We ended our stay in Cape Verde by winding down in Residencial Goa, near Mindelo, on São Vicente. It was the perfect end to our trip. The beaches on São Vicente aren’t as beautiful as the ones on the other islands, like Sal or Boa Vista. However, the island had other, even more amazing, charms.
São Vicente is a Proper Moonscape
It was fairly uncrowded, particularly in comparison to Sal. There are a few interesting hiking trails in the rough, rocky desert. While we were there, however, the winds were really reaching their peak after a few days of storms threatening, so we satisfied ourselves with short walks out to the hill in the backyard of our hotel.
We were surrounded by a moonscape, quite unlike anything we have ever seen. The land around us was all rocky desert covered with low shrubs. Most of them were dry and barren for the winter. The dust in the air made the sunsets very surreal. It was odd that a short walk of a few hundred meters could take us from the town into what was, essentially, nothingness.
On the day we headed out, the weather turned from bad to worse. The wind blew so hard that it felt we could fall into it and be lifted by its current. The hike to the hill was epic, and we made it back to the hotel just before the wind got properly dangerous. I found it really quite exciting.
Residencial Goa – An Oasis Amongst the Volcanoes
Residencial Goa is an oasis in this desert, with its thick walls and comfortable, spacious sitting area and well-appointed rooms. We loved he design of the place, as well as the quality of the rooms. It was modern but cosy, and the beds were very comfortable. After many days of comfortable, but rather basic rooms, Residencial Goa was luxurious by comparison.
We spent all of our time there reading, resting our muscles, as well as eating really lovely food, prepared by Raphaele. The dinners here were incredibly good. Raphaele does exquisite French cuisine with fresh Cape Verdean ingredients, altogether prepared from scratch in their kitchen. I could have stayed here a week doing absolutely nothing save for reading and eating.
On Sunday, we went to a restaurant a walk away, for brunch. Apparently, it was the “thing to do”. It definitely seemed so. The place was full. Most of the guests were local, and there were a few other people from the Residencial Goa. There was a huge variety of food, and we basically got to sample every single Cape Verdean dish in one sitting. The meal was followed by music, accompanied by professional dancers.
We left Residencial Goa properly rested for our journey back to the Netherlands. We certainly wish we had had more time in Mindelo, and São Vicente in general, but then, we felt the same way about every place we went to on Cape Verde. I suppose we’ll just have to return for another visit.
