Cape Verde Explored – Useful things to know about São Vicente 

I should really have gone for Useful things to know about Mindelo because we didn’t venture away from the island’s capital and main city.

So – why did we visit São Vicente …….

Logistics really – we had 2 weeks in Cape Verde but didn’t want to spend a full week on any one island. Then it was about flight connections. We could fly from Sal and go onwards to another island by air. Mindelo, the archipelago’s second city and most important port, sounded like there was a buzz about it – colonial Europe in style, a cultural hub with lots of local music, a decent beach, good selection of restaurants…. so we headed there for 3 nights.

A decapitated Tom will show you where we’ve been….

….and where we’re off to!

A stroll around town....

Artisanal fishing (small wooden boats with small area of action) is extremely important to the local economy. The boats are typically operated by a crew of 3-4 who land their catches on a few beaches around the island or here at the pier in Mindelo.

The increasing tourist industry on the island will create issues going forward – a demand for expensive seafood species will definitely lead to overexploitation while resentment may grow towards the restaurant owners who can charge prices far above what they hand over in the markets each morning, thus creating an unequal distribution of income.

Unofficial fish traders line the nearby streets…

The end product!!

Next to the Fish Market, you might recognise Torre de Belem– a replica of Lisbon’s famous landmark. It was built to celebrate 500 years of Portuguese rule and now houses the Museu do Mar.

You can pick up handcrafts along with your fruit and veg at the Mercado Municipal….

….and lunch in its hugely popular Cafe Verde if you get a seat…

… or visit the street markets for the usual brightly coloured garments and souvenirs

This is Portuguese explorer Diogo Alfonso who discovered São Vicente on 22 January, 1462 (Saint Vincent’s Day).  Due to its lack of water, the island had no permanent inhabitants and was used only as a cattle pasture. This changed in 1838 when a coal depot was established to supply ships on Atlantic routes. Its importance waned at the beginning of the 20th century when ships shifted from coal to oil and a lack of investment in infrastructure meant the port couldn’t compete with Senegal and the Canaries.

 Águia (Eagle) Mindelo pays homage to aviators Sacadura Caral and Gago Coutinho. In 1922 they made the first air crossing of the South Atlantic, taking 3 months, 3 planes and several stops from Lisbon to Rio. En route, they spent several days here on São Vicente .

This is a good time for a musical interlude – before I show you my favourite thing in town…

Morna is the traditional musical practice of the islands – an instrumental accompaniment incorporating voice, music, poetry and dance. In the past, lyrics were also composed in Portuguese but nowadays they are primarily in Cape Verdean Creole. Its melancholy nature may sound similar to Fado but it also reflects African and Brazilan influences.

It is the great Cesária Évora, more than anyone else, who is credited with introducing morna to the wider world. Starting out in the local cafes and bars of Mindelo, it wasn’t until 1988, aged 47 that her international career took off. She received her first Grammy nomination in 1995 and the publicity introduced her to a worldwide audience. She toured the world but never forgot her roots – often performing barefoot in solidarity with the poor of Cape Verde. In 2004 her album Voz D’Amor won the Grammy for Best World Music Album. She died in 2011.

She’s everywhere throughout the islands!! T-shirts, bags, mugs……..

But I absolutely LOVE this…..

Portuguese artist Vhils used highly refined stenciling – drilling and scraping layers from the wall to form a low relief portrait.

Originally opened in 1874, with a second floor added in 1934, the bright pink Palacio do Povo (People’s Palace) was intended to house the government if the capital of Cabo Verde was ever moved to Mindelo. It was never needed and now functions as an exhibition space.

A walk through its colourful streets and squares shows the influence and elegance of Mindelo’s colonial past….

…. but it’s not stuck in the past either….

There’s a nice prom linking the centre to the beach..

But before heading for a swim, we’ll detour to Fort D’El Rei up on that hilltop. Built between 1852 and 1853 to defend the Porto Grande harbour below, it is the oldest construction in the city.

OK – not the most exciting ruins I’ve ever encountered!!

But the views aren’t bad!!

Laginha Beach is one of the city’s main attractions. It’s a lovely stretch of sand and and an easy 15-20 minute saunter from the city centre. It has a popular beach bar at either end so you don’t have to head back to town for lunch or drinks.

From here you’ve a great view of  Ilhéu do Djeu with its lighthouse.

Out beyond the island you can see Santo Antão which is supposed to be the most beautiful island in the archipelago. You can only reach it by boat and it seems to be what actually brings most visitors to Mindelo. We regularly met packpackers coming to and from the ferry terminal and got talking to a mixed European group of hikers in a cafe – all set for several days trekking.

Away from Mindelo, the island is described as barren and rather desolate ( over 90% of the population live in and around the city) although it does have a couple of nice beaches.

Where we stayed.

We switched from our first option – Ouril Hotel Mindelo – because, although the location was good, I’m not mad about roof top pools. For an extra £85 for 3 nights, Mansa Marina Hotel looked like a better fit with a nice wide open pool area right out on the harbour. Should have stuck with the original plan! We’d a nice garden setting and room but the pool area was very exposed to the wind and downright unpleasant at times. The pool furniture has a terrible life with the constant battering. We had a small garden area at our room where we could sit if necessary. Breakfast was just ok. We’d lunch upon arrival but otherwise ate out – we’d a choice of restaurants, bars and cafes very close by.

There we are – right at the centre of everything…

So what did we think….

It was nice to experience an urban setting that wasn’t totally tourist orientated. If looking to sample several islands on your trip then I’d say yes, come to Mindelo. Most restaurants feature live music – and we were able to linger with a drink after our meal (although they may not be able to facilitate that in high season of course). I wouldn’t stay a week but we enjoyed our few days (apart from the windy pool area of course!).

Would we go back? We’d go back to catch the ferry to Santo Antão although, not being much of a hiker, I’d need to see what the options are for exploring the island – which really does sound lovely.