Mindelo

The cultural capital of Cape Verde occupies a deep natural harbour on São Vicente island and is regarded as the birthplace of morna, the melancholic musical genre associated with Cesária Évora. The city's waterfront Praça Nova and the restored market building reflect its Portuguese colonial heritage, while an active arts scene sustains galleries, music venues, and a major February carnival. The harbour's position between Atlantic shipping lanes gave Mindelo a cosmopolitan character well before Cape Verdean independence.