Accommodation in Sao Vicente

Sao Vicente has 3 types of accommodations which in order of availability are: 1) self-catering accommodations 2) residencials and boutique hotels and 3) “full service” hotels.

The main difference between these 3 types are meals served. For the self-catering places, you need to take care of meals yourself, the residencials and boutique hotels serve breakfast only whereas the “full service” hotels serve all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner).

What to expect

• Small places with only a few guests
• Basic service
• A wide choice of self-catering places (including many inexpensive ones)
• Virtually no full service hotels
  • 3 in Mindelo “IBIS”-style with very limited services
  • 1 “resort” style with more services but set in isolation at the other end of the island (>40 min from kitesurf spot)

What not to expect

Service such as:

• Gym
• Childcare facilities
• Entertainment
• All-inclusive service
• Fast internet
• Video-channels

Tips

• If you look for place to stay at the kitesurf spot (Salamansa), be aware that the village is extremely primitive (no bars, no shops, most houses do not have toilets)
• If you are sensitive to noise, look for:
  • a place off the main street or squares
  • get an opinion about noise from dogs (many noisy homeless dogs in Mindelo)
• If the quality of beds is important to you (e.g. sensitive back) take care to select the right place for you (nearly all accommodations have beds mad of a thick wooden plank supporting a thin mattress; back support by chairs provided is very poor)
• The is a choice of places with beautiful views available
• It is hard to find places where the staff speak any English or French
• Standards of cleanliness are significantly lower than in Europe
• A lot of places do not have the availability of warm water
• Be careful with the location of the place. Mindelo is a hilly city. If the place is at a higher elevation:
  • water pressure is most often an issue. (The speed of water coming out of the tap / shower will be very low)
  • It may be a brisk walk from the center of town (with restaurants & shops)
• Most places advertising the availability of internet only have very slow internet speed.
• If you are vegetarian or vegan: consider a self-catering place. (The choice of vegan or vegetarian meals in restaurants and hotels is extremely limited)

There are only 3 hotels on the island that serve all meals. Two of them are in Mindelo. These are “IBIS” / “Travelodge” style with decent rooms but no choice of facilities you would expect for a long stay. There is one resort style hotel at Sao Pedro. The hotel location makes it isolated from the rest of the island. It takes at least 40 minutes to drive from the hotel to the kitesurf spot.

We do not recommend any of the “full service” hotels in Sao Vicente.

There are many residencials and an increasing number of boutique hotels in Sao Vicente. Differences in quality are huge. There are 4 which we recommend:

• Mimagui for the level of service and views over the bay of Mindelo
• Casa Colonial for the level of service, comfort, central location and character of the building (interior and exterior)
• Kira’s Boutique hotel for the level of service and character of the building (interior and exterior)
• Casa Azul for the views, level of service and comfort and character of the building (interior and exterior) – NOTE: you need to rent a car as it is somewhat isolated

If you are willing to sacrifice on comfort and need an inexpensive place to stay, there is plenty of choice with prices starting at €12 per night to be found on:

• Tripadvisor
• Airbnb

The vast majority of these places are in Mindelo (for places near the kitesurf spot click on the next tab).

We do not recommend to stay at Salamansa village because it is very primitive and we have had plenty of bad feedback from clients.

The self-catering accommodations we recommend are:

• St. Aubyn for the style and comfort
• Sympatico city apartments for comfort

Salamansa is the main kitesurf spot. At the back of the beach, you’ll find Salamansa town. If you walk around and ask the locals, you will find places to rent.

Salamansa is a nice town with super friendly locals. However, the reason most kitesurfers choose not to stay here: it is extremely primitive (for instance: most houses do not have a toilet) and lacks facilities (no shops, no restaurants, no supermarkets).
To put things into perspective: of all of our clients who insisted that they like to stay in a primitive town close to the beach, only 1  stayed for longer than 2 nights.

For most, the only viable option to stay within 5-10 minutes of the kitesurf sport is to rent a car and to stay in  a self-catering accommodation nearby in Baia das Gatas or Praia Norte. The clients choosing for these options appreciate the tranquility of staying here (as opposed to the more busy Mindelo)

The place we recommend is:

• Tranquil beach house in Praia Norte (Baia Norte) for comfort