Mindelo

Mindelo is a port city in the northern part of the island of São Vicente in Cape Verde. Mindelo is also the seat of the parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz, and the municipality of São Vicente. The city is home to 93% of the entire island's population and is Cape Verde's second most populous city and largest city in Barlavento Islands. Mindelo is also considered the cultural capital of Cape Verde, known for its colourful and animated carnival celebrations, with roots in Portuguese traditions later influenced by the Brazilian culture.

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Place details

Locality: Mindelo
Country: Cabo Verde
Population: 69,013
Timezone: Atlantic/Cape_Verde

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Key facts

Settlement.name: Mindelo
Settlement.settlement_type: City
Settlement.pushpin_map: Cape Verde#Africa
Settlement.pushpin_relief: 1
Settlement.pushpin_mapsize: 250
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption: Location of Praia in Cape Verde
Settlement.subdivision_type: Island
Settlement.subdivision_name: São Vicente
Settlement.subdivision_type1: Municipality
Settlement.subdivision_name1: São Vicente
Settlement.subdivision_type2: Civil Parish
Settlement.subdivision_name2: Nossa Senhora da Luz
Settlement.area_total_km2: 67
Settlement.established_title: Founded
Settlement.established_date: 1793
Settlement.established_title1: City
Settlement.established_date1: 1879
Settlement.population_total: 70468

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Population: 70468
Area: 67
Elevation: 61
Image: Mindelo.jpg
Dialing code: 232

Show 5 more facts

Commons category: Mindelo
native label: Mindel
P12749: plant anatomy
postal code: 2110
URL: casacomum.org/cc/visualizador?pasta=06809.159.25444#!17

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

Travel guide

Get in

From the airport at São Pedro taxis take you to Mindelo for $800 (Cape Verde escudos) during the day and $1000 in the evening.

You can also walk the 100 m from the airport up to the main road. From there it is probably possible to flag down an aluguer.

The port at Mindelo has regular ferries across to Porto Novo on Santo Antão. Make sure you have a driver's license or passport before buying the tickets. Their website does not work very well.

Get around

A lot of the town is walkable. Local buses travel some limited routes and taxis are common.

150 escudos gets you around town.

You can also take buses.

Eat

The most famous Capverdian dish is the catchupa, which you can get at any stand in the Quiosque Praça Nova, expect to pay around $200 (€2) for a catchupa or a feijoada with fish. There are also several cafés between Praça Nova and Rua Lisboa (Café Dalia, Café Confiança, etc.)

Drink

cheap grog (rum) and pontche in the local bars of rua Santo Antonio

Go next

Go to Santo Antão: a different island with magical landscapes. At least two boats a day leave from Mindelo to Porto Novo for $300 (tickets can be bought at the harbour)

Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)

~8 min read

Article

15 sections

Contents

History
Geography
Subdivisions
Climate
Economy
Cityscape
Statues
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Education
Demography
Sporting teams
Notable people
See also
References

==History== thumb|left|Old postcard of Mindelo from the early 20th century A settlement at Mindelo was founded in 1793 by the Portuguese. It was initially named Nossa Senhora da Luz, renamed Leopoldina around 1820 after the Queen consort. In 1838 it was renamed Mindelo after the 1832 Landing at Mindelo, north of Porto. It became a coal deposit for ships of the British East India Company in 1838, followed by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company in 1850. The settlement became a town (vila) in 1858, and had 1,400 inhabitants then. It became a city (cidade) in 1879, and had 3,717 inhabitants then. In 1884 a submarine communications cable was laid between Europe, Africa, India and North America, making Mindelo an important communications centre for the British Empire.