Salinas of the English Port, Protected salt flats in Porto Inglês, Cape Verde

The Salinas of the English Port form a 5.34 km² saline wetland in southwestern Maio, northwest of the city of Porto Inglês. Shallow pools and salt-crusted flats lie among sand dunes, and the site is a protected landscape and Ramsar site.

Salt extraction at this location traces back to the colonial period when trade routes connected the islands. The site earned international protection status in 2013 when recognized as a Ramsar wetland.

The name Porto Inglês, "English Port", recalls the foreign salt traders who came for Maio's salt. Salt was raked from the flats and loaded onto boats, and the trade shaped the settlement beside the ponds. Visitors still see the old salt pans and walls that divided the evaporation basins.

Access is easiest during the dry season when paths are more passable and the salt pools are clearly visible. An on-site Interpretation Center offers guided tours explaining salt production and provides bird watching opportunities.

The Kentish plover population here represents about 50% of the entire Cape Verde total, estimated at 150 to 300 individuals. The site also supports 10 to 13% of the world population of the cream-coloured courser, a bird of dry open ground.