Geography
The town is surrounded by mountains. A tan-colored deforested mountain lies to the east, and the smaller Vigia mountain defines the west edge of the town. To the south lies a range of brown deforested mountains Monte Cara, and the Morro Branco peak lies to the northwest. The town is crossed by a river named Ribeira Julião.
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 Ilhéu dos 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.
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