Day 61 Thur. March 16 Mindelo (Sao Vicente), Cape Verde 10-7:00

 Day 61 Thur. March 16  Mindelo (Sao Vicente), Cape Verde 10-7:00  no restrooms on tour.  Shuttles to town.  15 minute walk to town.  Speak Portuguese.  

Tour Length: Half-Day (Approximately 4 hours)

Tour Description

Discover Belem Tower, an homage to the island’s founding on Saint Vincent’s Day by the Portuguese.

View West African merchants displaying their wares and farmers selling their crops at Praça Estrela.

Glimpse the city’s casual social life at colonial Praça Nova square.

Encounter sweeping views of the entire island from Monte Verde, São Vicente’s highest point.

Learn of the challenges faced by early settlers due to the island’s arid nature and lack of substantial water sources.

Appreciate the island’s spectacular diversity on this enlightening coach tour showcasing an eclectic blend of urban life and natural wonders. You’ll pass landmarks such as the Belem Tower, a replica of the famed Lisbon original that pays homage to the island’s discovery in 1642 on Saint Vincent’s Day. Arrive at Praça Estrela, a thriving marketplace for West African merchants displaying wares ranging from handmade crafts to fine jewelry, and visit a locally grown vegetable market. You’ll stop briefly at Praça Nova, a striking colonial square that offers a glimpse into the city’s casual social life, and ascend volcanic Monte Verde to encounter sweeping views of São Vicente. Here, on the island’s highest peak, get a bird’s-eye view of Mindelo and its beaches, such as crescent-shaped Praia Grande, renowned for the remarkable contrast between its white sands and the backdrop of the black lava mountains. Passing through an agricultural valley, appreciate the stream that provides the island’s much-needed irrigation. You’ll learn that despite São Vicente’s discovery in 1462 as the first permanent Portuguese settlement, it wasn’t developed until the 19th century because of its arid nature and lack of adequate water, a tidbit of knowledge that will only enhance your appreciation for the island’s blend of natural beauty and human ingenuity.

                                            Vegetable market was near the President's Palace.

Houses were very different.  This house was finished and painted different colors.  Other houses were just roughly finished.  Sometimes the house looked like one room and they would add on to the house when they could afford it.  Sometimes just the front of the house was painted and sometimes the whole house was painted.  It all depended on what the people could afford.  

                                                View along the road to Monte Verde

                                          Sand dunes and beach at Praia Grande above and below

                                                            Monte Verde above and below

                                            Stone road to top of Monte Verde.  It was rough and noisy.  

                                                View from Monte Verde

                                    

Cape Verde - Leave the pier of Porto Grande in the town of Mindelo and visit Sao Vicente, one of the ten islands.  The cultural roots are African and Portuguese.  Types of music include morna, urban Angolan kizomba and a wide variety of dances.  Cabo is used to refer to the people who live in Cape Verde and to their culture.  Creole is the mother tongue of most Cape Verdeans.  There are two dialects of Creole and there is no consensus on adopting one.  

Mindelo is the cultural center of the Cape Verde Islands.  Colonial Buildings, cobblestone streets, cafes and restaurants, and nightlife can all be found.  Mindelo is known for fishing, shipping, boating and tourism.  

                                            Fishermen cleaning fish.

                                                                Colonial Buildings

                                            Three ships were in port, Oceania, Fred Olsen and Azamara

The Governor's Palace

Governor’s Palace/The People’s Palace is a pink and white two-story building.  It is influenced by colonial architecture and Indian design.  The local government has found a home there.  The building is well-preserved and surrounded by a lovely garden.  

Praia de Bote is a beach near the port.  See fisherman mending their nets and repairing and caulking their small fishing boats.  

Nearby is Mercado de Paixe, a fish market.  Vendors cut, clean, weigh and sell fish.  

Fish Market in Mindelo/Sao Vincente

Torre de Belem was built in 1937.  It is a smaller version of a similar tower with the same name in Lisbon.  Both towers are good examples of the Portuguese Manueline style of architecture which is vibrant and lavish.  Manueline architecture is characterized by large arches and twisted frames that frame cornices, facades, and vaults. The name came from King Manuel I in Portugal.