Tag Archive for: Mindelo

Waiting for the Ferry to Depart

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A man sitting on a bollard in front of the ship Mar Azul during loading, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde

A load of sacks slowly disappears into the ship’s hold, interrupted by lengthy, heated discussions about the order of the cargo. Lorries from the nearby mill continuously bring sacks of flour, which are manually stored on the quay and then hoisted onto the ship with a crane. At this leisurely pace, it will ultimately be midnight before the steel hatch in the bow above the cargo hold closes and the ship can leave the important Atlantic port of Mindelo in the Cape Verde Islands.

Panorama of Mindelo on Sao Vicente

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View over the city centre, the harbour, and the bay of Mindelo in the afternoon light, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde

From the edge of the former volcanic crater, which the sea of houses in the city of Mindelo has worked its way up to, you get this perfect view over the city, the harbour, the bay, and the semicircle of the former crater walls that haven’t sunk into the sea. This unique location made Mindelo and the Cape Verde Islands an important Atlantic port for the crossing to South America.

Shopping in Mindelo Market Hall

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Vendor and customer in the market hall of Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde

In the upper part of Mindelo city centre, the old Governor’s Palace stands majestically, and right next door is the freshly renovated municipal market hall. The abundant offerings are surprising, yet bananas, mangoes, passion fruit, sweet potatoes, and all the other tropical fruits and vegetables arrive daily from the fertile regions of the neighbouring island of Santo Antão. The strong demand from city residents attracts both local produce and large deliveries of food aid, consisting of grain, corn, and beans. From the market hall’s upper floor, we overlook the lined-up stalls, whose cleanliness contrasts with the dusty and dirty surroundings.

Mindelo Fish Market

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Men and women gutting and filleting freshly caught fish at the fish market in Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde

As I wandered through the alleys of the old town in Mindelo, the fishy smell—and on a sweltering hot day, that’s putting it mildly; it was more of a stench—led me straight to this interesting and lively spot on the esplanade, near the Torre de Belém. That’s where the local fish market is, where the bloody business of gutting the freshly delivered fish takes place before they are sold.

The Torre de Belém is modelled on a watchtower on the Tagus in Lisbon and serves as a reminder of the long Portuguese colonial rule in Cape Verde.

In the port of Mindelo, Sao Vicente

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The colourful and rusty ship's side of the Emperador in the port of Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde

Mindelo was once an important port in the Cape Verde Islands in the middle of the Atlantic for the crossing from Europe to South America. Many ships in the harbour bear witness to the old, economically better times.

Mountains, Music & more – Sao Vicente and Santo Antao

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Colourful wooden boats in the harbour of Ponta do Sol in front of the rocky coast of Santo Antao, Cape Verde

After our arrival on Sal, we continued our tour and left the island by plane, heading west. Whether you approach the north-western islands by ship or plane, the jagged silhouettes announce a more varied landscape from afar. On Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente and Santo Antao, mountain peaks rise to over 1,000 m. Such a fascinating sight immediately makes my legs tingle with the great anticipation of climbing some of the peaks. The mountains push into the regions of the lower cloud layer and form a barrier that forces down the necessary rain or benefits from the moisture of the clouds. As a result, fertile valleys stretch down from isolated peak regions, e.g. in the interior of Santo Antao, into the lower arid areas. Read more