As in the geographic part it was written Cape Verde is an archipelago and has 1O islands. Guesthouse Casa Verde is located in Mindelo, Sao Vicente and from here you can visit three islands of "Barlvento"-Windside namely in Sao Vicente, Santo Antao and Santa Luzia.
Sao Vicente
Sao Vicente offers very good conditions for the practice of water sports! San Pedro is excellent for surfing, windsurfing and the calm waters of the natural lagoon of Baía das Gatas is greatly recommended for swimming. If you are brave enough you can try kitesurfing between october and june in Salamansa. It's worth visiting the city of Mindelo for its liveliness, with life music in the street and in the local bars, as well as for the cultural alternatives that are offered to the visitor. The two most popular feasts of Cape Verde take place in Sao Vicente, namely the Carnival and the Baía das Gatas Music Festival.
Sao Vicente is a small volcanic island with a surface area only 227 sq. km. The highest point of the island is the Monte Verde with 779 meters. The Vulcano Viana and Praia Grande with its dramatic seacost are must if you visited the island.
Nightlife in Mindelo is the most amusing of the hole country. Normally, the night starts in the Square, Praca Nova and continues in the restaurants, pubs and night clubs of the city. Live music is played everywhere and almost all restaurants offer capeverdean music nights. The life in the night clubs start around midnight or later. The cultural life in Mindelo is intense with a variety of exhibitons, shows, theatre and dance.
History
The island of Sao Vicente was discovered on January 22. of 1462, but it was uninhabited until 1838 when the British decided to install coaling-station in Mindelo to supply the ships that navigated in the Atlantic routes. The excellent port of Mindelo made the island in one of the most important world's trade post to the ships that crossed the Atlantic. The development brougth a cosmopolitan lifestyle with and Mindelo became soon the cultural and intellectual center of Cape Verde. Today Sao Vicente has a population of more than 7O.OOO inhabitiants and the majority lives in Mindelo.
Santa Luzia
Because of its very dry clima and the lack of water this island was never persistely colonized. During the 19th century a small community of about 2O people settled in the island, but nature won and Santa Luzia is the only island of Cape Verde that is not inhabited and since 199O it has declared an important natural reserve. Vegetation is very scarce and there is a big contrast between the white beaches and dunes on the south and the rocky coast on the north. The island is small, extended its 13 km of length and 5 km of width. Here you can be Robinson!
Santo Antao
This is one of the greenest island in Cape Verde and its main attraction is the excellent conditions for long walks on foot in the beutifull valleys and in the mountains.
Santo Antao is the second largest island of the archipelago and its located extrem western of Baravento. The island is just on hour away by boat from Sao Vicente. The island has the second biggest volcanic pick in Cape Verde, the Topo de Coroa is 1979 m high. The island's landscape is full of remarkable contrasts, with exuberant vegetation of pine and cedar trees on the north, desert and arid landscape in the south and breathtaking beutifull valleys with small villages, flowers, orange- and mangotrees.
History
The island was discovered in January 1462 but was colonized by the Portuguese Crown ninety years later due its dangerous, rocky seacost. Today the island has 5O.OOO inhabitiants the majority is living in the oriental part of the islands, between Porto Novo, Ponta de Sol and Ribeira de Grande.
