LICENSING:  By all reports, obtaining a temporary license can be troublesome so start the process a few months early to ensure you’re not disappointed.
• GETTING THERE:  Due to its geographical location, Cape Verde is often flown over by transatlantic airliners. It’s part of the conventional air traffic route from Europe to South America, which goes from southern Portugal via the Canary Islands and Cape Verde to northern Brazil.  From the airport, it’s 20 minutes by taxi transfer.
• WX:  The climate in Cape Verde is milder than that of the African mainland; because the islands are surrounded by the sea, temps are generally moderate
• URL:  https://caboverde-belorizonte.oasisatlantico.com/
• FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/oasisatlantico.hotels