Experience the best of São Vicente

São Vicente is a small volcanic island in the northern, Barlavento group of Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa. Its chief town, Mindelo, wraps around a deep natural harbour, Porto Grande, once a coaling station for steamships. Pastel colonial houses, a fish market and a small replica of Lisbon's Belém Tower stand along the waterfront, and Monte Verde, the island's high point, rises behind.

Mindelo is the musical heart of the islands. Cesária Évora, the singer known for her bare feet and her mornas, came from here, and live music fills bars and squares in the evening. Beaches of pale sand lie at Laginha in town and at Baía das Gatas, and across the channel the green valleys of Santo Antão are an hour away by ferry.

Cachupa, a slow-cooked stew of maize and beans with fish or meat, is the national dish, joined by grilled tuna, lobster and grogue, the local cane spirit. The island is arid, with steady trade winds and little rain, which falls mostly in late summer. The carnival, with costumes and parades, is the best known in Cape Verde.