Volcanic Cape Verde Stirs Memories of Portuguese Exploration  

Day 121, 2024 Grand World Voyage

Friday, May 3, 2024; Mindelo, Ilha de São Vicente, Cape Verde.

Portugal has left its mark on many ports of call around the world. Whether it be Brazil, Madeira, the Azores or Macau, I’ve found clues to their Portuguese past in building styles, the gray and black stone mosaics of their streets and walks, and the colorful tiles on their buildings.

Today’s port of Mindelo on the island of Sāo Vincente in Cape Verde, was no different. Like many isolated islands, this archipelago of 10 islands was uninhabited when Portuguese explorers discovered it. Lying in the mid-Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Senegal in Africa, Cape Verde later played a key role in the African slave trade. In 1975 it won its independence from Portugal.

We have lost the haze of the African coast, due in part to the difference in sea and air temperatures and to the Saharan dust in the wind. But from the pier we could see the tallest mountain, Mount Verde, shrouded in clouds, and wondered what we would see on our Volcanic Cape Verde tour.

What a change from west Africa! While narrow, the streets are mainly clean and lined with a mixture of colonial and modern buildings. We headed out of town and up, up, up, eventually running out of asphalt as we transitioned to cobblestone roads made from blocks of volcanic rock.

The land was dry with few signs of the green (verde) for which the islands are named. Our guide said that over the decades the climate has changed, resulting in little rain. We saw remnants of terraced plots (again, those volcanic stones) where once locals grew crops.

We arrived at the top in a cloud, but every few minutes it shifted, showing glimpses of the island’s main city of Mindelo far below.

A single stone building offered coffee and sodas (for a price).

This isn’t the biggest island in Cape Verde, and next year’s world cruise itinerary has us stopping at the capital, Praia, on nearby Ilha de Santiago.

Beautiful beaches and rocky outcrops encircle the island. The sand has blown in from the Sahara Desert over many years. We stopped briefly at a turtle rescue facility, but it only had a couple of large turtles resting on the bottom of a murky pool. And finally, a real farm along a valley.

I was tempted to return on the shuttle to the center of town after our tour, but given that all aboard was early at 2:30 p.m., I stayed on the ship for our final sail away party. Large displays of cheeses, salami, figs, dates, nuts and other goodies lined the sides of the Lido pool, and waiters were generous in pouring the wine.

 I believe we consumed 600 bottles of wine before the afternoon ended. The captain delayed our departure as the bunkering of fuel was slow and we needed a full load to head back across the Atlantic Ocean.

The cruise is quickly winding down. We’re filling our calendar with final dinners with friends, our last complimentary Pinnacle dinners and various receptions sponsored by our travel agency and by the ship. I’m trying to avoid packing, but I have sent out laundry with instructions to return folded. After being onboard a ship since September, getting ready to leave is a daunting task.