What We Think
The Porto Grande is a comfortable hotel overlooking the central square right at the heart of Mindelo, the cultural capital of São Vicente and the second largest city in the archipelago. They say if you want to understand Cape Verdean music, you need to stay in Mindelo...
The guest rooms are simple but comfortable and are situated on two floors, either overlooking the town square to the front of the hotel or the pool to the rear. Live music is played in the lobby bar some evenings, which attracts both locals and holidaymakers, and the outside seating area overlooking the square is a lovely spot to enjoy a drink. The hotel restaurant offers excellent value for money serving a mix of international and local traditional food with a defi nite Portuguese bias.
During the day you can relax around the hotel swimming pool, use the facilities including a small gym, or take an easy 15-minute stroll to Laginha, a lovely urban beach, popular with locals, where bathing is possible, tides permitting. Being conveniently located in the heart of the city, you can also take the opportunity to explore Mindelo’s plentiful shops, markets, restaurants and layers of fascinating history, openly displayed in the colourful buildings of varying architectural styles.
Please note there is no lift at this hotel.
Local rating: 4*
