Volcanic rock reefs coated in colour, caves and overhangs holding crayfish and moray, and the quieter sites off the fishing…Volcanic rock reefs coated in colour, caves and overhangs holding crayfish and moray, and the quieter sites off the fishing village of São Pedro where the fish life is denser because nobody dives them. Mindelo was a British coaling station on the South Atlantic route and still feels like a port city, it is the home of the morna and of Cesária Évora, and its Carnival is the biggest in the islands. Porto Grande is a drowned volcanic crater, which is why it is so deep and so sheltered. Anchorage: Porto Grande at Mindelo is the crossroads harbour of the Cape Verdes, a deep volcanic caldera bay with a marina, and the best place in the islands to lie up. Hazards: The channel between São Vicente and Santo Antão funnels the trades and gets very rough. Plus