Official Language:
Portugese
Secondary Language:
Crioulo
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Currency:
Cape Verde Escudo
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Population:
Approximately 50,000 people call Mindelo home.
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Mindelo Cape Verde: The climate here is tropical, humid, with plenty of sun. High temperatures are between 70°F and 90°F (21-32°C) degrees year round. Sea breezes keep the humidity somewhat low.
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PORT: Cruise ships dock at Porto Grande, a natural, deep-water port, also used for commercial purposes.
Cape Verde is an African country that consists of 10 main islands along with 5 small islands. Located in the Atlantic Ocean, about 400 miles west of Dakar, Senegal, along the African mainland. It is largely undeveloped, yet it's centuries-old traditions have been preserved. Cape Verde is a very authentic Africa.
The first Portuguese settlers had landed on Santiago island in 1462. They then established what is known to be the oldest European city in the tropics. Slaves were brought from West Africa to carry out the hard labor of making these uninhabited islands habitable. They also worked on the cotton plantations. After a couple of years Cape Verde, at the time, one of Portugal's five African colonies, began to prosper as a convenient staging post for the flourishing trans-Atlantic slave trade. For more than three centuries the West African natives were captured and brought to these islands for sale to the European slavers who then took them to the New World. Cidade Velha's wealth attracted some unwanted attention leading to the port city being plundered by England's Sir Francis Drake. In 1712 the infamous French pirate Jacques Cassart then devastated the city which triggered a decline from which it never recovered.
Overlooking the town is the 16th-century Sao Filipe clifftop fort. It is being excavated and restored as part of a government plan to use the country's historical sites for cultural tourism.
The Cidade Velha is called the cradle of the nation, where it all began began. Other than the pelourinho, a carved marble pillar where slaves were publicly flogged, there are no other monuments in the town square or anywhere in the islands The evidence of the slaving history is all around.
The people of Cape Verde began imigrating in large numbers to New England in the United States during the first half of the 19th century. The abolition of slavery in 1876 heralded Cape Verde's economic decline. The port city of Mindelo, located on the island of Sao Vicente, then led a revival as a refueling stopover for trans-Atlantic ships. English companies established coal stations in the early 19th century, any by 1889 there were 2,000 merchant vessels with an average of more than five a day. Shipping in Cape Verde after World War I diminished to Spain's more developed Canary Islands to the northeast.
Bars and cafes of Mindelo are popular on weekends, and visitors will find talented local amateurs that sing on stage. Cafe Marseilles is a popular spot to find such.
Between 1961-75 the Portuguese found uses for Cape Verde. Used as a garrison by the Portuguese army, with almost no fighting, Lisbon set up its infamous prison at Tarrafal on Santiago Island. This now abandoned prison is being converted into a museum. At one time this prison was holding more than 300 convicts and political opponents of Portugal's 41-year dictatorship. Beautiful mountain views can be found from the grassy courtyard. Tarrafal also has a spectacular beach on a green sea within the wide horseshoe bay. Tourists can be found at the beachfront Baia Verde Hotel relaxing on a hammock slung between the palms.
Cape Verde's independence came in 1975. A Marxist government ruled the country as a one-party state, crippling the economic development.
Mindelo is a quaint and sleepy, yet a bit colonial. The main cultural strains are African with a good amount of Portuguese influence. Mindelo at night becomes a nightclub heaven. The pink-painted Governor's palace is paretty much the most imposing building around. A walk from the markets to the harbor will bring you across the Parca Amicar Cabral. Be sure to visit the Cape Verde Handicraft Museum once you enter the park. The waterfront offers small restaurant and cafes where you can dine with the locals.
If all you've done is sit and relax, then you have most definately captured the unhurried pace of the Cape Verde Islands.
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Windsurfing:
Cape Verde's beaches present excellent conditions for windsurfing. Windsurfing opportunities are excellent thanks to a special wind system. A known hotspot as well as Santa Maria are considered by windsurf specialists to be among the worlds top five windsurfing locations.
Hiking:
The many mountains of Cape Verde offer some good hiking excursions. One of the best places for a short hike is the hilly green interior of Santo Antão Island. The main hike is up Ribeira Grande Mountain, approximately 6 miles south of the town of Ribeira Grande, located on the northeastern coast. Getting to the top and back takes most of a day.
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