Location of Mindelo

A little lower is another urban sprawl named Lazareto which is much smaller and touches the lower parts of the Monte Cara.

Mindelo's deep-water port, Porto Grande, is connected to Mindelo Bay, an underwater volcanic crater, and is used for cruise ships and other commercial traffic. The Ilhéudos Pássaros, an islet at the entry of the Porto Grande, is 82 m (269 ft) above sea level and has a lighthouse. There is a ferry boat named Mar d'Canal that goes from Mindelo to Santo Antão and back twice a day, carrying up to 450 passengers and about a hundred cars and trucks