A bay on the windward coast where a natural barrier of black lava holds back the Atlantic, leaving a calm, clear pool for swimming and snorkelling.
On the north-east coast, a reef of volcanic rock closes off part of the bay. Inside, the water is calm, clear and shallow: São Vicente's main safe swim for families and its best easy snorkel.
The village is a cluster of holiday houses, quiet through the week and busy on Sundays when Mindelo drives out for lunch and a swim.
Windsurfers and kiters launch outside the reef, and the sand runs west towards the wild Praia Grande.
One weekend each August the beach hosts the Festival da Baía das Gatas, Cabo Verde's biggest music festival.
Go on a weekday for space, or a Sunday for the crowd.
Take an aluguer minibus or taxi north-east across the island.
Calm, shallow water, safe for children.
Fish among the lava boulders near the barrier.
A beach restaurant for the catch of the day.
Walk the sand west; admire, but don't swim, the open beach.
.JPG)
.jpg?width=1280)
Aluguers leave from central Mindelo, mostly at weekends; a taxi there and back is easy to arrange.
Dates are announced in spring; buses run all night and rooms in Mindelo fill.
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences, and our own.
.JPG){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}