http://www.boatinternational.com | June 2017Voyage
PHOTOGRAPHS: ALAMY; REX; 4CORNERSis overlooked by a replica of Lisbon’s Belem
Tower and has a fish market at its centre.
While Mindelo is charming you only start
to get a sense of the diversity of São Vicente
by venturing further afield. Setting out with a
local guide I first visit São Pedro, the island’s
boatbuilding village, set in a sand-fringed
bay on the southwest coast. Sheltered from
Atlantic swells, it’s ideal for windsurfing,
diving and other watersports. Here,
craftsmen build small wooden boats in the
dusty village streets, surrounded by washing
lines and ongoing village life. Despite a
minimum of tools, their products are
well-constructed, seaworthy craft.
With 95 per cent of the population
concentrated in Mindelo, the arid inland
areas to the west of the island are sparsely
populated. There are few signs of agriculture
until we approach Topim, where small farmsSet in a sheltered
sand-fringed bay
that is ideal for
windsurfing and
diving, São Pedro is
where São Vicente’s
colourful and very
seaworthy wooden
boats are hand-builtdot the valley floor. Topim is a “would be”
town occupied by a few active fishermen,
while several European holiday home
developments and a small restaurant ring the
beautiful coastline. Heading north west, the
mountain-fringed coastal road takes us to
Baia das Gatas (the Bay of Cats) – where the
long sweep of the sandy beach is hammered
by seas driven onshore by the northeast
trades. At its northern extremity is the town
of the same name, renowned on the island
for its annual carnival in February and
music festival in August.
Wherever you go on the island the 750
metre peak of Monte Verde – the Green
Mountain – is always in sight and is readily
accessible by a road as well as several
hiking paths. It is a long climb flanked
by sheer drops, sparse fields of maize and
the occasional vegetable garden, but I am
rewarded with stunning 360 degree views of
São Vicente and the neighbouring islands of
Santo Antão and Santa Luzia.
After a day of exploring, the floating bar
at Mindelo Marina seems the ideal place for a
sundowner shared with Lutz Meyer-Scheel,
the marina owner and visionary behind its
construction. The conversation soon gets
round to yachting, and the archipelago’s
cruising possibilities. “A yacht is the best
mode of transport for sightseeing,” he says.
“While there are few safe harbours other
than Mindelo, all the main islands in both
the northern (Barlovento) and southern
(Sotavento) group have anchorages that are
tenable in the right weather.” Mindelo may
be the undeniable hub for yachtsmen but
it is its location as well as its facilities that
attract passing vessels. “It lies at the centre of
the most beautiful and interesting islands to
visit,” adds Meyer-Scheel.
One of the most easily accessible islands
is Santa Luzia, which is just a short stretch219
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Voyage Cape Verde, 3