Mindelo & Santo Antão

Mindelo, the capital of "morna" music, and Santo Antão island, an hour away by ferry, where you hike between volcanic craters and terraced canyons.

This destination covers two islands in the northwest of Cape Verde's Windward Islands: Mindelo on São Vicente, and Santo Antão across the channel. Mindelo is Cape Verde's second-largest city and its "cultural capital," with a natural deep-water harbor, pastel Portuguese colonial architecture and a strong musical atmosphere; it is the home of Cesária Évora, the Queen of Morna. Santo Antão is the greenest and most mountainous island in the archipelago, and its craters, deep terraced valleys and cliffside old trails make it one of the best hiking destinations in West Africa.

Areas: Mindelo's old town (Praça Nova, the Palácio do Povo, the market and the Torre de Belém) can be covered on foot, with Baía das Gatas and Salamansa on the northeast coast and São Pedro beach to the southwest. On Santo Antão, Porto Novo on the south coast is the ferry port; the Cova Crater–Paul Valley route in the east is the classic downhill hike; the Ponta do Sol–Fontainhas–Cruzinha coastal cliff trail runs along the north coast; and Ribeira Grande and the Ribeira da Torre valley are in the middle of the island.

Seasons: Nov–Jun is the dry season, with temperatures of about 22–27°C and the best hiking; after the rains in Aug–Oct the valleys are at their greenest, but heavy rain and rockfall are possible. Mindelo's Carnival in February (before Lent) is the biggest in the country, and the Baía das Gatas music festival in August is a lively event.

Getting there: Mindelo has Cesária Évora International Airport, with flights to Sal, Praia and Lisbon. Santo Antão has no airport; ferries run from Mindelo port to Porto Novo in about 1 hour, several times a day. On the island you get around by minibus (aluguer) or private car, and the Corda mountain road and the new coastal road connect north and south. We suggest 1–2 nights in Mindelo and 2–3 nights on Santo Antão.

Notes: most hiking routes are steep old cobbled paths, so you need non-slip shoes and plenty of water, and should hire a guide for remote routes; the ferry can be rough in heavy swells; watch your belongings at night in Mindelo; the Cape Verdean escudo is the local currency, and cards are hard to use in remote villages.

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