From the mid-19th century, English coal companies settled in Mindelo. They were drawn by Porto Grande Bay and the archipelago’s strategic location, which was important for supplying ships in the South Atlantic.

City History and Architecture

Mindelo’s historic center is also known as Morada. Its distinctive architecture bears a strong colonial influence, visible in its buildings, gardens, corridors, squares, streets and sidewalks. The name Morada is another name by which Mindelo’s historic center is known.

Fortim d'El-Rei, also called Fortim do Mindelo, was built in 1852 to defend Porto Grande and the city. The former Liceu de São Vicente tells a different part of the city’s history: during the colonial period, it was the archipelago’s most prominent school of its kind and, for several decades, one of the leading educational and cultural institutions in Portuguese Africa. The defense of the port and the history of education and culture thus stand as distinct chapters alongside one another.

Museums, Art and Cultural Institutions

Mindelo’s Torre de Belém is a replica of Lisbon’s Torre de Belém, built by the Portuguese in 1920. The Museu do Mar opened in the replica building on April 16, 2014. Here, the building and museum bring maritime history and architecture together in one place.

The Núcleo Museológico Cesária Évora opened in Mindelo on December 17, 2015. The Centro Nacional de Arte, Artesanato e Design (CNAD) is located at Praça Nova. Tradition and the present meet in its two buildings; the older building houses a collection spanning 40 years of national crafts production. These institutions offer distinct points of focus: from the Museu do Mar and the Torre to the name Cesária Évora and the CNAD’s blend of crafts, tradition and the present.

Market and Swimming Area

The Mercado Municipal was restored in 1985 to plans by architect Leo Papini, by ABAKO Parceiros Internacionais AB. The market is characterized by a colorful selection of vegetables and fruit and a variety of herbal aromas; its offerings and atmosphere may vary.

Praia da Laginha, also known as Lajinha, Matiota or Che Guevara, is Mindelo’s swimming area. The cityscape thus brings different themes together: historic architecture and cultural institutions on the one hand, and the swimming area on the other. The different names for Praia da Laginha make it easier to recognize under its alternative names as well.

In the wider destination of Sao Vicente

Monte Verde is a notable natural viewpoint for mountain tourism in the wider destination of Sao Vicente. From there, the view extends across the entire island of São Vicente and over Baía do Porto Grande and the city of Mindelo. Santo Antão, Santa Luzia, and the Ilhéus Branco and Raso are also visible; on exceptionally clear days, São Nicolau can be seen too.

Discover more destinations: Baía das Gatas, Porto Novo, Salamansa, São Pedro.

See the wider travel overview: Sao Vicente.