Mindelo, Cape Verde’s cultural capital
A port city in the north of São Vicente island, founded in 1793, Mindelo is considered Cape Verde’s cultural capital. It is known for its colourful carnival, Portuguese in origin and influenced by Brazilian culture.
Key facts
Before you go.
- Starting point
- São Pedro airport, then a taxi to MindeloMindelo (Wikivoyage)
- GPS coordinates
- 16.88600, -24.98800Mindelo (Wikipedia)
Good to know
Three things to remember.
Traditional music is commonly played in the town’s bars and restaurants.
Mindelo (Wikivoyage)Some venues have live mornas from Thursday to Sunday.
Mindelo (Wikivoyage)Mindelo is the ferry port for Santo Antão, about 1 hour away.
Santo Antão (Wikivoyage)
Plan the trip
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Keep exploring
Cape Verde
Hiking on Santo Antão
Cape Verde’s second island at 785 km², Santo Antão is volcanic and very mountainous, with two high plateaus and steep valleys.
The Fogo volcano
An active stratovolcano, Pico do Fogo rises to 2,829 m; its latest eruptions were in 1951, 1995 and 2014.
Cidade Velha, Cape Verde’s first town
Founded in 1462 by Portuguese traders, Cidade Velha is the oldest settlement in Cape Verde and its former capital, the first European colonial settlement in the tropics.
Sources · 3 pages consulted, with the exact sentence used
- Mindelo (Wikipedia)
Mindelo […] is a port city in the northern part of the island of São Vicente in Cape Verde. […] Mindelo is also considered the cultural capital of Cape Verde, known for its colorful and animated carnival celebrations, with roots in Portuguese traditions later influenced by the Brazilian culture. […] A settlement at Mindelo was founded in 1793 by the Portuguese. (coordinates 16.886, -24.988)
- Mindelo (Wikivoyage)
You'll hear traditional music commonly played in bars and restaurants around town. […] From the airport at São Pedro taxis take you to Mindelo […] Live music (mornas) on Thursday to Sunday.
- Santo Antão (Wikivoyage)
The trip from Mindelo to Porto Novo takes about 1 hour with the ferry.
Opening hours, prices and access conditions change: check them with the official source before you go. Viafro publishes no price without a source and a date.