São Vicente (Portuguese for “Saint Vincent”) is located between the islands of Santo Antão and São Nicolau. It’s famous for the “Baia das Gatas” Music Festival and also for its cricket team.

It covers an area of 227 Km² and is home to the largest bay and the best natural port in Cape Verde. São Vicente is one of the most developed of Cape Verde’s northern islands. It’s also the second most populous island of Cape Verde, with around 70,000 people living here.

São Vicente has a warm, dry climate, with average annual temperatures that range from 68 °F (20 °C) to 77 °F (25 °C).

With its perfect climate, good infrastructure and beautiful natural landscape, São Vicente has huge investment potential. Buying property here, be it a villa, apartment, off-plan or new development, can be an extremely lucrative investment.

São Vicente is volcanic in origin and although significant erosion has taken place, some craters still exist. The highest peak on the island is Monte Verde (green mountain), which climbs to an altitude of 774 metres. It’s located on the northeast-central part of the island and is now registered as a National Park.

The main town of Mindelo is the second largest in the Cape Verde islands. It’s an important business centre, well served with hotels, restaurants and bars etc. It can be accessed by air or sea.

Mindelo became an important port of call during the period when maritime travel was fueled by coal. It was always heavily reliant on the British companies connected with ships, provisions and telegraphy. You can still see influence of the British presence today, through the sporting remnants of golf and cricket, which have become very popular on the island.

Mindelo was home to Cape Verde’s first high school. It’s been the centre of the literary culture in Cape Verde, for quite some time.

It’s also home to the best carnival on the Cape Verde Islands, which is marked with a distinct Brazilian influence – literally a riot of colour, noise and fun! You’ll also see many influences from golden period of the transatlantic shipping during the event.

The famous Baía das Gatas music festival is held each year in August and marks one of the most celebrated events of the year, attracting artists from various nationalities who perform at the national level

Other important festivals include the theatre festival “MindelAct”, which is the only one on Cape Verde.

Areas of interest
Apart from Mindelo, other places well worth a visit include; the beach of Baía das Gatas; as well as the beaches of Calhau and Salamansa – both areas expanding and providing modern tourist facilities.

Transport
If travelling on the island, you can easily take a taxi or rent out a car. Buses are also available for urban travel.

São Vicente is preparing itself for a huge boom in tourism and an international airport is scheduled to go into operation in the very near future.

Buying property on São Vicente
If you’re considering buying a second home on São Vicente or just investing here, you can now speak to the many English and Irish real estate agents on the island. They can help you with buying, selling and renting property anywhere on the island.
Real Estate Agents