In our view Mindelo is not the prettiest of towns, the main thoroughfare which hugs the sea is lined with an array of buildings some of which are relatively well maintained, whilst others are in various states of disrepair. A prominent multi storey building under construction has obviously been abandoned. Immediately facing the marina is a gallery which sells a range of locally produced items and other souvenirs. To the right of the marina is a boutique hotel with swimming pool surrounded by a number of quite ‘fancy’ lounges (think Lawrence of Arabia). Continuing to walk in this direction will lead you to the Museo del Mer (Museum of the Sea), situated next to the fish market the building is quite distinctive not only in its architecture but also in the context of surrounding buildings. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the inside of the museum as it was closed that day and we were leaving the next morning.
The streets and laneways beyond the town’s main thoroughfare are used by locals to sell a range of products and produce, from artwork and jewelry, to eggs, dried fish, sweets and bananas. Approaches by children and adults seeking money is common while out walking, but we didn’t feel harassed or unsafe.
If you are looking for nightlife and are a night owl, there is plenty around on the weekends with live music in a number of bars and restaurants. You will need to head to the streets beyond the main thoroughfare though, and don’t get there early as the action doesn’t start happening till around 10pm and continues into the early hours of the morning.
General Information
Wifi: Free wifi is available at the marina bar/restaurant.
Transport options: These are limited to bus and taxi. We walked everywhere so we can’t provide any information about costs or service.
Shopping: MIndelo has an assortment of shops as well as locals selling goods and produce along the footpaths and in small plazas. There is no one major central shopping centre, clusters of shops can be found lining streets and laneways.
The local fish market, located next to Museo del Mer, is open most days from early morning. You will know when it is open, as you can see the large queue of locals waiting in line from the marina. A large local fruit and vegetable market is set up near here as well. We spent a couple of hours here buying fruit and vegetables for the next sea leg. While the market is large i.e. it has a lot of stalls the range of fruit and vegetables is quite limited. Everybody is basically selling the same thing. Freshness is also iffy, so make sure to choose your own produce. There were no prices on display, the stall holder just weighed the produce, told us how much and we paid in cash, in Escudos. We didn’t bother haggling, for us it was just inappropriate to do so – we have so much and they obviously have so little.
While walking back to the marina from the market, near the main city church, we spotted a bakery. We had some coins left over from our shopping so Sandra greeted the store keeper and put the coins on the counter and pointed to the bread. We were unsure whether we would have enough money for even one loaf, and the shelves and display cabinet were nearly empty. But the lady gave us three loaves of fresh sliced bread and we still had coins left over. With lots of smiles and many ‘muchas gracias’ we headed back to the boat, happy with our gettings for the day. (By the way the bread was delicious).
Two supermarkets are located close to the marina, one to the right on the main thoroughfare, and one to the left a parallel street behind the main thoroughfare. Be aware that credit cards are not accepted, cash only.
Restaurants: In Mindelo we either ate onboard or at the marina restaurant/bar so we can’t provide a lot of information here. However, we did pass a small number of cafes and bars while out walking in the streets, one street back from and parallel to the main road.
Banks and ATM’s: two banks with ATM’s are located to the right of the marina. Not sure why, but our cards would only work on one of these machines and not the other.
Chandleries: We can’t definitively say whether there is or isn’t a chandlery in the town. During our walks we certainly didn’t see a chandlery. Pam Pam, one of those shops that has everything from sewing thread to sim cards, is located to the left of the marina just one street back from the main road. You may be able to find what you are looking for here.
Finally, as you leave Mindelo look to the volcanic hill directly ahead and you will see a face in silhouette. This used to be called Washington Mountain (after the US President George Washington) but has been renamed ‘Face Mountain’.
