Discovered on January 22, 1462, on St. Vincent's Day, São Vicente Island, also Son Visent or Son Sent in the Cape Verdean Creole dialect, is one of the Barlavento islands of Cape Verde. It is located between the islands of Santo Antão and Santa Luzia, with the São Vicente Canal separating it from Santo Antão.
Cosmopolitan and cultural, the colonial heritage, patent on every corner, is a delight for its visitors. The monuments, the urban architecture and the fun are his ex-libris.
Despite the strong erosion, the marks of volcanism are very evident as can be confirmed by the various craters. The island is extremely dry being the water for consumption of the population obtained by desalinization of the sea water.
São Vicente was practically uninhabited until the middle of the 19th century when the capital of the island, Mindelo began to develop through port activity. It was the British who, after the agreement with Portugal in 1838, installed a coal deposit for refueling ships on Atlantic routes, which laid the foundations for the settlement of the island.

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The historical center, where the Governor's Palace stands, reveals to us the architectural charm of an old colonial city, by well preserved sign; the New Square, a peculiar place of meeting and conviviality, animates the Mindelense night; from the fortim of the King, the city and its bay are offered to the visitor; the replica of the Tower of Belem recalls its colonial origin.
Leaving the city, the ascent to Monte Verde, the highest point of the island with 774 meters, provides a breathtaking view of the island and its bays. In front of the Bay of Mindelo, the ex-libris of the island, Monte Cara (due to its similarity with a human profile) and the Island of the Birds (with 93 meters of altitude and others of diameter), that shelter the lighthouse Dom Luiz I, inaugurated on July 15, 1882. Observing Mindelo from its summit is also a privileged vision.
The beaches, not being a stronghold of the island, are enjoyable distributing themselves around the whole island. They can be found in the city of Mindelo, in Laginha, and outside it in the wide Bay of Salamansa, in the Bay of Gatas, of protected and warm waters, in São Pedro, Praia Grande or Calhau. Traversing them, in a quasi-circular to the island, reveals the picturesque and remnants of a once fertile Ribeira de Julião and the fishing villages of Calhau and São Pedro.
The Baia das Gatas Festival, a well-known international music festival where thousands of people from all over the country and abroad enjoy the sound of music, is held annually in August, on the beach of the same name; the Carnival fantasy, with its lively and colorful costumes are a small replica of the Brazilian parades. Both reveal the high level of the traditional achievements of St. Vincent. The "Sanjon glue", high point of the festivities of Saint John (June) also have an expression on this island.

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The gastronomy, enriched by the great variety of fish and seafood, but where traditional dishes such as "cachupa" (pork with beans, corn, sweet potatoes, yams and cassava)

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The climate of Cape Verde is pleasantly tropical with the year average temperatures between 26 ° C and 30 ° C, uninterrupted sun from November to May and a rainy season between the months of August and October, when sudden but spectacular storms can puncture the sun hot.
São Vicente receives little rainfall per year.

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