Santo Antão

Santo Antão is breathtakingly beautiful. Are you an elite athlete and train every day? Then take an occasional rest afternoon. An early morning workout and then take a bus at 9:30 to the green part of the island or to the fishing village in the west. In the evening you will then be back in time for a practice match.

Are you not an elite athlete, but just want a sporty vacation? Then be sure to enjoy all the beauty the island has to offer. Santo Antão is special. This is mainly because of the mountains, the plains the temperature and the wind. There is a microclimate and the island can therefore be divided into 3 parts. We recommend staying at least 2 nights per week outside our resort. We are proud of our resort, but the island really has much more to offer.

 

Locations to visit

Cova, the crater along the old road from Porto Novo to Ribeira Grande. Most beautiful in semi-overcast conditions. Fantastic to see the clouds rolling over the mountain sides into the valley.

Lagoa, the quiet plateau, where you really get away from the hurried life we are used to. Wonderful to read a book, write a book, write music or just do nothing at all.

St. Paul is by far the most visited location on the island. Water from the mountains and water from air ensure that it is always green here. From here you can take endless walks.

Ribeira Grande is the capital of the island and the only place that is not quiet. From here the roads and thus the vans split to various locations on the northern and eastern parts of the island.

Ponta do Sol, the sunny northernmost tip on the north side of the island. A fishing village, where fish is caught, traded and eaten.

Fontainhas, a beautifully situated village within walking distance of Ponta do Sol. Once voted the most beautiful view in the world.

Cruzinha, from which you can take beautiful walks along the rugged north coast.

Alto Mira, just the road to it; Rock hard rocks.

Lagedos: the Grand Canyon of Santo Antao

Norte: the cork dry part of the island.

Tarrafal de Monte Trigo: a fishing village that has only been easily accessible for a few years. Due to its location behind the mountains, there is hardly any wind and the ocean looks like a pond. Spend the night here and then hike to Monte Trigo the next day…..

Monte Trigo, accessible only on foot and by boat. Very special.

Tope de Coroa, the volcano and also the highest point of Santo Antão. If you are fit; do it! From Porto Novo about 1.5 hours drive plus 2.5 walks. And then you still have to go back.

 

Hotels on the island

Large hotels are few, but there are plenty of small hotels and B&Bs. If luxury is secondary to a warm welcome and you enjoy stepping into the lives of Santo Antão’s residents with loose words and hands, you can easily spend 2-3 weeks entertaining on Santo Antão. Take a round trip or take a few days off each time. Suitcases can be left with us.

PORTO NOVO

Beach Sport Hotel, specialty: (beach) sports. 92 beds. And a perfect logistic location for a sporting vacation.

Nova Cidade: simple, but functional hotel. Very close to the port, so ideal for those who want to take the boat to São Vicente early the next morning.

Art Resort, specialty: Art. We see some negative reviews, but this is really a fine hotel. Perhaps that it does not always meet the high expectations of the guest; little art.

PAUL

Hotel Chateau Georgette: most beautiful in Santo Antão. You have to love it, but you can see from everything that the owner made it the way she wanted it. Gorgeous!

PONTA DO SOL

Djassi: Simple and good.

Tiduca: Large and luxurious

CRUZINHA

Questel BronQ: Cozy resort with pretty round houses. In March you may see whales. Several groups of hikers depart daily from this fine hotel towards Ponto da Sol. Owner Benny makes sure the suitcases end up there, too.

Mamiwata: Eco resort. Detached/connected rooms built against a mountainside. Simple but beautiful rooms. Beautiful spectacular views. Delicious food. (Mimiwata was built by the same contractor as our Beach Sport resort; Quality!)

Palmera Ecolodge: we personally cannot rate it, but according to some other hotel owners, this is the most beautiful hotel on the island. Open only to guests!

 

Mindelo on Sao Vicente

99% of guests arrive in São Vicente from abroad by plane; so will you. Then you will take a boat to Santo Antão. They say you might even see dolphins and whales, but after 20 trips back and forth, you come to the conclusion that it’s a fun trip and you’ve seen flying fish, but Jonas and Flipper don’t always feel like it.

A common mistake is to stay a few days on São Vicente and only then leave for Santo Antão. Afterwards, one would have preferred to stay a little longer on Santo Antão and go back as late as possible. Cape Verdeans from Europe in particular are increasingly confident in the boat connection and only go back by boat on the day of the return flight. This is possible if you do not fly until after 1:00 pm. Then take the 9:00am boat. If you miss that boat; then go at 10:00am. Make sure you spend the last night at our Beach Sport Resort or at hotel Nova Cidade.

It is actually smarter to go to Santo Antão a few days earlier and only there decide when to return to São Vicente. You will then get to the airport at your leisure. A nice hotel in Mindelo is Hotel Ouril, close to the boat.

It would be a shame to skip São Vicente. Nature is beautiful, but not of the level of Santo Antão. However, the city of Mindelo is bustling. Mindelo is simply further along; more modern. It has a real city beach with white sand. In the early morning and evening twilight you will see many sporty people; running, fitness and of course swimming. If you like bars and cozy eateries with music, then Mindelo is for you.