Mindelo - Mindelo

Mindelo is the capital and the main airport of São Vicente, island in the archipelago of Cape Verde.

To know

Mindelo is a prosperous town by the standards of Cape Verde and this is undoubtedly due to its natural harbor with deep waters which allows the mooring of commercial ships even of large tonnage.

The city has a cosmopolitan air and its inhabitants are very friendly and love the good life. The climate is pleasant and invites you to stay outside: the restaurants are always crowded and its streets always animated by live music. These factors contribute to making Mindelo the most attractive urban center of the archipelago.

However, it must be said that the city is becoming more and more accustomed to the presence of tourists. Both the support tourism that then moves to Sant'Antao and the permanent one that maybe wants to enjoy Cape Verde away from the resorts of Ilha do Sal is Boa Vista. And some traces of true Cape Verdean life can still be actually enjoyed and seen. The forthcoming and imminent operation of the island's international airport will probably lead to a slow and inevitable change in the city, thus transferring the last drops of life Cape Verdean in the remote and difficult to reach islands of But I, Fogo is BravaThere are many children who will join you asking for some money and in the evening, even if you can circulate in peace, you will have to deal with characters ready to guide you to the nearest restaurant with the classic economic compensation.

Then around 17.00, if you go to the seafront, you can jog with the inhabitants. There are many fans of this practice and almost always end their race at the beach of Langhina (1 km from the port in a north-west direction).

Mindelo was also the birthplace of the most famous Cape Verdean singer in the world: Cesaria Evora.

How to orient yourself

How to get

The only two ways to get there are via a domestic flight or via the ferry boat. The airport is about 4 km from the city center (€ 10.00 by taxi, € 5.00 with the aluguer) while the port is directly in the city center. Mindelo has the deepest port in all of Cape Verde and it is not uncommon to see large cargo or cruise ships stationed there.

How to get around

To move around the city it is possible to use minibuses ("aluguer") / pick-ups, taxis and the urban bus service. The cost of urban services is cheap and can be estimated at around 50 Escudos (€ 0.45) per km traveled. Minibuses travel everywhere and are usually privately operated who pick up any person who beckons them to stop. It also often happens to wait for half an hour or more on board one of these waiting for it to be full but, since the more people there are and the less you pay, it is better to wait without shouting and getting nervous. It will then be necessary to have a little spirit of adaptation as it often happens to travel on very comfortable crates, stowed between sacks of potatoes or onions or undergo long detours. With the minibus / pick-up it is possible to travel up to 20 km with less than 200 Escudos (€ 1.80) per person. Taxis, on the other hand, are expensive (on average 100 Escudos / € 1.10 per km traveled).

The buses have fixed stops in the city center but there are never timetables. Usually you wait for the first bus to pass through there and are signaled to stop. The aluguer / minibuses usually depart, arrive and stop in Piazzale Estrela.

What see

• Governorate Palace. Colonial style building, called the Government or Headquarters House. After independence in 1975 it was called Palazzo del Popolo. At first, the building did not undergo any restoration or modification. Only in 1934 did it undergo a massive restoration that left it as it is today. The refurbishment of the court forced the court of judges, between 2002 and 2003, to take up its seat here and still today judicial hearings are held here. The restructuring of the old court, commissioned by the government, has created very strong disagreements between the population and the municipality of Mindelo as the changes in progress have been judged too drastic 
• Jorge Barbosa High School. Located behind the Governor's Palace, built on the remains of an ancient military building from 1859, it first became a hospital and then housed the post office (until the 1940s) and the current high school (from 1917). It was also the governor's residence from 1871 to 1874. The upper floors were built from 1930; before this date it was in fact a single-storey building. Many Cape Verdeans passed through the classrooms of this school: first of all, the hero of Independence Amilcar Cabral. The building currently houses the university. In Cape Verde there is a compulsory school education (officially, but some prefer to look for a small job) and education is free up to the age of 16. 
• Municipal market. Lively and full of scents in the early morning. It is the home of the Mindelo fruit and vegetable market. Mainly the fruit and vegetable stalls are run by women as well as the buyers are women. The few men present are outside playing cards. The products displayed usually come from Sant 'Antao and the prices are decided from time to time. The local will pay much less than the tourist. The building was erected in 1874. 
• Café Royal. Mentioned in all travel guides, the ground floor café has been closed since the end of 2003 following the acquisition of the building by a Spanish investor. Despite the protests, it was destroyed in 2006 to allow the construction of a new hotel. It was built in 1939 as the seat of the tax office but in 1947 it became the famous café that welcomed sailors from all over the world and Cape Verdean artists including Cesaria Evora. 
• Mindelo Cultural Center. Established as a customs office in 1860, it later became the Municipal Cultural Center where today exhibitions and produced shows are exhibited. 
• The sparrow, Rua de Lisboa. Curious monument built in honor of the aviators Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabrals, after having made the 1st air crossing of the South Atlantic in 1922. The aviators stopped in Mindelo where they were greeted with full honors between 5 and 7 April 1922. 
• Town Hall Building (Câmara Municipal). 
• Pracinha da Igreja. 
• Avenida Marginal. With a replica of the Torre de Belém by Lisbon. 
• Fort of the king (Fortim d'el-Rei). The oldest building in Mindelo overlooking the city and the harbor bay. 
• Alfândega Velha. Building that now houses the National Handicraft Center. 

Events and parties

• Carnival. The carnival is spectacular and deeply felt by its participants. It coincides with the dates of the Brazilian carnival. 
• music festival of Baía das Gatas (distant 14 km from Mindelo). occurs on the first full moon weekend in August. 

What to do

Shopping

Most of the commercial activities are concentrated around Praça Nova. By now, to be honest, over 80% of the shops are run by Chinese merchants. You will soon recognize these businesses as, as a company policy, Chinese merchants, as in the rest of the world, do not hire local people. The shops are the usual: souvenir t-shirts, hats, flip-flops and a whole series of colored battery-operated junk. A nice shop is located on the sides of Praça Nova and has exclusively African and Cape Verdean products with a good quality / price ratio. Some clothing boutiques remain on the upper sides of the square while in the northern part of the city, the one towards the school area, there is an interesting market with good proposals.Two interesting shops are also found in the Sao Pedro airport where you can buy the coffee of Fogo and some objects of local craftsmanship. At last, in case of forgotten purchases, they can really prove to be a lifeline.

How to have fun

Mindelo's nightlife is "effervescent". "Praça Nova" is generally the starting point for the tour of bars and discos that will lead to discover the breadth and variety of Cape Verdean music and the instruments used. Many beggars are also concentrated around this square attracted by the little tourism. Some evenings you can enjoy the Cape Verdean peace in holy tranquility but other evenings you will be continually disturbed by children who will ask you for Euros and by adults who will do the same. Often and willingly some characters, perhaps because they are too full of alcohol or too smoked of crack, will take on apparently violent attitudes. It is better, without too many alarms, to get up and walk away. The best solution, for persistent characters, is to take refuge in a club. In fact, in these environments, they are not allowed to enter. For the rest, the areas adjacent to the port area and those of the upper part of the city are to be preferred only if you are in company. The narrow and dark alleys can, more frequently than one might think, hide characters who are certainly not cordial and courteous. In short, as in any part of the world, it is always better to go to the busiest streets. It is always advisable to take a taxi at night to move to areas far from the center.

Night clubs

Below is a list of the premises currently present in Mindelo:

• Bar Holanda. 
• Boteguita of Mindelo. 
• Cafe Lisboa. 
• Calabar. 
• Caravela. dance club 
• Kilos. 
• Diamond. pole dance 
• Esplanada. the djinha 
• Experiens. 
• Fund'mar. 
• Gentlemen. pole dance 
• Habana. Cafe 
• Jazzy. Cafe 
• Katen music. 
• Kintal. 
• O'cocktail. 
• Pontus g. 
• Siryus. disco club 

Where to eat

Any place in Mindelo can offer you a great meal at a reasonable price. A dinner for two people can cost approximately € 25 and the portions offered are often more than abundant. Many fish-based dishes first of all. The cheeses are usually made from goat (the only animal that can resist on the archipelago) and the choice of vegetables is between a few varieties of fruit (first of all banana and papaya) and vegetables (potatoes, carrots and salad).

It is also possible to have sandwiches and sandwiches in the numerous kiosks and bars present. A small snack can cost you approximately 3 to 5 Euros. Even São Vincente, like the leaders Sal and Boavista, is quickly adjusting to European prices. Far, far away are the times when you could have dinner for less than 10,000 lire per couple.

Average prices

• Pica Pau, Rua S. Antonio 42. It closes early in the evening so it is always best to go there no later than 10pm.. Now known all over the world, the restaurant, despite the noisy tourists who eat there, remains immersed in its slowness and respectful silence. Five tables alone which means having to share a small space with four other noisy and unpolite tables or four other silent tables. It is a small place to be enjoyed in silence, with only the sound of the ceiling fan and the various souvenir / dedication slips hanging on the walls in rhythmic movement. All the food offered is excellent and well cared for. To pay little attention to order and cleanliness. 
• 16.8955424.985171 CALABAR (madeiralzinho area), ☎ 238 9981315, @[email protected]. Mon-Thu 19.00-02.00 Fri-Sat 19.00-04.00. Grill-cocktail bar with outdoor terrace, where you can dine or simply tease the local specialties: filet mignon, meat and fish skewers, buzio (seafood) and more, while sipping excellent international and local cocktails (try the MINDELINHO house specialty). Ambient and local music, happy hour on all cocktails from 19.00 to 21.00. It hosts tourists and mainly Cape Verdeans, a good opportunity for coexistence. On weekends, after dinner time, it comes alive while remaining an excellent and quiet environment where you can eat and drink until almost closing time. Run by a countryman bartender. 

Where stay

Average prices

• From Paolo, ☎ 238 993 7347, @[email protected]. Small apartment on the hills near the town and belonging to one of our compatriots who settled in Mindelo. 
• Porto Grande Hotel OÁSIS ATLÂNTICO, C.P. 103 - Praca Amilcar Cabral, ☎ 238 2 321176, fax: 238 2 323193, @[email protected]. 
• Mindel Hotel, Praça Nova, ☎ 238 2 328881, fax: 238 2 328887, @[email protected]. 
• Residencial Chez Loutcha, Rua de Coco, ☎ 238 2 321636, 238 2 321689, fax: 238 2 327743, 238 2 321635. 
• Residencial Novo Horizonte, Rua Senador Vera Cruz 26 - CP 280, ☎ 238 2 323915. 
• Residencial Sodade, 38 Rua Franz Fanoz 38 - CP 325, ☎ 238 2 303200, 238 2 323370, fax: 238 2 314019, @[email protected]. 
• Residencial Chave d'Ouro, Avenida 5 de julho CP 93, ☎ 238 2 327050, fax: 238 2 327057. 
• Residencial Maravilha, Alto S.Nicolau, ☎ 238 2 300094, fax: 238 2 322217, @[email protected]. 

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• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Mindelo
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