With an area of 227 Km2, the Island of Sao Vicente is the principal pole of development on the northern islands of the archipelago. Settlement of the island and the development of the City of Mindelo are due largely to Porto Grande, the amplest bay and the best natural port in Cape Verde. Due to its great aridity, settlement of Sao Vicente only began in the XVIIIth century. Consolidation of the port development from the latter part of the XIXth century to the first half of the XXth century led to the growth of the City of Mindelo which, up to the decade of the seventies in the XXth century, was the largest urban center in the country. The port activity, industry, trade, services, and fishing are the island’s principal economic activities. Mindelo, especially the center of the city, is an important historic and cultural patrimony. It became an important port of call on the middle of the Atlantic during the period when maritime travel was fueled by coal, and, for that reason, it always counted on the presence of British companies connected with ships provisioning and with telegraphy. Vestiges of the British presence were left in cultural aspects on the island and in the sporting remnants in the games of cricket and golf. Mindelo is a city of “Serenatas”, “Noites Caboverdianas”, and of “Carnaval”. The city organizes the best “Carnaval” of the archipelago, with a marked Brazilian influence, an inheritance from the golden period of the transatlantic shipping. The island and the City of Mindelo are very dynamic in the industrial and commercial sectors particularly after the installation of Cape Verde’s international fair on the island. An international airport is scheduled to go into operation on this island in the near future. For land travel there is a good taxi and car rental service. Buses are available for urban travel. Aside from the City of Mindelo, and its vast architectural and historic patrimony, there are other places of great interest such as the Beach of Baia das Gatas, the Beaches of Calhau and Salamansa, both areas of tourist infrastructure expansion.