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Main Ports - Cape Verdes

Northern (Barlavento) Group

Mindelo (Sao Vicente) Port of Entry
Palmeira (Sal) Port of Entry
Santo Antao
Tarrafal (Sao Nicolau)

Southern(Sotavento) Group

Boa Vista
Fogo
Furna (Brava)
Maio
Praia (Santiago) Port of Entry

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JohannaMeyerScheel says:

August 14, 2025 at 6:41 AM

CALL FOR DONATIONS – Flood Victims in São Vicente – For all yachts approaching Cape Verde Islands:

After the devastating floods caused by Tropical Storm Erin on Monday 11th August, many families in São Vicente have lost homes, belongings, and access to basic necessities. Currently official numbers count 9 people dead but more are missing.

We are calling on all sailing yachts heading towards Marina Mindelo to bring donations to help those affected:
Towels, bed sheets and possibly even mattresses
Clothing and shoes (including for children)
Sanitary products (including for babies and women)
Dry and non-perishable foods, baby food

Marina Mindelo will gladly receive your contributions and ensure they are distributed directly to the families in need.

Thank you for your support and solidarity!

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Bodilitsa says:

February 15, 2025 at 10:29 AM

Regarding handing over the ship’s papers. Cook Islands no longer send physical papers, but provide electronic ones with a QR code to check legality. Will this be a problem?

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Sue Richards says:

February 17, 2025 at 3:32 PM

Digital registration papers are becoming more common, although we recommend you print off a copy with the QR code to easily present to the authorities and add it to your clearance document wallet.

skavanag says:

January 4, 2025 at 5:43 PM

I am reading on these pages that the port authorities hold the ship’s papers upon entry. I am a US flagged vessel and I have cruised extensively in the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Europe. I cannot recall having to surrender ship papers for the duration of my stay before. Is anyone else uncomfortable with this? Also, if I were to clear into Mindelo, is it possible to clear in and then clear out at the same time if staying for less than 24-48 hours?

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Sue Richards says:

January 7, 2025 at 1:20 PM

The Maritime Police in Mindelo keep the boat’s registrations until clearance out is issued. It is possible to clear out the same day. They do take good care of all the paperwork!

Sue Richards says:

October 28, 2024 at 3:49 PM

Security statement from Marina Mindelo:
*Why Yacht Security Has Significantly Improved in 2024*

Sailing to Porto Grande Mindelo? This year, yacht owners can enjoy a new level of peace of mind. Thanks to proactive efforts by the Marina Mindelo management and close collaboration with local authorities, security within Porto Grande Mindelo has reached new heights.

**Enhanced Patrols and Monitoring:** The marina has increased patrols, both on land and on the water, ensuring around-the-clock vigilance. With upgraded surveillance systems and additional cameras, yacht owners can feel secure, day and night.

**Seamless Coordination with Authorities:** Local authorities have stepped up, too. With regular communication between the marina and law enforcement, response times have improved, and incidents are swiftly managed.

**However, Safety Starts with You:** Yacht crews are reminded to always apply common-sense safety measures, especially when choosing to anchor in the bay rather than entering the marina. Securing valuables, locking entrances, and being mindful of surroundings remain essential, as is communicating any safety concerns to marina staff and local authorities.

** Conclusion
While Marina Mindelo cannot guarantee the elimination of all security threats, we are actively working with local authorities to minimize risks and ensure a safe environment for all our guests. Our commitment is to take continuous action that builds a safer, more secure environment for sailors in Mindelo.

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Nigel Jollands says:

December 5, 2023 at 3:38 PM

Dear all. We are intending to sail to Mindelo in January 2024. I’m not sure if this is the place to ask questions, but i’ll go ahead anyway. I will need to fill up a Propane bottle and wondering if propane is available? If so, do they refill bottles or provide new ones? What sizes etc? Many thanks in advance for help

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Sue Richards says:

December 11, 2023 at 11:15 AM

Hi Nigel, see the following pages for the info. you need:
https://www.noonsite.com/place/cape-verdes/northernbarlavento-group/mindelo-sao-vicente/view/fuel-and-lpg/#
https://www.noonsite.com/place/cape-verdes/view/yachting-essentials/#

sue-richards says:

December 23, 2022 at 4:47 PM

Cape Verdes update from Tom Sheehy, owner of the Mindelo yachtie bar “Simpatico Sports Bar” and CA honorary local representative:
“Things have changed dramatically here over the past few years. Some things of note in Mindelo:
Provisions: You can now get almost everything from a wide range of meats including South American beef, fresh fish much cheaper than in Europe, organically grown vegetables. There are also a wide range of new supermarkets including a new one – PILAR VERMELHO MADEIRAZINHO – which carries a much wider range than historically would be available here, including things such as gluten specialist products, Japanese soya and mats etc. There are now also three MEU SUPER, which are from the large Portuguese supermarket chain of Continente.
Yachtie Gathering Places: The yacht club is at the marina, Club Nautico is no longer a yacht club but now a restaurant. Simpatico Sports Bar, which is mine, is now regarded as one of the main places for sailors with fibre optic broadband (higher speed than the marina) plus a wide range of international cuisine and drinks. I am the honorary local representative for the Cruising Association (CA) – http://www.simpaticocaboverde.com.
The street of Rua Sena Barcelos, just some 100m from the marina, is now pedestrianised and is where we are located, Taverna Italian restaurant and the Cremosita ice cream parlour. There is street seating available so it’s a very popular aree for sailors and visitors to the island to congregate.
There are some new hotels due to open in 2023 with a 4 points by Sheraton opening in July. The new cruise ship terminal and new pier are in construction, expected to open in 2023 as well. On January 20th we will see the Ocean Race coming to Cabo Verde for the first time. This puts CV to the forefront as a truly great location for yachts. Carnival Mindelo is back after 3 years due to COVID and occurs on and around February 12th. This is one of the biggest and best carnivals outside of Brazil!
Santo Antao, the neighbouring island, is also getting great notoriety as being one of the best trekking locations with amazing scenery truly worth a visit. Ferries operate 4 times a day to and from the island (to Mindelo) and it takes one hour to go there.
With the arrival of the new Hotels we are also now seeing many new flights coming from Europe, which are expected to increase further in 2023. Currently it’s possible to fly from Amsterdam, Lisbon, Luxembourg and France.

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jovita says:

October 6, 2022 at 8:03 AM

Last night à sailboat near us has been robbed , a big dog on board did not scared them ….
Close your boat when you go to shore.
Massive wild tourisme activities créats violence …..
Be careful …..the world is changent…

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Sue Richards says:

October 11, 2022 at 4:22 PM

We contacted Bernard who posted the report about a yacht burglary, above, for more details. He replied as follows:We are anchored in Palmeira, Isla do Sal, the robbers have been arrested yesterday and we do feel much better.The authorities here in Palmeira réalised they can’t afford such a situation as many sailboats are arriving ….So I confirm that Palmeira is still à great safe place to anchor .When you leave your boat just close it and lock it, no need to tease the devil …..

Arnold says:

October 21, 2021 at 10:47 AM

With all the negative reports about Capo Verde and Mindelo ,and as it nowadays seems seems only bad new sells ,we I need to write something positiv not only to straighten out the picture on those ilands a bit.

I was in Mindelon and I was very positiv surprised .The marina is safe and in good condition.Kai,the owner of the marina and his crew were able to solve all of our various technical problems.Even a 16mm lower shroud that had to be manufactured and replaced on my Benenteau 57 created no problems.

Really remarkable because I would´t expect anything even close in such a location., having just left Guinea Bissau.In general ,we have otherwise found that .This applies to the marina in Mindelo as well as to almost everything else.Prices could compared with Europa.
Resume:Capo Verdes is the port to stop before you cross! Not only does it give you the chance to repair and refurbish but it also cuts down the time to cross the Atlantic significantly.
The ilands are also very beautifull to visit especially after the rain season,when everthing seams a bit greener.

Arnold Schaefer,SY Incroyable

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RENAUD DIET says:

October 11, 2024 at 9:16 PM

Hello
I don’t see any recent comments about security or positive things in capo verde.
Has anyone been there recently?
I have been told that security is getting worse this year – even in Mindelo.
Thank you.
Sue Richards says:

October 18, 2024 at 11:07 AM

Hello Renaud,
Thanks for posting your question. Our security info. for Cape Verdes was last updated in May this year – https://www.noonsite.com/place/cape-verdes/view/security/ – since then we’ve not heard any feedback, good or bad. Following your comment I’ve been in touch with Mindelo Marina, who have told us that since last season there have been some anchored boats that have suffered robberies, and there are more beggars in the street. The Marina, Tourism Minister and National Security are all working together to address the situation and work out how security can be improved. Our security section pretty much sums up the situation and the precautions you should take when visiting by yacht.

thomassyirmi says:

May 3, 2021 at 1:45 PM

Brutal robbery on a Sailingvessel on April 18. 2021 in Praia
Some days ago, my friend Peter arrived here in Mindelo on his Sailboat IVALU. As he told me, he arrived on 18. April 2021 in Praia and was anchoring in the harbour. They were three people on board. During the night, three men, armed with big knives, entered the boat ant threatened the crew. Peter was slightly insured with a knive. The crew was tied up on hands and feet and mouth. The three suspects went through the boat and took everything on value. Computers, mobiles, harddisks, cameras, money and also some of the boat equipment. They packed everything in Peters Dingi, unlocked the outboardengine to fix it on the Dingi and went on shore. Even when one of the crew could lokate the house, where they went after this brutal robbery through an mobile app: Where is my phone, the police did nothing to get the things back. Some days later, they were surching this house, but of course everything was gone.
They tried to get into the bank accounts and mails and all the personal informations, stored on the computers.
So, as Peter and crew said: Dont go to Praia, it is more than dangerus

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Sue Richards says:

May 5, 2021 at 11:29 AM

Thank you for reporting this incident to Noonsite. Unfortunately Praia is well known as a hot spot for crime, and should be avoided if at all possible. We have previous incidents detailed on Noonsite in the Cape Verdes security section – see https://www.noonsite.com/place/cape-verdes/#security-section. Please encourage Peter and crew to send Noonsite a first-hand report of what happened to them so we can publish further details on Noonsite (to editor@noonsite.com). Many thanks.

hsailrivercafe-com says:

September 4, 2020 at 8:26 AM

Thanks a lot for a perfect support from Lutz Meyer-Scheel and his marvelous shore crew. Our sailing cat “Rivercafe” had to stop unexpected in Mindelo on its delivery trip from Cape Town to Tenerife. Lutz and his crew did everything to provide supplies in order to avoid a quarantine witch would have cost the crew some additional days in CV. And thats even though the marina was officially closed due to C19, Lutz found a way to help the crew and not to violate the CapoVerde C19 protocol. Great job done, thanks again from the happy owners.

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drifter says:

October 24, 2019 at 9:15 AM

Yacht burglary in Praia.
I stayed one night in Praia harbour and was boarded whilst asleep. All hatches and doors were locked except for some small side hatches (12cm X 38cm) for ventilation. No signs of forced entry could be found when I discovered my iPad, cash and Kindle missing when I woke in the morning. A small hatch (18cm X 33cm) was open that had been locked.

The only explanation I could find was a trained monkey. (I had seen one on the beach at Maio a few days before) I later confirmed with a Veterinarian friend that small monkeys are trained to identify and steal only cash and phones etc, in many countries.
I would advise anyone who visits Praia to be aware to lock even the smallest means of entry.

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Data Entry3 says:

January 17, 2019 at 4:51 AM

It is possible to get water in the port of Tarrafal on Sāo Nicolau in the fishing harbour. I saw 2 catamarans doing it but don’t know the depth. I spoke one of them. He paid harbour fees and water.

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Data Entry3 says:

November 7, 2018 at 10:40 AM

Thank you, Daniel, for reporting this. Indeed, this fee was abolished in March and has not been charged since April 2018. This has been confirmed by the Maritime Police in Mindelo.

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Data Entry3 says:

November 5, 2018 at 9:17 PM

The fee to the Policia Maritima of CVE $700 on the departure of each harbour is no longer charged as of about 2 weeks ago. We paid for the first part of our cruise here but have not paid in Maio (where we were charges previously) or Praia.

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Data Entry3 says:

April 10, 2018 at 10:29 AM

In October/ November 17 we stayed 5 weeks in Cabo Verde. We visited Sal, Sao Nicolau and Sao Vicente. We fell in love with the friendly people, the relaxed atmosphere and the „no stress“ attitude. We especially liked Palmeira even if Sal is very sandy and desert-like. Palmeira is a small fishing village and there is not a lot to see. You find small shops and basic restaurants. There is a bus connection to the main village of Espagos.

Tarrafal on Sao Nicolau is a little town, landing with the dinghy is not always easy due to the swell. In Mindelo, there is lots of space in the anchorage and there is the only marina of the Cabo Verde. Here are different shops and supermarkets, the market with fruits and vegetables, a little shop with boat parts in the marina, possibility to send boat parts to the marina, water, fuel, gas…

The islands of Cabo Verde are worth a visit, not only a nice stop during the Atlantic crossing!

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Data Entry3 says:

June 9, 2016 at 9:53 PM

Security in Capo Verde: We stayed a month in November 2015 in sal, Boa Vista, Sao Vincente and Sao Nicolau and we were never worried by security. Only Mindelo, like every city in a poor country, requires to be more careful as there are beggars and people hanging around cruisers.

All other islands are very relaxing. For the dinghy, we never locked it: We always put a kid in charge of the dinghy, in exchange of 0.25 to 0.50 euro. It worked perfectly. Same experience from 3 other boats we have been travelling with at that time.

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Data Entry3 says:

June 9, 2016 at 9:49 PM

There is a lot of confusion about visas required to go to Capo Verde. Do NOT take your VISA in advance if you plan to come with your boat: These visas, delivered by the capo Verde embassy in your country are for tourists, staying ashore.

They’re very expensive (about 45 euros for French citizen, 80 Canadian dollars for Canadian citizen). When you clear in, you will be asked to pay 7 euros as immigration fees for the whole crew. That makes a huge difference.

You need to clear in and out on each island. We found it long and painful in Sal, very easy on the other islands we visited (Boa Vista, Sao Nicolau and Sao Vincente).

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Data Entry3 says:

December 3, 2014 at 1:01 AM

We are currently in the Cape Verdes, and although the Imray pilot says that only Visa cards can be used, we found ATM’s that accept both Visa, Maestro and MasterCard in all the cities we visited: Escargo (Sal), Tarrafal (São Nicolau) and of course Mindelo.

Also, the Internet is available if you buy a 3G SIM card, we paid less than 15 euro for 5 Gbyte which is significantly cheaper than buying access in, for instance, Marina Mindelo. In Escargo and Mindelo we also found free internet (KoneKta) and in Mindelo, there are several cafes’ offering Internet.

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Data Entry3 says:

January 21, 2014 at 11:33 PM

we are presently in Capo Verdes. Police recommended us not to leave the dingy at night on any pontoon or beach. The boat next to us as lost this dingy two days ago!

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Cape Verdes - Links

Aug 19, 2025

View Special Offers for Cape Verdes

www.mindelo.info

A useful website with information for sailors (in French only).

www.lonelyplanet.com/cape-verde

Cruising Cape Verdes - November 2017

SY Moya, with 2 small children on board, spent a month in the Cape Verdes prior to their Atlantic crossing. Lots of useful information in this pdf, hosted on their website.

Cape Verdes Islands - Wind and Weather

SY Mollymawk spent many years returning to and cruising the Cape Verdes. Their blog has many useful articles about the islands.

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