| Pedra de Lume | |
| Coordinates: | 16.763°N -22.895°W |
| Key: | 41102 |
| Elevation: | 3 |
Pedra de Lume is a village in the northeastern part of the island of Sal, Cape Verde. The village is situated on the east coast, about 5 km east of the island capital Espargos. It has a small port and a lighthouse, Farol de Pedra de Lume.
Pedra de Lume has been famous for its salt evaporation ponds (salinas),[1] exploitation of which began in the 18th century. According to geologists, the waters in the lake rise from deep in the earth rather than from lateral infiltration from the ocean.[2] The salinas are situated in the crater of an extinct volcano. Together with the mountain Cagarral, the salinas and the crater form a protected landscape, covering 8.02km2.[3] [4]
Pedra de Lume was founded by Manuel António Martins, who started the exploitation of the salt ponds in 1796.[5] A tunnel to the salt ponds was constructed in 1804, and a port in 1805.[6] Salt production flourished in most of the 19th century, but went into decline after 1887, when Brazil, the main export destination, imposed a ban on imported salt.[5] Salt production was revived by the French company Salins du Cap Vert, that installed an 1100 m aerial tramway for salt transport in 1921. Current production is small, and mainly intended for beauty products and thalassotherapy.[5]